Absolute Escapes Traveller Reviews

Absolute escapes created a self drive touring package for us that covered the major areas of Scotland staying 2 nights in each stop with 1 night stop overs in Kendal for the journey up and Corbridge on the return journey. The holiday gave us an excellent introduction to Scotland & places where we would like to spend more time at next time.

All Hotels were excellent, travel itinerary very well laid out with many recommendations for stopping points, places to eat & places to visit. Ferry arrangements & tour bus for Edinburgh provided as part of the package. Would recommend them for creating such itinerary's & the Hotels they provided were of a very very high standard. If we were to do something similar in Scotland we would use them again but create a different itinerary based on the places we visited & those places we would like to spend more time at.

A group of seven of us from the USA met in Hawes in mid-May, 2015 for a six day walking trip on the Herriot Way in Yorkshire. We walked four, 13 mile days with two rest days. We had done a similar walk two years ago along the Lizard Peninsula on the SW Coast Path and we like this style of walking trip, without luggage, from inn to inn. Since we had done a coast walk, we wanted to try a different part of the country - Yorkshire it was! Our group ranged in age from 58 to 70. The scenery and experience was terrific. The 13 mile trek over Great Shunner Fell in a heavy mist/fog was a bit of a slog, but now we have something to talk about when we all get together! The weather for the rest of the trip was excellent, considering it was Yorkshire in May. We were glad we brought our ear muffs and scarves. We stayed in two B&Bs and two pub/inns: Herriot Inn in Hawes for three nights; Keld Lodge in Keld for one night; Hackney House in Reeth for two nights, and finally, the George and Dragon in Aysgarth for our last night. All accommodations were terrific. Similar to our trip in Cornwall, we were very impressed with the quality of pub food in England, especially since some of us had vegetarian and gluten-free dietary requirements.

"A group of seven of us from the USA met in Hawes in mid-May, 2015 for a six day walking trip on the Herriot Way in Yorkshire. We walked four, 13 mile days with two rest days. We had done a similar walk two years ago along the Lizard Peninsula on the SW Coast Path and we like this style of walking trip, without luggage, from inn to inn. Since we had done a coast walk, we wanted to try a different part of the country - Yorkshire it was! Our group ranged in age from 58 to 70. The scenery and experience was terrific. The 13 mile trek over Great Shunner Fell in a heavy mist/fog was a bit of a slog, but now we have something to talk about when we all get together! The weather for the rest of the trip was excellent, considering it was Yorkshire in May. We were glad we brought our ear muffs and scarves. We stayed in two B&Bs and two pub/inns: Herriot Inn in Hawes for three nights; Keld Lodge in Keld for one night; Hackney House in Reeth for two nights, and finally, the George and Dragon in Aysgarth for our last night. All accommodations were terrific. Similar to our trip in Cornwall, we were very impressed with the quality of pub food in England, especially since some of us had vegetarian and gluten-free dietary requirements."

Overall, we very much enjoyed the walk in the Spey Valley. As novices, we found the walk a good introduction to this style of holiday. The accommodations were, in general, very pleasant and we appreciated the support provided by Absolute Escapes. The only negative comment I would offer concerns the route into Aviemore at the end of the journey. I found walking on pavement for at least a mile, alongside a busy road, a rather rude awakening after seven days of relative solitude, accompanied only by birdsong. Perhaps the route could be rethought?

Absolute Escapes provided great support and the company was very easy to work with in planning the holiday. We would work with the company in future if planning a similar type of vacation.

My friend and I enjoyed the stunning scenery, comfy accommodations and great food provided by our Scottish hosts all along the way. Many, many thanks to Andy Gabe and his able team for putting together a fabulous trip that went without a hitch! I cannot overstate our level of satisfaction with Andy and Absolute Escapes. Thanks for their part in a memorable holiday.

Andy went above and beyond in his sensitive response and additional efforts when I lost an item of sentimental value along the way. I'll always remember him for his empathy and extra assistance. He has not lost that personal touch, which makes all the difference!

we did four days of the Fife coastal path and had a great time. B&B was very friendly and comfortable, Information about the villages, ways and facilities good and everything worked fine. Even the wheather was perfect!

Absolute Escapes

The West Highland Way is a path which should not be walked to fast. At every meter spot there is something new to see and experience! The landscape is sometimes lovely and sometimes overwhelming. The first part from Milngavie to Drymen was a delightful walk with lots of nice things to see and do. From Drymen to Balmaha we enjoyed so much the Conic hill and afterwards the refreshing atmosphere in the Oak Tree Inn. From Balmaha to Rowardennan was on a bright and sunny day and the landscape is magic with such weather when looking through the trees into the Loch Lomond water. Unfortunately we could not walk the part between Rowardennan and Drovers Inn due to the weather and due to personal injuries. From Drovers Inn to Tyndrum was an easy walk and we enjoyed the very very nice hospitality of Glencarry in Tyndrum. Then from Tyndrum to Inveroran was an energizing walk and from Inveroran to Kings House was so spectacular: once over the top of the highest part of this walk we had a magnificent view of the Glen at Kings House: we were astonished: this almost looks like the broad valleys in the southern part of the USA - so great! From Kings House to Kinlochleven was a super experience because of the rugged hills and the beautiful view of the little town from above! The last stretch was magnificent: beautiful lonely landscapes, deserted houses, and the majestic mountains! Our stay in Fort William was a pleasure feeling proud of having walked the way and very satisfied with lots of impressions. We liked very much the treatment in Drymen, Glencarry and Fort William especially because it is so personal. Nothing bad about the other stays, but the former three were our favorites!

Absolute escapes adapted the tour to our personal demands and they did that very well. We were satisfied about the hotels and guesthouses (B&B) although there were differences in comfort. Top locations were Myrtle Bank Guesthouse in Fort William and Glencarry in Tyndrum, but Drover’s Inn and Fern Villa House in Ballachulish were from a lower quality. The people of Fern Villa were marvelous, but the room was too small for us two. On average we found the rooms to be small although we did not had any problem with it, except in Ballachulish.

Walking the Great Glen Way from Ft William to Inverness. I stayed in a variety of hostels and bed & breakfast accommodation. All were good standards for the type of accommodation. I found some of the climbs more challenging as I took new higher routes that have been developed at the request of the walkers who use the route. In one word 'excellent'.

I had very good communication with Absolute Escapes throughout the whole enquiry and booking process. Their approach was very professional and friendly. They were a pleasure to deal with, and I would recommend them to anyone contemplating this style of holiday.

Three brother in laws from Uddingston headed off to do our very first WHHW. We did it over five days and had a truly brilliant experience. There's no doubt it was very tough in parts, especially day 2 Balmaha to Inverannan. However, most of it is no bother if you are reasonably fit, have GOOD BOOTS, and a decent waterproof. The smaller things go a long way(compeed, sudacream, suncream, balaclava for Rannoch moor ha ha). It's worth all the pain to witness some epic scenery. Loch Lomond, Rannoch Moor, Glencoe are really special places that take your mind off to a different place. It was good to hear the cuckoo all the way up north from balmaha onwards. Special moments? Too many to mention but here's a few; pint of Balmaha lager at the Oak Tree Inn, pouring rain on Conic Hill, Deer at Inveronnan, Rannoch moor, a red grouse up close, sharing a hip flask atop the devils staircase....the list goes on, oh, and finishing !

Great advice given as it was our first time. Excellent transfers and accommodation. I really would recommend this operator, we had not one thing to worry about the whole trip. You can't ask for more than that.

Excellent organisation, everything went smoothly . We walked the West Highland Way with our dog Bella and loved it. We lenjoyed meeting lots of fellow walkers on the way. All in all a fabulous "escape" Many thanks Nicola Jamie and Bella Purves

Excellent organisation and communication before the trip.

We had a wonderful time walking the West Highland Way. If we did it again, we would take more days to do the walk to shorten two of the longer hiking days. We could not envision the length and difficulty of each leg from the information provided and would opt for a 10-12 mile maximum per day. Each section of the walk has its own set of challenges, some more difficult and demanding than others. We like to arrive with enough energy to enjoy the evening. The B&Bs we stayed in were mostly very nice. All of them were acceptable. Several of them had exceptional breakfasts and we had a memorable dinner in one of them. The Kings House Hotel is in a not to be missed location, but is well beyond the point where it should be renovated. We were happy with the reservations, the itinerary, the luggage transportation, contact numbers, etc. The added transportation at the end of the walk went flawlessly. Overall, we are glad we made this hike.

Absolute Escapes did a superb job of organizing the package. We would use them again.