Shetland & Fair Isle Discovery Traveller Reviews

We had a fabulous week of bird-watching on Shetland in June 2023. Because of the isolated location we felt more comfortable booking through an agency than going it alone and McKinlay Kidd were just perfect - always available before and during the holiday, we spelled out what we hoped to achieve and Heather organised a programme for us. We stayed at 3 different locations so we covered the whole of Mainland and we’re able to organise ferries and boat trips appropriate to where we were staying. The flight to FairIsle for the day was a definite highlight. The car hire was very easy and all the accommodation was excellent. Everyone was really friendly and, though we will probably not have an opportunity to return ( we are rather long in the tooth) can heartily recommend a holiday on Shetland, with McKinlay Kidd to organise it!

See above, took what we wanted and arranged the holiday to fit. They were available at the end of a phone line and really looked after us. It was also very good value.

We flew from Edinburgh to Sunburgh in Shetland where we picked up our hire car at the airport and drove to our first hotel. We explored mainland Shetland on foot and by car to enjoy the scenery and birdwatching for the week of our holiday staying in 2 different locations. (accomodation in both was very good) Doing this gave us opportunities to explore without too long drives so we could make the most of our time on Shetland. We also had one night on Fair Isle having flown there . We will not forget our time there getting to know a little about life on the island as well as some good walking and bird watching there. We left our hire car at Sunburgh airport and had a straightforward journey back to Edinburgh and then home.

McKinley Kidd organised everything for us and it all went very smoothly . They provided all the information etc as promised with an easy to use booking and payment process. The accomodation they arranged for us was excellent on Shetland and put us in the right places to really enjoy Shetland mainland and also fly to Fair isle .

Fantastic holiday full of wonderful scenery and friendly people. Excellent food served in our hotels and the accommodation was extremely comfortable. In Fair Isle we were made to feel very welcome and thoroughly enjoyed our stay.

Excellent service from start to finish. McKinlay Kidd helped us plan and execute a holiday to remember.

We had a 6 day fly/drive holiday, starting from Glasgow and ending in Edinburgh, to explore Shetland and Fair Isle. Unfortunately, the Fair Isle leg of our tour did not happen due to bad weather but, despite this disappointment we had a most amazing time and managed to cover most of the Shetland mainland plus the islands of Unst and Yell. Apart from the sights and history of the islands, we saw some amazing wild life in a variety of locations - adult and baby seals, puffins and a whole variety of sea birds and, we even saw an otter feeding in a loch. The people of Shetland were so lovely and friendly and gave us many suggestions about things to see during our stay. Also, our accommodation at Glen B & B in Hamnavoe and the Busta Hotel in Bray, was truly excellent and contributed to our overall enjoyment of the holiday experience. Truly, an amazing adventure!

McKinlay Kidd were 5-star right from the start, responding quickly to our enquiry and, organising our tour in a very professional and well documented manner. Nothing was too much trouble and, all our queries and problems were dealt with very efficiently. We were initially booked in to stay at the Bird Observatory on Fair Isle and, when the terrible fire occurred there, MKK managed to arrange alternative accommodation for us on Fair Isle. Then, when the Fair Isle leg of the trip had to be cancelled due to bad weather, they very quickly arranged alternative accommodation for us on Shetland, which allowed our holiday to continue in the best possible way. We would have no hesitation in using MKK again and, we have already recommended them to friends who are considering similar holidays in the future. Thank you McKinlay Kidd for a wonderful adventure!

I spent 7 wonderful days and 6 nights on Shetland. I went expecting the worst of weather and was pleasantly surprised at how good the weather was for the duration of my holiday. I did a mixture of visiting historical sites, walking and seeing lots of wildlife - and taking loads of photographs! My accommodation was excellent and the food was terrific. The locals were very friendly, helpful and informative. My only disappointment was missing out on the Fair Isle element and this was due to operational issues at Tingwall Aiport which were unavoidable. I hope that I will have another opportunity to visit Fair Isle. To offset this disappointment, I had an extra two days in Brae at the Busta House Hotel - a great place to stay, It also meant that I had more opportunities to visit more of Mainland Shetland. The Scalloway Hotel in Scalloway was in an excellent location looking over the bay. I had a great time!

I have travelled before with McKinlay Kidd so expected the best and was not disappointed! They are always helpful, informative and always ready to go that extra mile for you. I would particularly like to say a big thank you to Tom Hamilton for dealing with the unfortunate issues surrounding my Fair Isle trip, for keeping me informed at all times and making sure that my holiday was not compromised in any way. Their Vamoos App and information provided was easy to use and very informative and helpful. I would recommend using McKinlay Kidd to anyone. I am looking forward very much to my next holiday - to Ireland - with the company.