Orkney & Shetland Self-drive Traveller Reviews

Travel from south of England to Scrabster for ferry to Orkney, Three days touring and then took the ferry for four days on Shetland. Interesting as have never been to the Shetlands, plenty of walking and visiting ancient sites. Overnight ferry back to Aberdeen which was again a very pleasant experience. Covid 19 did impact what could be done but went with an open mind and prepared to be flexible.

My wife and I have used McKinley Kidd in the past and as before everything ran like clockwork, good choice of hotels which were always of a good standard. the whole holiday including ferries just run smoothly without me having any hassle.

Staying in hotels, travelling around the islands, experiencing the people there.

An interactive supportive company

We did a two centre holiday to travel around the two Northern Islands.

The care that McKinlay Kidd gave us was excellent. The app from them allowed us to get all our documentation in one place. The documentation also gave us travel tips that gave us extra information.

An amazing experience combining archaeology, wild-life and more modern history. Comfortable friendly accommodation and tasty local food.

Friendly telephone interactions, informative emails and efficient arrangements. When a boat trip needed to be rescheduled because of changed weather conditions, we were informed by a phone message to my mobile as well as a phone call to our hotel to ensure we had received the news.

This was the first time we had visited these islands and we took lots of warm clothing expecting rain and the famous Shetland wind! However, we actually had only one rain shower and sunshine every day. The trip was a delight. Both hotels very welcoming and comfortable with very good food. All the arrangements made by McKinley Kidd went like clockwork and entirely to plan. The boat trip from Lerwick out to the islands was extra special and our captain and his mate very friendly and informative about the wildlife we encountered. These islands are a delight! We saw them at their very best due to the exceptional weather but the scenery really is spectacular.

McKinley Kidd gave a very personal service, always eager to answer any questions we had and could not have been more helpful. The arrangements such as flights, car hire and hotel locations were just perfect.

We had 3 nights in Orkney and 3 in Shetland. All on a B&B basis. Excellent

So well organised, 1st time I had used a tour company and I was very impressed

Rail travel from Inverness to Thurso/Scrabster, ferry and overnight in Orkney. Guided small tour of archaeological sites on Orkney and then overnight ferry to Shetland. Self-drive tour around Shetland Mainland, Yell and Unst. Overnight ferry Shetland to Aberdeen.

I have used the services of McKinlay Kidd over the last four years for travel holidays around Northern Scotland, the Western Hebrides, Western Ireland and now the Shetland Isles. They have made proposals for my itinerary with recommendations on places to visit, restaurants, museums etc. This service has included arrangements for accommodation and all travel details (taxis, car hire, ferries etc). The service has always been efficient, polite and friendly with extremely good support documentation, tickets and maps.

Three nights each on Orkney and Shetland. Not nearly enough timeto discover all these islands had to offer. Well located in very hospitable and comfortable accommodation we drove out each day to explore the many historic sites on Orkney and beautiful coastline of Shetland. Driving on both islands was easy with the polite locals and good roads. Recommendations from the tour company were very helpful. We sampled plenty of local food and drinks which we enjoyed.

Communication was always excellent. Holiday details were fine tuned and instructions easy to follow. Very helpful tips. We encountered no problems at all. Would recommend

The accommodation and the itinerary provided by MacKinlay-Kidd were ideal, allowing us to see the outstanding scenery of the islands, take in many of the historical sites and pursue our main interest in bird watching.

We were on a self-drive holiday.

We have just completed a self dive holiday to the Orkney and Shetland Islands which also included a short stay in Edinburgh. We had not been to Scotland and we wanted to experience Scottish Islands. We wanted to go to Orkney because we heard about Skara Brae but there was so much more to see and experience. What we loved most was wandering around and walking around the Island. We did not know what to expect in Shetland and we were overwhelmed by the natural beauty of the place. The Shetland Museum and Archives is a must to learn how the Island developed over time. Again we enjoyed walking around the Island and drinking in the magnificent and dramatic scenery. Anyone travelling to Shetland must stay at the Scalloway hotel. The owners are lovely and we ate at the bar each night as the food was great and served local produce. The mussels are a must. Be prepared for the weather. We took appropriate clothing and we were lucky that there were enough sunny days to enjoy our excursions. The Orkney and Shetland Islands are must for anyone who enjoys nature walks, bird watching ( yes we saw puffins) and archaeological sites.

McKinley Kidd organised for us a self drive holiday to Orkney and the Shetland Islands and our experience was fantastic! The accommodation selected for us in Edinburgh Orkney and Shetland was excellent and very comfortable. Our hosts were very friendly and accommodating. Everything was well organised. Our cars were ready when we reached our destinations. We particularly liked the app that McKinley Kidd gave us as it included a lot of tourist and travel information, our itinerary and Island natural attractions. Coming from Australia with very little or no knowledge of what to expect in the Scottish Islands the app was invaluable. We enjoyed our holiday. Our only regret was that it was not long enough.