SCOTLAND & WALES Tour Testimonials & Input
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Castles, Trefriw mill, slate mine, ferries, trains, wine & cheese bar Scotland & Wales had it all and did not disappoint, plus we made a friend - Shout out to Evelyn. We had David all to ourselves for this trip, lucky us! Lets start.......
Edinburgh is a city but small and quite in the area we stayed in, loved the atmosphere of the restaurants and shops plus how many people can say the have been to a still lived in Royal Castle - Holyrood Palace.
Seeing my husbands face as he gazed upon St Andrews golf course in all it's beauty made me so happy for him, along with the cathedral to visit St Andrews is a quaint little town with very friendly people.
This tour is not only fun and entertaining but also a history lesson for all.
The little town of Pitlochery was one of my favorites, so clean, friendly, great shopping! Culloden Battlefield is historically haunting as you walk the grounds and visit the museum you get a true sense of how loyal the Jacobites were to their cause.
I never thought a giant catapult (Urquhart Castle) would hold my attention for so long but the thought of how genius it was to have built such a massive structure the way they did back in the day truly had me in awe, not to mention the castle is still so intact for the time period.
We unfortunately didn't see Nessie while on Loch Ness either but we ate and drank some fabulous seafood.
How many people can say they have walked in an 800 yr old Abbey, as a Christian I felt honored to see where the Book of Kells was written and speak with a nun who still lives in Iona. Iona was breath taking it it's self, I could have easily retreated to this island for a couple of weeks, I feel like to have to have visited here to know what that means. So remote and removed from today's world.
Our last few nights we stayed at Groes Inn in Northern Wales, while remote it doesn't disappoint in any way. Great wine selection and beautiful rooms help make this small inn fell homey and welcoming.
My husband and I both were extremely fascinated with visiting the Trefriw woolen mill seeing how they step by step make blankets, pillow covers etc....I truly appreciate the hard work that goes into making these now.
We got to travel on a steam engine train, first time for both of us and visit a slate mine. When you think your job is hard just research working in a slate mine and you will understand the hard dangerous work men put into their jobs trying to support their families.
Our last night with David we ate at an old church that had been renovated into a restuarant but they had left the pipe organs hanging, so beautiful and the food was great too. I could continue and go on and on about more but really you need to book this trip for yourself to see exactly what Scotland and Wales have to offer you. Stop hesitating and do it.
I've gone on quite a few trips with David overseas and he never disappoints. David does an excellent job of balancing the "must see's" with giving the individual traveler ample time to go and explore the destination they are visiting on their own. When I returned home from this trip, my friends asked me what my favorite stop was and I couldn't give an answer because every place we visited with this itinerary was simply amazing! I HIGHLY recommend traveling with David and look forward to another adventure down the road!
Our overall experience was everything I hoped for. The specific attractions on the itinerary were very effective in making me feel I had experienced Scotland and Wales. Our traveling companions were delightful, and we had just the right mix of planned events, free time, togetherness, and independence. Our new friends and we added two tours - the underground vaults in Edinburgh, and the distillery in Oban. Both were great, and I recommend them. Of the planned excursions, I was most intrigued with the slate mine (I know that’s a surprise, given my focus on textiles; I thought the woolen mill was great, too). The drives through the Highlands and Wales were unforgettable, and the stay at Groes Inn was the best way to wrap up the tour. I will recommend this tour!
BEST OF SCOTLAND, WALES AND IRELAND - Our tour guide was always willing to answer questions, had excellent navigation and driving skills and was always accommodating. Our favorite part of the tour was seeing Edinburgh Castle.
SCOTLAND, August 2017 - This was a very well thought out and directed tour. It met all of our expectations. My favorite moment was seeing the lights at night on Edinburgh Castle. I can't imagine a tour being any better.
The Best of Ireland and Scotland Tour – Enjoyed each meal, never thought about beans being a breakfast food before now have once a week. My best memory of dinner was taking a private boat to go have dinner on my birthday, this was another WOW day for me.
BEST OF IRELAND AND SCOTLAND, May 2015 - We loved traveling with Charlotte in Ireland and David in Scotland. We were always amazed by the beautiful scenes of nature and the ancient historical sites on the tour. We always enjoy experiencing the local cuisine. The nature scenes like the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher were our favorite. We loved getting to know Charlotte and laughing a lot!!!
BEST OF IRELAND AND SCOTLAND, May 2015 - We loved traveling with Charlotte in Ireland and David in Scotland. We were always amazed by the beautiful scenes of nature and the ancient historical sites on the tour. We always enjoy experiencing the local cuisine. The nature scenes like the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher were our favorite. We loved getting to know Charlotte and laughing a lot!!!
IRELAND AND SCOTLAND - I have never had a vacation with so many wonderful memories. Being able to walk around Dublin and see and experience wonderful people and try their great food dishes was great. I loved the history, magnificent buildings, awesome churches and The Hills. I am a walker now. My favorite part of the trip had to be Scotland; the beehive at the top of what I called a mountain. I had to stop a couple of times to get to the top but I made it. I was so impressed with the places David chose to take us on this trip. From our accommodations to food to entertainment. From planned excursions to off-the-road stops, we could not have asked for a better person to lead us. I loved each hotel. They each held their own charm, from very modern to country charm of a B&B. I loved waking to the calls of cows and horses to the busy street sounds. I enjoyed each meal. I never thought about beans being a breakfast food before. Now I have them once a week. My best memory of dinner was taking a private boat to go have dinner on my birthday; this was another WOW day for me. The proud moment when you find a Clan with your last name and to learn how hard it was on past generations and the reason for so many leaving their homeland to come to America. I could not be more proud of those people. Thank You, David!
IRELAND AND SCOTLAND - David's tour ran very smooth. Great hotel rooms with breakfast each morning. He gave informative tours of the cities and areas we visited and then we had time on our own to visit in more detail or go shopping (my favorite activity anywhere). David was happy to stop along the way for photo ops and rest stops. We did check out some new sites with him. Each day was an adventure filled with great food, wine, and sites. We loved every moment of the trip: the singing golfers who shared their beautiful voices for over two hours with us in a pub in Kilkenny, the changing of the guards and bands at Edinburgh Castle, the view from the Cliffs of Moher, my first pint of Guinness (followed by many more over the trip), the beautiful sunshine over all of the green fields filled with baby lambs, another outstanding dinner. How can I pick just one? Every day had at least one "wow" moment. I have traveled with David before this trip. He plans each detail with room for you to explore on your own and to have some downtime. His choices of restaurants were outstanding. He is also an excellent driver on the small country roads as well as in the large cities. All hotels had very clean rooms and comfortable beds. Breakfast was always ready and hot. Excellent service with the staff of the hotels. All meals were outstanding. We had some outstanding Italian food in Kilkenny. David knows all the great places to eat. Good food, wine, and company. David provided us with information about each city/area we would be traveling to ahead of time. Each day of the trip we received more information on the day's adventure. Charlotte, his wife, provided an excellent list of shops in Ireland and Scotland, which was a great assistant to me for shopping. His blog has a great wealth of information on packing, taking pictures. I read most of these before the trip. He answered all of my emails with questions about different things. Can't wait for the next adventure with David! John and I really enjoyed each day.