Last year, we organised a sensational two-month tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland for our clients, Jillian and Gary King, to mark their 40th wedding anniversary. We were delighted to be asked to create another dream itinerary for them in July 2023, this time visiting Scotland and London. Once again, the Kings have written an entertaining blog about their adventures!

Jillian and Gary booked this year’s three-week vacation with Curated Travel in California and Janet Redler Travel was delighted to be asked to make the on-the-ground arrangements. With our many years' experience organising tailor-made tour across the UK and Ireland, as well as other parts of Europe, we were well placed to create yet another memorable trip.

Highlights of this year’s tour included three days in London and a visit to Edinburgh before heading to the Highlands of Scotland, where the Kings explored beautiful Tayside, the single malt whisky trail in Speyside, the famous Isle of Skye and Argyll and the Inner Hebrides.

In the second of our two blogs, we follow the Kings' adventures in the Highlands of Scotland.

Dunkeld and the River Tay

After leaving Edinburgh, the Kings’ trip into the Highlands was divided into four stops or stays. First of all they headed about 1½ hours north of Edinburgh to a delightful small village, Dunkeld, in Perthshire with a small inn situated on the River Tay.

The Taybank

The Taybank is first and foremost a foodie stop with a highly rated restaurant and a riverside garden kitchen / beer garden overlooking the river. A small number of lovely rooms are situated upstairs and the Kings were booked in for a stay.

The bath tub really made the stay for the Kings!

The Tay is one of many beautiful rivers in Scotland - Jillian said she never tires of them - and the Kings enjoyed watching fly fishing, canoes and kayaks. 

Dinner in the main restaurant at The Taybank was memorable to say the least, for Jillian and Gary. Jillian said, “The cod with rainbow chard in a smoked butter and langoustine sauce was sublime. The whole meal was worth every calorie.” 

In their blog, Jillian and Gary kindly thanked Janet Redler Travel for organising such a spectacular trip. “Janet was responsible for our 79 day beautifully executed UK adventure in spring 2022 (which was a huge undertaking!) and so we once again asked her to help us figure out our path and find just the right accommodations to make our stays on this much shorter trip just as special. We are so appreciative of her expertise and guidance and would highly recommend her if you ever plan on traveling in the UK and Ireland!”

There were a few sights along the way from Edinburgh to Dunkeld that were not to miss photo opportunities! The Kings didn’t make a stop in Falkirk, but saw The Kelpies from the car - these 98 foot high horse-head sculptures depict mythical, shape-shifting water spirits.

The Kings’ first stop was in Stirling, the site of Stirling Castle, an important historical castle overlooking the River Forth, which dates from the early 12th century. It was integral in many sieges and occupations during the wars for Scottish independence from England, and if you’ve watched Braveheart, Willliam Wallace (Mel Gibson’s character) won his first significant battle at Stirling Bridge, and later starved the English from the castle. Stirling Castle has fabulous one-hour guided tours of the castle compound. Highly recommended!

Stirling Castle

Jillian explains that the village of Stirling, below the castle, is charming as well, so visitors should make sure to allot some time to explore the shops and restaurants.

Next stop was The National Wallace Monument. Jillian said: “ William Wallace is revered in these parts, and the memorial constructed for him is another must-see spot!”

The National Wallace Monument

A view from the top…the site of the Battle for Stirling Bridge

The next day, the Kings took a very scenic drive up through the Cairngorms National Park to visit Balmoral, the British Royals’ Scottish country estate. This was one of the Queen’s favourite places, and where she was when she passed away. Jillian said: “The drive to the summit was just spectacular, and I enjoyed our time at Balmoral, thinking about some of those scenes in The Crown and Spencer that took place here!” 

Jillian advises visitors to make sure to make a stop in the gardens. They were in full bloom when the Kings visited, waiting for the arrival of the royal family for their annual summer vacation in August. (The Kings were there the last week Balmoral is open for the season.)

After Balmoral, Jillian and Gary headed over to the charming town of Braemar to eat at the 5-star Fife Arms hotel. Jillian said: "We ate at the Flying Stag restaurant there, and Gary said he had the best fish and chips of his life!"

The Fife Arms in Braemar

The Kings spent their last day in this region on the coast, as they drove to see the city of Dundee. Their primary objective was to visit the V&A Dundee (the Victoria and Albert Museum), which opened in 2018 in the city, and Jillian said it was well worth it. The museum covers a broad range of Scottish design, from furniture, to video games, to textiles, to bridges, and is a fascinating place to spend several hours. A highlight for Jillian was the special exhibition dedicated to tartan. 

V&A Dundee

Tartan at V&A Dundee

Speyside – Single Malt Whisky Trail

For the next leg of their tour, the Kings headed to Speyside. Speyside is home to the famous Whisky Trail made up of more than 50 distilleries, the greatest concentration of single malt whisky production compared to any other region. Home to places like Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, Macallan and Balvenie. They claim the magic ingredient is the clear, pure water of the Spey.

Gary and Jillian stayed at The Criagellachie, a beautiful, historic hotel, estlabished in 1893, in a lovely little town famous for its whisky bar (the Quaich Bar) with over 1,000 single-malt whiskies from around the globe.

The Craigellachie Hotel

For their first day exploring the region, the Kings decided to focus on castles, as part of the Castle Trail. Jillian explains that there are too many to see them all in one trip, so they settled on one ruin, and one still being maintained in its grand state.

Balvenie Castle dating back to medieval times

Castle Fraser in Inverurie, one of the largest tower houses in Scotland

On their second day of exploration in this region, the Kings followed the northern coastline to see some of the spectacular spots Janet Redler highlighted for them. Jillian said that it was, again, a gorgeous day for a Scottish summer and they really enjoyed the beautiful coastline.

Highlights of the day included Spey Bay, where the Spey River meets the North Sea - a beautiful coastal reserve with grasslands, considered a great spot for dolphin watching; Bow Fiddle Rock, an iconic coastal rock formation; Ballers of Buchan, the site of a collapsed sea cave and home to puffins and beautiful sea birds, and Stains Castle, a stunning castle ruin overlooking the coastline, which Bram Stoker visited and was said to have used as inspiration for his novel Dracula.

Spey Bay

Stains Castle

On their way out the next morning the Kings stopped at the Speyside Cooperage for a quick tour. This is where whisky barrels are both made and repaired.

The Isle of Skye

The Kings spent their first day of steady rain while in Scotland driving to their next destination, which included Loch Ness, so sadly didn’t get the chance to take good photos. Jillian said she had always wanted to visit Loch Ness and spot a sea creature!

Their next stay was at VRBO, a two bedroom cottage in Kyle of Lochalsh, looking out towards the Isle of Skye.

The view from the kitchen window to the bridge crossing over to the Isle of Skye

On day one the Kings travelled the north-east part of this island and the famous Trotternish Loop. The Isle of Skye is the largest island in the Inner Hebrides. The island is dominated by the Cuillin Range, spectacular mountains that reach over 3,000 feet. Skye has a rich history of clan wars (the biggest clans here were MacLeod and Macdonald), as well as being known for hiding out Bonnie Prince Charlie during the Jacobite rising.

The Trotternish Loop on a lovely Scottish summer’s day

The Trotternish Loop is known for some of the most beautiful landscapes that can can be found on the entire island, and it certainly did not disappoint the Kings, who were blessed with another beautiful, clear day. There are a lot of hiking paths and more challenging trails throughout the island, ideal for those who wish to engage in some rigorous activity! Jillian and Gary did quite a bit of walking but stayed for the most part on easy walking paths.

The Kings made a quick stop in Sligachan, a small settlement with a beautiful stone bridge and famous statue of two men who set out to discover, climb and map the Cuillins. 

Highlights of ‘the Loop’ for the Kings included the famous basalt rock formations known as The Old Man of Storr, which was created by a massive ancient landslide; Lealt Falls, a waterfall that lies in a gorge where the River Lealt runs from the Trotternish Ridge to the sea; Kilt Rock, an ancient cliff that resembles a pleated kilt with its vertical basalt columns, and the Quiraing, another rock formation caused by landslides.

The Old Man of Storr

The Skye Museum of Island Life gave Jillian and Gary the chance to take a look at some original “crofter” thatch cottages and artifacts. A croft is similar to a small farm, and the term crofter refers to the person(s) living on the croft (usually a renter as part of a larger estate) who worked the land. It was a hard life without a lot of luxury. 

The Kings last stop, on a very long day, was the Fairy Glen, a lush spot with a magical vibe leading to its name. The terrain is dotted with lots of small round hills, which made Jillian think of a hobbit glen!

The Fairy Glen

On day two, Jillian and Gary ventured into the central and north-west portions of the island. With fewer stops and more ground to cover (and another day of beautiful weather), Jillian said they felt so lucky for this second day to explore the Isle!

Their first stop was Dunvegan Castle, considered one of the greatest Hebridean castles (castles on the Hebrides islands). This castle has been home to the Chiefs of the Clan MacLeod for over 800 years, making it the oldest continuously occupied castle by the same family across Scotland. 

As well as exploring the castle, Jillian and Gary enjoyed the lovely gardens.

Next stop was Dun Beog Broch, an Iron Age stone tower. The Kings pretty much had the place to themselves when they visited and took a lovely hike up to the tower for some spectacular views.

The Kings’ final stop on their tour of the Isle of Skye was the Fairy Pool Walks, a steep and rocky path through a series of pools along the path of a waterfall. Jillian and Gary made it to the first couple of pools but did not venture to the top (a five mile hike each way).

Jillian said: “We are so grateful for this opportunity to visit a place I have long heard of and always wanted to see, and with such spectacular weather as well! The Isle of Skye did not disappoint, and I only wish we’d had a few more days in order to take advantage of some of the incredible hiking opportunities available.”

Argyll and a few more islands

The last part of the Kings’ tour of Scotland was south to Argyll. There were some lovely castle ruins to spot along the way and drives along beautiful lochs (especially Loch Linnhe) to take your breath away at every turn. They also drove by Ben Nevis, the largest mountain peak in the UK.

Eilean Donan Castle

For Jillian and Gary’s final stay, Janet Redler selected the Kilberry Inn and the Kings said they absolutely loved it. First and foremost it is a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant with a few charming rooms attached. Breakfast and dinner are included with your stay. Run by chef Clare and her husband Dave who welcomes guests and is known for his Negronis, Jillian said it was a delightful place that she would highly recommend visiting.

The Kilberry Inn

The Kings said that the meals at the Kilberry Inn were amazing. A typical dinner began with homemade breads, and for a starter the Kings particularly enjoyed a fennel, cardamom & taleggio tart with red wine shallots and toasted walnuts and a delicious smoked haddock and sweet corn chowder with fennel.

For a second course, Jillian and Gary enjoyed halibut with haricot beans, salsa verde and pickled fennel and a dry aged rib eye steak with celeriac remoulade & a cafe de Paris butter sauce. And of course they had to sample the amazing desserts, from Stracciatella ice cream & ‘baci di dama’; to raspberry and almond tart; to Tunisian orange and almond cake with Greek yoghurt and berries; to sticky toffee pudding!

On their first day out and about, Jillian and Gary jumped on the Rick Steeves recommended Three Island Tour out of the town of Oban, visiting three islands in the Inner Hebrides, the Isle of Mull, the second largest of the inner islands with around 3,000 inhabitants, the remote and very small Staffa, which is uninhabited except for seasonal Atlantic puffin and other nesting seabird residents, finishing up at the island burial site of ancient kings, Iona.

Fingal’s Cave on the island of Staffa

On the second day of their stay in Argyll, the Kings took it a little bit easier just to enjoy the Kilberry Inn and the local area, driving down to Torrisdale Castle Estate to walk around this private estate and to also visit the owner’s gin distillery (Beinn an Tuirc, or “hill of the wild boar”, home of Kintyre Gin). 

And then, in the blink of an eye, it was the Kings’ final day in Scotland and time to drive to the airport for a flight back to London. The scenery on the drive to the airport was once again spectacular, adding another breathtaking adventure driving along Loch Long and Loch Lomond.

Loch Lomond

After a final day and a half with their daughter in London, the Kings headed home – but not without indulging in one more treat – a sumptuous afternoon tea at the Orchid Lounge in the Pan Pacific Hotel. Jillian enthused: “It was truly spectacular and I would highly recommend this spot if you’re looking for a beautiful setting, long and leisurely service, and spectacular food! The tea selection alone was mind boggling.”

A memorable afternoon tea to finish Jillian and Gary’s vacation!

Read Gary and Jillian’s blog in full here and if you or your group would like to enjoy your own tailor-made tour of the Highlands of Scotland, London or Edinburgh, please do contact our friendly team today.

All photos courtesy of Jillian and Gary King.