We have received numerous emails and calls from satisfied customers.
Here's a selection from 2001 onwards.

We've been back now for almost a week and I mustn't neglect any longer to thank you for the lovely tour you arranged for us. Everything exceeded our expectations! The places we stayed were wonderful and the people most hospitable. We will certainly recommend your services to any of our friends who may visit Scotland, and who knows, we may have you arrange another tour for us someday, in Scotland or in France! With many thanks and best wishes
(Lillian and Harvey, USA, June 2008)

Thank you so much for the credit to our account. You even make the problems "easy" to solve! We have been to Scottish events for two weekends in a row now and have sung your praises at each event! Perhaps we can send some business your way. You have very happy customers here!
Liz enjoyed seeing your photo and the other 799 photos we took while we were in Scotland! We plugged the computer into our "big screen" TV and displayed all of the pictures there - life size - almost! It was so much fun "re-living" our wonderful trip. Thanks again for the part you played in making it so enjoyable.
(Ruth and Jim, California, June. 2008)

Had a wonderful trip, will remember it and talk about it forever!! You gave us a chance to get aquainted with the Country and we appreciate it. Tony is talking about coming over with our son, brother-in-law and nephews for a golf and "bull run". He found his "Roots" and felt very Scottish when we left. In-laws are Murrays. We especially loved Narin. Thanks again, Connie
(Connie and Tony, Wyoming, April 2008)

Elspeth, yes, please go ahead and send our holiday pack immediately and take the balance of our payment. The accommodations are lovely! Thank you for the glimpse into our holiday. You, Lynn, and Marie have all been so lovely to work with on the planning. Thank you for everything.
(Pam, USA, April 2008)

Hi Marie and Elspeth,
Our trip was so wonderful! We loved all of the accommodations. The hosts and hostesses were all very friendly and welcoming. Each place we stayed was unique and different from any of the others. They were all located in spectacular surroundings. Some homes were a bit more elegant, and some had more impressive scenery. The two small hotels located in the city or town were very convenient to things we wanted to see or do. They all had wonderful breakfasts. We had dinner at our 1st B&B at Melrose and at the Aberdeenshire Restaurant with rooms and the food was excellent. They were higher in price than some of the restaurants where we ate, so after those two we did not eat at any of the other B and B's. We found wonderful restaurants everywhere we went, usually recommended by our hosts.
Each place had at least one feature that stood out from the others. Our B&B in Edinburgh had a wonderful variety of things to choose from for breakfast. It was also exceptionally clean. This does not mean that the others were not clean. It was well located for the buses and it was easy to get to the places we wanted to visit. The B&B near Melrose we especially loved the house itself, and the breakfast was outstanding. At our B&B near Forres, we were very impressed with Rosemary. She is so personable and she has a lovely garden. They have a lovely dining room and a cozy and beautiful drawing room, and one of the bedrooms has some fabulous Chinoiserie decor. At the Oban B&B we loved staying with Bridget. She was exceptionally outgoing and went out of her way for us. That house has a lovely setting overlooking the Bay. Our B&B in Perthshire we enjoyed having breakfast with our hosts. We thought it was very special to be welcomed to their table. The part of the house that includes the kitchen, dining area and drawing room was built in the 14th century. The rooms are a wide Roman arch and the walls are about four feet thick. It is charmingly decorated in chintz and lively colors. They were very gracious to us.
All in all It was a fabulous trip. There were things we did not have time to see and do, so I can hardly wait to come back. I want to see the Isle of Skye and Glasgow and spend more time at the museums.
Some of the best things were the unexpected ones. We were driving south along the west side of Loch Ness, north of the Loch Ness Monster exhibit. We noticed a small sign that told of a nursery and garden open to visitors. I can't recall the exact wording. It is located 1/4 mile further on the west side of the road. At the entrance there was an additional sign that said "Garden is much larger than it appears." How true! There is a modest house and a sales shed where the gentleman told us that his wife is the garden designer and he does all the work. He has been making this garden for 40 or 50 years. He has turned a steep hillside into a lovely fairy land of gardens, all on terraces connected by steps and paths. We spent at least 30 minutes there and did not see it all. He has some wonderfully enchanting stories about the fairies and other mythical creatures who live there in his garden. These are displayed on small signs that one must discover, almost by accident.
I could go on and on and still not do our trip justice. We can't thank you enough for all your help in arranging this wonderful holiday.
Sincerely,
(Wendy Gallagher, USA, October 2007)

Thanks so much for putting together a great vacation! We'll definitely recommend you to anyone who's interested in visiting Scotland (or France). Everything went smoothly, the hotels were great (more below), and your highlighted map was invaluable - by the end of the trip it was beginning to get a little tattered! Thanks also for the good weather; there was only one day of mostly rain, and only 2-3 others that were fairly cloudy. Here's how we would rate the hotels:
The mansion hotel in the hidden glen was excellent - wonderful location and staff, fantastic character and ambiance, and unquestionably the best food of the lot. The room was vast. We keep talking about how we want to go back one day.
The others were all very, very good. I probably would have rated them all excellent too if it weren't for the mansion in the glen!
None of the hotels made any fuss whatsoever about Randall and I being a male couple - and in fact it turns out that our first accommodation is listed specifically as a gay-friendly hotel on gay travel web sites.
Feel free to include any of the above in the testimonials section of your web site. We may very well get in touch with you when it's time for us to visit France! Thanks and regards,
(Alex & Randall, Oregon, September 2007)

We are back in India and to the normal grind. Thank you so much for all the excellent arrangements made for a lovely unforgettable holiday. We were very comfortable and enjoyed ourselves. Please do let me know if you are visiting India and if I can be of any help. Best Regards (Anjali, Mombai, August 2007) Hi Marie, just wanted to say thanks very much for planning our tour. We had a fantastic time and were very pleased with the quality of the B&B's you booked us into. It was fascinating staying in such a range of 'establishments'. The weather was even kind (well mostly) - we even managed a paddle on Nairn's central beach. By the time we got home on Sunday I had driven almost 2100 miles over the 2 weeks. We've decided we definitely want to return to Scotland to get around all the things we wanted to see but ran out of time. The castle was brilliant - not too hard to find and in a lovely location. Thanks again. (The Armitage family, Berkshire, August 2007) Tomorrow will be my last day in Scotland...I just want to tell you that everything went absolutely fine...great...superb. Scotland is so cool and Scottish are wonderful, so friendly. I love you guys. And you, Marie, you did a great job, great itinerary and superb accomodations. I really want to thank you for what you did..love ya (Andrea and Elena on honeymoon, from Rome, August 2007)

Members of the Morgan Sports Club of Great Britain visiting Nairn as part of their tour by Scotland Made Easy

Thank you for forwarding the email. All in all our trip was very enjoyable and the family had a great time. I truly appreciate all that you did for us and every one of our accommodations was outstanding. As we drove through the various towns along our way I did notice that a great many of the B&B’s had no vacancies so I am glad that we had you take care of our accommodations. As feedback I am going to provide you with a short synopsis of our feelings about each of the B&B’s.
Edinburgh - Alastair and Fiona were very gracious and our rooms were excellent. The walk into the city centre was enjoyable the times that we did walk but we found that taking the bus (buying a day ticket) was the best way to get around. Breakfast was outstanding and we liked the variety (choosing from several options every night for breakfast).
Aberdeenshire - David and Sue were absolutely wonderful and treated us very well. We wish that we could have spent a few more nights with them in their lovely house. David booked our evening meal at one of the local restaurants and we thoroughly enjoyed the stay. The kids were in heaven as David has 2 Springer Spaniels and the younger one just had puppies.
Fort William - Again a very excellent B&B and very modern accommodation as Kathy said the house was only 5 years old. The rooms were very spacious and Kathy made us feel at home. The house was very easy to find and Kathy and Iain were very friendly and we enjoyed chatting with them both.
By Edinburgh Airport - This was a very nice B&B to spend our last night in Scotland. The rooms were very comfortable, spacious and modern. Since we had to leave around 6AM to get to the airport Irene was very gracious in putting out breakfast items for us since we could not have breakfast at the normal sitting.
Again many thanks for booking excellent accommodations for our trip to Scotland. If anyone should ask I would not hesitate to recommend your services. Thank you,
(Craig H. and family, Texas, July 2007)

We just wanted to send a thank-you for all of your efforts towards our wonderful holiday in Scotland! The breathtaking scenery, friendly people, beautiful accomodations and suggestions on sight-seeing opportunities has made it one of our most memorable vacations yet. If my father has his way, we may even return next year!
The accomodations that you set up for us were perfect for my parents as well as the "family rooms" with an extra bed for Cameron, the hosts were so friendly and helpful with directions, restaurant suggestions and sight-seeing ideas. The map that was provided and highlighted was invaluable! Once Mark became comfortable with driving on the opposite side of the car, on the opposite side of the road, it was a breeze! We enjoyed the sheep, cow, duck and "free range children" signs along the sides of the road.
We had a great time and it meant quite a lot for you (Marie) to take the extra time to meet us in Nairn. We will definitely recommend your service to any of our friends and will be back to Scotland.
(Mark H. and family, Telford, PA, July 2007)

Hi Marie
Were back home as from last night. We had a very interesting and long holiday. We especially enjoyed the Scottish leg of our trip. We were blessed with beautiful weather and enjoyed all the different B/B's. I guess my favourite one was the first night at Blairgowrie as our hostess was very friendly and interested. We also ate well at a nearby restaurant. Portree: Our hosts there were very friendly. It was a very big, very, very ornate immaculate house and garden. Our Edinburgh B&B had : Best facilities. Most up market and interesting hosts. It rained. Very convenient. Fun. Your notes were very helpful as well. Thank you so much for doing all the planning and bookings for us. I hope to be able to use your services in the future. Sorry we didnt actually catch-up while there.
(D & C Chapman, South Australia, July 2007)

Hey Marie.....wanted to thank you for such a wonderful itinerary you helped us set up. We had a fabulous time and everything worked out beautifully!...even driving on the left side of the road...HA! Plans are in the works to return and tour the west coast so we'll be in touch. Thanks again for your expertise.
(Megan, Gilroy, California, June 2007)

We would like to thank you, although with a delay, for the very good organisation of our trip to Scotland. We enjoyed very much our stay there although the plans with our daughter had to be changed and we took her with us to Scotland. The school residence of the language school where she was supposed to stay during our visit to Scotland was in such a very bad condition that it was impossible for us to let her there and us going to Scotland.
The accomodations you chose for us where so wonderful and the people so helpfull that it was not at all a problem that we were in three instead in two. We just paid a little surplus for a third bed and that was all. We loved to stay there, the country is so wonderful, I always had the impression of being in a fairy tale whenever we had the chance of being all alone in the countryside, which, fortunately, happened very often. As already mentioned the accomodations, B&B/hotel/castles, were so wonderful, but especially the castle we loved the most. It was absolutely beautiful there and we had a wonderful suite, with so much space that it made us laugh all the times when we walked from the room to the bathroom and back, or when we walked from the bed to the window, etc., as there were so "big distances" in between. We enjoyed very much the impression to be the owner of the castle (we just imagined how this could be) as we were sitting all alone in the living room and enjoying a glass of wine.
Furthermore, we have to thank you a lot as to the restaurant recommendations in your description of the trip. We appreciated this very much and the restaurants and inns we went to were nice, typical and served such a good dinner that I (Susanne) took weight although it was my aim to reduce it during this trip. OK, lets say that the prices are a little higher than in Germany but the quality of the food was excellent, even the deserts were wonderful what I really did not expect as England and Scotland are not known for good deserts, and, in Germany nor for good food. We really could prove the opposite which we enjoyed very much.
OK, so many good things that we have to tell you. Now I come to 2 little things which we did not like too much. One, that is absolutely due to our "wrong ideas" of the distances in Scotland. We did not expect that it could take us so long to get from one point to the other. There were days where we only stayed in the car in order to be in the accomocation in time.
All in all we drove 5000 km around Scotland, which is quite a lot and which was also quite stressful. But, as I told you before, that was our mistake, not yours. We absolutey wanted to see as much of Scotland as possible within a period of two weeks, which is really not to be recommended. You wrote this in your trip information, but as we had already booked the whole trip, we did not want to change it. Probably, when people plan to do a trip like we did it would be very important to let them know right in the beginning of their planning that they really should take this into account.
But please do not take this as a bad thing as it really was our mistake. I am a person who is always taking also the good things from the bad things: we saw a lot of Scotland, we got a very good impression and we absolutely know where we would like to go again and where not. So in order to be able to focus on a certain region, this round-trip was a very good thing. As far as relaxation is concerned, this was not quite the best solution. Please do not misunderstand this. I hope you won't.
BUT ALL IN ALL: Many compliments and many thanks for the good organisation. You will certainly be our partner for our next trip to Scotland. We appreciated also very much your tips and hints in your trip description, which I have never had before in such a detailed way.
To sum up: we had the best dinner at the small hotel in the Highlands, we had the nicest and most elegant room in the castle by the loch.
We also appreciated very much the nice Scottish people we met, they are really very helpful and very open to visitors. So, many greetings from Germany to all of you. If you have the opportunity to greet all the people of our accomodations, it would be nice.
(The Suppers, Germany, July 2007)

Well hello! I just wanted to drop a quick line from Catherine and myself. We had a wonderful time in Scotland on our Honeymoon, and from both of us: thank you so much. It was great meeting all three of you. We really appreciated your hospitality, kindness, mirth, and keen eye for great places to stay. Honestly, we could not have asked for better or more personal service. I don't want to take too much of your time, so I'll make this short. We have nothing but kind remarks for your business. And for Marie, thank you again for your treat when we met. I believe Catherine maybe sending some pictures for you in the future. Again, thank you for all of your work and help,
(Chad and Catherine, Michigan, May 2007)

Hello Marie, just to say we are back from our wonderful holiday and to inform you that we very much enjoyed all the B&B places you booked for us! The holiday came up to and over our expectations and we were truly grateful that nothing went wrong!! Thanks for your help Marie we will probably have to go again one day as we never saw any puffins or otters!!!!! We looked sooooo hard! Hope all is well with you
(Cherry and Richard, Henley-on-Thames, May 2007)

We think of you often and certainly remember all of the wonderful sights and memories we had there. It was truly a trip of a lifetime for me and our family. We were able to look up our (my) great great grandfather's burial stone and this was without a doubt extremely important to me. The town of Tillercoultry is so beautiful and to find the church he belonged to was so meaningful. The people we talked to were so warm and friendly.. God bless you all. We want to thank you for the great planning you did for us. By all means, we will recommend you to any one that shows any intesrest in going to Scotland. Again thanks to you all and have a happy New Year.
(Sue and Bruce, USA)

Your planning made our trip so nice. Because of you, we seemed to like Scotland the very best. The bed and breakfasts were wonderful . We had never used a bed and breakfast, but will consider it first from now on. We will recommend you to everyone we see heading to Scotland, or France. Thanks again, for your hospitality and services.
(Ron, Sharon, Lynda and Jim, Oklahoma)

I'm starting to recover, but wish I could come back already. Your country is an amazing place. Everyone was so nice to us and so helpful. Every B&B or hotel was absolutely wonderful. Alistair at the Castle treated us to dinner because the chef called in sick. I'd say that was above and beyond the call of duty. I fell in love with him. He was so wonderful to us. All of our hosts were incredible. And thank you so much for spending time with us as well. It was wonderful. I told my daughter about the cute guys in kilts, so of course, I have to bring her with me next time. Take care and please stay in touch. Let me know when you are next in Dallas.
(Shane P., Texas, November 2006)

It was EVERYTHING you said it would be and more! We just arrived back home last night and I think we were all still longing to be back with you in Scotland. A more wonderful, beautiful, and welcoming country doesn't exist--it was truly a joy, and your guidance and care made it so!
I think we all bought up most of Scotland's goods (gotta keep the country's economy strong, you know), and my family and friends will be enjoying a Scottish Christmas this year.
Thank you again for the vacation of a lifetime, and we'll start saving now for our next visit to Scotland! (OH, and would you tell Sheelagh hello and ask her to kiss Samson and Patience for us?)
(Deborah J., Texas, November 2006)

We had the time of our lives and can’t wait to go back. Scotland was the most beautiful country I have ever seen. The weather was very cooperative and we only had about 1/2 day of rain while driving from our castle to Edinburgh. I'm sure that navigating London and Scotland was much easier for us than it is for visitors to find their way around Boston and New England. I even got used to driving on the left toward the end. The English were very nice, and the Scottish even nicer. We tried to visit as many places as we could each day, some planned and some impromptu. Your suggestions for attractions and restaurants were excellent, and I only wish that we had the time to see more. I liked the London hotel very much, although the children thought it was too much of a business hotel (I suspect from lack of a pool!). Our B&B near Inverness was great, terrific breakfasts, and we had a wonderful dinner at a local hotel and good conversation with Ian. We drove up to Dunrobin, which has to be my favorite castle. The route down to Glencoe was a very beautiful area, and our castle near a loch was great hotel, setting and top-shelf food. Our room was perfect, and the kids were jealous of it! Edinburgh was very enjoyable as well and we saw a Shakespeare play at the foot of the castle. We did much walking, but ran out of time and could not see everything we wanted there. Everything about the Edinburgh B&B was perfect - accommodations, food, staff, location and amenities. Thank you, again, for arranging this fantastic holiday for us. I am sure that we will always look back on it fondly. (Stuart G. & family, USA, June 2006)

Thank you for organising such a wonderful holiday for myself and family. We enjoyed every bit of it and the weather was kind to us most of the time. The people you put us in touch with were so wonderful that it would take too long to tell you all about them. I am sure you know them all well by now so you know what I mean. We were warmly welcomed and treated at each stop over. You did such a great job of booking excellent accommodation for us. When you described the Highlands you could not do justice to the beauty of the scenery. You were quite right about the best food in Nairn, we loved it. Congratulations on the Highland Business Woman award you deserve it. Thanks again.
(Phil J. and family, UK, August 2006)

Dear Marie and Staff,
My husband and I cannot thank you enough... AGAIN... for the wonderful services you provded when we visited Scotland for our honeymoon.
I've been scouting about the Scotland websites for ideas for our next trip (once our children finish college!) and keep coming back to your website.
You provided the BEST honeymoon these two American's could have ever dreamed of! Not only were the accommodations beyond perfect; but your maps and suggestions helped us so much!
Thank you again for making the trip of our lives "the Trip of a LifeTime" for both of us.
With our best regards,
(Cindy and Brian, USA, July-August 2006)

We have had a fantastic time in Scotland; all the B&B were lovely and the people very kind. Our favorite was our B&B in Edinburgh, because everything there was simply great (room, food...) and especially the host Alan. The weather as you know was very kind to us and this made our time in Scotland even more enjoyable. We really enjoyed our time in Scotland, we would like to go back sometime to spend more time around the west coast. Our Itinerary was stretched, we did almost 1000 miles in 7 days, but for us this was a fact finding mission, it being our first time in Scotland. The weather helped a great deal, it must have been a rare week for such good weather as everybody was talking about it. When we come back can we have the same good weather please! We would also like to thank-you for organizing such nice B&Bs, the highlighted map, the things-to-do-in-xxx information and your follow-up phone-call when we were in Ullapool. Highly recommended and we wish you all the best with "Scotland Made Easy". Many thanks.
(Maria and Elliot, London, July 2006)

I just wanted to let you know what a wonderful holiday we had. All of our accommodations were excellent as well as all of our hosts. Driving was a bit of a challenge but after we got used to all of the twisty roads it was a bit better. I will be sure to reccommend you to any of our friends coming that way. Thank you for all of your help. It was truly a memorable experience!
(Amy K., USA, July 2006)

Sue and I and the whole Scotland tribe want to thank you for the great trip you arranged for us. All of the B&B's were great. We especially enjoyed our stay in Nairn.The information was very helpful and we all enjoyed Scotland. Another time we will spend a week in Edinburgh and a week in Nairn. Again we thank you and we really appreciated your help.
(Bruce S., USA, July 2006)

Having just returned from a lengthy trip overseas, we write to thank you so much for your organization of our B&B accommodation and your advice and maps covering the most interesting and scenic areas to visit in our limited time in Scotland. The B&B’s were excellent, the hosts most welcoming and helpful, and your advice and directions invaluable. Thank you so much for your efforts and help on our behalf – we would certainly enlist your services if (hopefully) we again visit Scotland, and we certainly would recommend you to anyone wishing to travel there. Please pass on our thanks to your B&B hosts and hostesses.
(Judy and Kevin, Australia, July 2006)

I just wanted to let you know I had a wonderful time and I appreciate all the planning you did for me. I can't imagine that I would have been able to find all those wonderful B&B's on my own. Thanks to you I was able to see so much of your wonderful country in a fairly short amount of time. Thanks.
(C. Nieter, USA, June 2006)

We returned from Scotland yesterday. Everything went smoothly - all of the B&Bs were lovely and our hosts were wonderful. I wanted to let you know how exceptionally well we were treated by our hosts in Paisley. They knew we were a little concerned about returning the rental car so Tom had us follow him to the airport Saturday night to drop off the car. He took us back to town and then drove us back to the airport on Sunday morning. I was just stunned by their kindness and generosity! Thank you again for planning such a wonderful trip.
(Kay G., Philadelphia, June 2006)

We returned home from Ireland and Scotland last Wednesday. We had a great time and all our arrangements came off without any problems. The places you arranged for us were all wonderful. Before I forget the details, I thought I'd say a little about each place for you:
Pitlochry: We really enjoyed meeting Sue. The mansion is very beautiful, our room was very comfortable and the location is absolutely wonderful. Great breakfast with all the home-made goodies.
Nairn: Irene and Kenny were great. We really enjoyed them and they were very helpful with directions, local information, etc. They went out of their way to chat with us. We felt like we were part of their family. Very, very nice. Irene is a great cook too! Kenny has a great personality.
By Aultbea: It took us a few tries to find this house. The wind was gale force and it was raining hard when we arrived. We were disappointed that the soap factory down the street was closed due to renovations, but Attie's companion walked down there the morning we left and got us a few samples of the hand-made soap. Both Attie and her friend made us feel very welcome. They have a lovely view but the weather was not cooperative enough to enjoy it.
Portree: What a beautiful garden Marie has! Oh, and the views.... simply a fantastic place to stay.
By Fort William: Another beautiful garden. Both Florence and her husband were great. They provided us tickets to MacTavish's Kitchen and let us use their phone for a few calls. Very sweet people in a nice location.
Oban: What a fun place to stay. We didn't see much of Valerie as they had gone to Glasgow for shopping but their son was very helpful. We took your advice and booked the tour to Staffa and Lunga and we were lucky, the weather co-operated while we were on the boat. We loved seeing the puffins and Fingal's Cave. The boat people were fantastic! We also visted the Puffin Dive Center while in Oban.
Castle, on Loch Fyne - The dinner here was excellent. Our room was quite comfortable and the view.... wow!
Paisley: We truly enjoyed meeting Maureen and her husband. We had the opportunity to sit and chat with them for over an hour and they are both delightful. We had lost the gas cap from our rented vehicle and Tom tried to help us. What a great place to stay with the most gracious of hosts! Certainly worth the trouble to find their home. Ten stars for these folks.
Thank you so much Marie for setting up our accommodations. We enjoyed each of the places we stayed and had a very fine trip. If you ever need a recommendation for your services, please feel free to call on us. We would be delighted to give rave reviews on your work. Thanks again and all the best.
(Sandra F., Colorado, April 2006)

A belated message to let you know that we arrived safely back in Alabama. We wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed our Scotland trip. The accommodations were all very nice and the hostesses most helpful. We especially enjoyed our stay in Nairn. And a special thanks goes to Maureen and Tom in Paisley who were so kind to a pair of frazzled, jetlagged tourists on their first day in Scotland.
Charlie did very well with driving on the left - even with the single-track roads. Once away from Paisley, we found it easy to navigate as the routes and tourist sites are signed very well. We put many miles on the rental car.
We appreciate all your help in arranging an itinerary - we were able to visit many of the places we had hoped to see. We enjoyed all the variety - the lovely pastures, the rugged coasts, the forests, lochs, and high moors and Munros. And we chose a good time to visit, with the gorse, bluebells, and rhododendrons in full bloom and all the lambs scampering about with their mums. We also met many interesting people, including one lady in Sheildaig who has visited and has friends in Alabama. All in all, it was a wonderful trip, and a great way to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. We will definitely recommend your services to any of our friends and colleagues headed for Scotland.
(Charlie and Erica P., Birmingham Alabama, May 06)

We are safely home from our wonderful trip to Scotland ! We had a very, very good time, in spite of the weather! It was so good to meet you at our hotel in Nairn. That was a wonderful place and we so enjoyed Ian. Every place we stayed was great, without exception. We keep trying to decide which was our favorite, but they are all so different it is hard to decide! On Skye we did prefer the smaller hotel to the larger mansion. They have remodeled the smaller one and the décor is just gorgeous and they were so friendly. We also thought the food was much better, which surprised us.
We had an exceptional time at our hotel near Fort William and the meals there were incredible. 5 course meals so elegantly prepared and served. And Marie, the owner there, is delightful. While we were there a couple from New York and their college age son were there and they had also booked through you and we had a great time talking to them! We also thought our Aberdeenshire mansion was wonderful. They have new owners (as you know) and are making some improvements. The staff there went out of their way to be helpful. Our castle was very nice - great gardens and superb views from the dining room.
All in all it was a wonderful trip and Scotland is a beautiful country! We feel so fortunate to have stumbled upon Scotland Made Easy. Without your help there is no question we would never have found any of the wonderful places we stayed! Thanks so much fore making our trip one to remember!
(Patt And Tim A., USA, May 2006)

Thanks so much for getting everything ready for my family's trip. It was so easy and relaxing just showing up at each place and having all the local attractions and hot spots pointed out for us. You were an absolute pleasure to correspond with about the planning of the trip. We will remember it for a lifetime and I will certainly be a return customer! All of the Bed and Breakfast owners spoke very highly of you and had nothing but praise for your business and clients.
I wanted to share with you my thoughts on each of the places you arranged for us. Perhaps you will find some useful info for future clients.
Our B&B by Blairgowrie - Morag and her family were delightful and very friendly. There was a nice private wing of the house with a separate entrance. We loved the drive up the road between the sheep fields and the house itself looked a bit like a castle. Morag cooked us a lovely breakfast and has a gorgeous large wooden dining table that we ate on. We were fortunate enough to arrive right after calving and lambing season so there were newborn calves and lambs everywhere. It was also fun to see the pet deer that they keep. There was apparently a highland cow farm nearby where we caught our first sights of the furry beasties.
Nairn was our second stop on the trip. Our hosts were very enjoyable and fed us a remarkable smoked haddock breakfast. Being from Alaska, we loved it! It was located right on the coast and we enjoyed walking along the beach at night. I definitely want to go back to Nairn and explore the coast more. It was a great night's sleep after a long and busy day of touring castles and hunting for castle ruins. We especially enjoyed our drive through the highlands and the moors on our way up to the coast.
Our next accommodation was near Ullapool and was our third stop of the trip. We arrived after a fun day exploring loch Ness and driving down the North-West coast. The rainy weather could not hinder the breathtaking scenery as we drove down. I am really glad that you suggested this scenic route as it was one of the more dramatic areas we had seen so far. We really enjoyed all the seafood and the fishing villages that we passed on the way. The accommodations were very nice as well. Our hosts were delightful and we had some great talks about fishing and all things nautical. It was right on a great river which made for a nice evening stroll.
Day four we were off to the Isle of Skye. We had heard from people in England that the toll over the bridge was quite expensive and were pleased to find that the toll booths had been removed completely. It was totally free for all to enjoy! Though it was a bit foggy and rainy during our drive Our hosts here made us feel very warm and welcome. They had a lovely front sitting room with huge glass windows that afforded a stunning view of MacLeod's Tables rock formations. We very much enjoyed talking with them about manner of prehistoric sites and runic stones and duns on the island. They were very knowledgeable about the historic sites and the hiking trails on Skye. They were also taking care of a baby sheep that my brother got on very well with. It was adorable. One interesting thing of note is that the bathrooms have pretty low slanting ceilings, so any men over 6 feet might have to do some fun maneuvering to use the toilet. On the first night the Cookson's recommended an AMAZING place to eat in downtown Dunvegan called Old School Restaurant. It ran between 12 and 20 pounds per entree and had a huge fireplace that kept the place nice and cosy. We liked it so much that we ate three meals there! We highly recommend it to anyone. On our second day on Skye we went to our ancestor's castle Dunvegan, home of the MacLeod's. We had heard from other people that it was a big rip off, that the guides rushed you through the tour, and that you only were allowed to see 3 rooms. To our great pleasure upon arriving we found that to be completely false. They had two entire floors and all the gardens and castle ground open to view at our own pace with no pushy guides in site. The staff was very friendly and they had some great artifacts from the MacLeod family history. I would definitely recommend it to others to see. It was one of the nicer castles we saw.
Our last night in Scotland we stayed in Ballachulish. Again, we were treated to some spectacular scenery as we drove down the coast. This was in a cute little town off the side of the road and had a great feel to it.
There are so many positive details that I could mention but I don't want to spend too much of your time. Thanks again for making our trip one to remember. The whole experience was wonderful and full of joys and exploration. We will definitely be coming back to Scotland and next time we do we'll be talking to Scotland Made Easy again!
(The Riuttas, Alaska, May 2006)

What a wonderful trip we had! We all fell in love with the country and the Scottish people. Everyone was nice and helpful -- not a single surly person did we meet! I'll write more later about the accomodations and our experiences. Thanks so much, Marie. All was absolutely wonderful!
(The Barretts, Colorado, June 06)

All the information for our trip arrived today, thank you for your prompt attention to this. We will not have a mobile (or cell) phone with us, so the only way you could contact us would be at the B&Bs leaving a message with the hosts. Should we be delayed, we will of course contact the hosts and advise our ETA, and if necessary make arrangements with them. We are looking forward to the trip very much – we leave home very soon with a great deal to see and do before arriving in Scotland. The brochures, map and details of the accommodation are great so we are sure it will be a lovely trip albeit rather short. Thanks.
(Judy and Kevin, Australia, July 2006)

Oh, Marie - this looks just wonderful. I am sitting here, just sighing with contentment. And delight, since I do not have time to spend the hours, hours and hours it would take to figure all this out myself. (When my husband and I tried that in Ireland, when we went a year ago, it didn't work out very well. Perhaps another "sister site" could be Ireland Made Easy. I know you have one for England!) So, enormous relief. It's worth the extra $$ it costs, believe me. Thanks again. I look forward to more information!
(Patti from Powhaten, 2006)

A very large thank you for your efforts in making our 2 weeks in Scotland most memorable and enjoyable. All the B&B's were lovely and the hosts and hostesses friendly and very helpful. The Castle on Loch Fyne was unbelievable - my wife and sister did not want to leave.
Scotland is a small country compared to Canada but we ended up driving 1300 miles and still felt cheated in that there was so much more to see and not enough time to do it in. Brenda and I plan to come back soon to rectify that situation and keep the economy of Scotland humming! Again, thanks.
John & Brenda H. (Ontario, Canada, September 2005)

We had a wonderful time on our trip and we want to thank you for all the hard work you did for us. All our hosts were wonderful and helpful - we were especially grateful to Jane in Skye, Liz in Fort William, and Allan and Ian in Edinburgh. They were all warm and hospitable and so helpful with advice and special vouchers for offers on meals in restaurants.
One thing we really appreciated was that the location of each B&B was so convenient. Once we found our place, we could leave the car there and walk to everything else we needed, restaurants, shopping, even the train station in Ft. William and the ferry in Oban. Scotland is as beautiful as the pictures, and the people are truly wonderful. We have many memories to treasure. Your inside knowledge made our trip a real success. Thanks again,
Michael & Maura M. (Vermont, USA, September 2005)

Just wanted to let you know that our tour of Scotland went great and we really enjoyed each of the B&B's that you scheduled for us. They were all first class and were so friendly and helpfull. I met Terry with R.I., they handled the University of Kentucky working tour, and she spoke very highly of you so I guess even your competition respects and appproves of the work that you do. Thanks again for making our week so enjoyable.
Jim C. (September 2005)

Hi Marie - I want to thank you for all of your planning and help. We had a fabulous trip. I am so sorry that we missed you when we are at Sheelah's B&B. I would have liked the opportunity to thank you in person. Scotland and it's people are beautiful. We felt so welcome and comfortable at each of the B&B's. Your recommendations were excellent! We really enjoyed Ian in Edinburgh. He is very helpful and humorous as well. Your map was helpful. We did take the route(s) you recommended and saw absolutely beautiful areas. I appreciated the points of interest you showed on the map. They were both helpful and interesting. I think we enjoyed Skye the most. Such a beautiful Isle. We made the trip to Dunvegan and took many pictures. We had great weather -- thanks!!!. I would highly recommend you to any of our friends who might decide to travel to Scotland. You offer a great service. Again, many thanks
Gary and Sherri D. (USA, September 2005)

I just wanted to send you a short note to tell you how much we enjoyed our trip to Scotland, and in particular the accommodations you booked for us. They were all wonderful. Our son, David, in particular loved the castle, although we were all living well above our station. You have a beautiful country, and we thank you for helping us see it. We’ll certainly pass your name and website on to anyone we know who is planning a trip to Scotland. It was fun meeting you in Nairn. I hope you had a good trip to France. Thanks again.
Joanna, Jim & David (Canada, September 2005)

Well, Marie, this sounds just wonderful! It’s so great to have the advantage of someone with your knowledge of the area; I wouldn’t know where to start looking for all of this!
Bonnie K. (USA, August 2005)

Here we are back from a wonderful honeymoon in Scotland. We truly had an amazing time. I would like to give you some feedback on our accommodation, which may be helpful for future travellers.
The most impressive probably being Melrose. A truly beautiful location and stunning room. We felt like royalty there and were treated with a champagne breakfast as newlyweds. Lovely.
The couple in Nairn were extremely friendly and most welcoming. The room was very nice and the breakfast totally delicious. They managed to show interest in their guests and were helpful and chatty without being at all intrusive. Wonderful.
Plockton. What can we say. Stunning. Simple but clean and comfortable accommodation, views which could not be bettered anywhere else in the world in my opinion. We didn't want to leave.
Oban, again wonderful. We were greeted with a friendliness and kindness that could not be beaten. Our 4-poster room was a treat and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay there.
Our accommodation in Edinburgh was spotless (just like all the others). Again very welcoming and helpful, wonderful little touches like a decanter of whisky and chocolates in the mini fridge in the room. Very nice, very impressive.
We had a marvelous time. I would like to thank you on behalf of us both for your kindness, organisation and help. I would recommend your service to anyone.
Susan and Christian N. (Germany, July 2005)

I just want to say Thank You for everything. It has been very nice to do business with you. And I'm sure that I can recommend you to all who are interested in travelling Scotland. And I'm quite certain that I'll make second trip to Scotland in future. I'm sure that our trip to Scotland will be very interesting and enjoyable. Regards and Thanks once more :)
J & M Nissinen (Finland, June 2005)

The 6 of us had the best time in Scotland! What a beautiful, green, and friendly country. Thanks to you, Marie, we had a nice variety of towns and B&B's to visit. I'm sure you hear this all the time, but the only drawback was that we didn't have enough time to see it all. Jeff and I want to make future plans to come again for another stay - hopefully soon. We'll be sure to book through you, Marie. We've already told several people about you and your services.
Out of all the places we stayed I think I liked Nairn the best. I thought our hosts, George and Angela, were very hospitable, the accomodations very comfortable and the town was charming. Of course it was hard to top the one in Fort William - What a beautiful home and again, our host, Joan was so friendly and helpful in her suggestions. The rooms were absolutely gorgeous. We also really enjoyed the Edinburgh B&B. It was so convenient to everything and Ian especially went out of his way to make us feel all right at home. All of the aforementioned places had wonderful breakfasts also. I would enthusiastically recommend all three of these spots for anyone visiting Scotland.
We were especially happy that we got to meet you, Marie. It's always nice to put a face to a name. Thank you again for all you did to make our stay in Scotland truly memorable. We can't wait for our next trip.
Beverly & Jeff O. (CA, USA, June 2005)

We had an absolutely lovely holiday thanks to your plans. We visited Morar beach, walked in the oakwood forests, visited Oban distillery, Loch Ness etc. Beautiful weather and very relaxed. Many thanks for all the information. Many thanks for your patience and help in booking this holiday. We really loved the area and the accommodation.
Madeleine A (Cambridge, June 2005)

Wow! What a wonderful time. It's hard to imagine a better trip. The planning expertise, and the materials we received from you were absolutely perfect and fantastic. Getting to a new destination each day we likened to opening a new wedding present. Each more or equally amazing with many smaller presents along the way. There was SO much to see and do, we found we had to make some hard decisions and choices. We will save those we missed for our next trip! From Pitlochry to Banchory thru Loch Ness and on to Plockton, from there down to Fort William, then onto our Castle stay south of Loch Fyne, 7 nights and 8 days of your beautiful Scotland. You will hear from us again when we are ready to come back, and we will be sure to tell everyone we speak to about the trip of your great services. Please feel free to use us as a reference if you like!
Scott and Sara S. (USA June 2005)

First of all, thank you very much for organising our Scotland trip, it was a wonderful recreative time! We'd like to give you a short feedback about our journey. Firstly, we appreciated your organisational work very much. Your choice of routes and places was very good, furthermore, the mixture between urban and rural sites was very pleasant. The quality of our B&B's was outstanding! We always had a very warm welcome and we found homes away from home.
Anita and Martin G. (Germany, June 2005)

You did an EXCEPTIONAL job planning our "tour of Scotland." The route you planned for us gave such a variety of beautiful scenery! Your recommendations of things to do in each area were very helpful. The "taste of scotland signs" made it very easy to find good restaurants - although all of the hosts were very willing to suggest places to eat.
Edinburgh: Alan and Ian were great hosts. Very helpful with suggestions for things to do around town (and things to avoid) and the easiest way to deal with turning in our car and getting to the airport. Facilities were wonderful. Our kids especially liked internet availability. Loved the convenience (ability to walk and easy access to bus service).
Nairn: Loved the town! Sheelagh was delightful, facilities great and a great home base from which to sight-see too! We decided to visit Cardhu...very small, very personalized tour as we were the entire group - fun! Cawdor Castle was one of our favorites. Stopped in Inverness on our way to Skye and really appreciate that you had us stay close by but not in Inverness.
Isle of Skye: Neal and Allison were VERY warm, very welcoming. Again the facilities were great! Unbelievable scenery. Allison was very helpful suggesting places to go and things to do.
Fort William: Liz is a real character...what fun we had talking with her! Beautiful house, beautiful view! The train to Mallaig was fun - Ben Nevis impressive!
Callandar: Mark (2 weeks after a heart attack) and Judith were very personable. BEAUTIFUL B&B, lovely gardens. They suggested the Callandar Meadows for dinner - very good, very fun meal - we'd highly recommend it!
Sorry this is so long but we can't say enough good things about the trip. Thank you so much. We'll share your name and website with friends and if you would like more specifics about anything we did, just e-mail and we'll get back to you.
Susan & Bill M. & family (Ohio, USA, June 2005)

Dear Marie - Had a lovely time. Many thanks for your excellent arrangements - as usual! Billie Harper and his wife were very welcoming in Dumfries and I was most comfortable. I visited a friend near Dalbeattie and renewed acquaintance with the lovely country round there which I remember from childhood. One place which I discovered near Dumfries is Caerlaverock Castle which is very beautiful and well-run, and doesn't seem to be very well known. Also nearby is Caerlaverock Wetlands Centre which is excellent for bird watching.
The B&B at Melrose is beautiful! Very nice people - you feel you are part of an old style country house party. Very quiet and most comfortable, but unstinted help when you need it. Very elegantly furnished house with lovely gardens. The walk over the bridge to Melrose was too far for me, but it's an easy drive. Lovely countryside. Scott's house at Abbotsford and Dryburgh Abbey particularly notable. Excellent weather! Thanks again. Will be in touch soon.
Peter M (UK, June 2005) - his fourth trip with Scotland Made Easy

We have arrived back safely!! and I would thank you for your excellent choice of accomodation and routing. Nicholas and Catherine were really impressed with the whole holiday and didn't want to go back!! The food was excellent and all are now on diet. We went over the high roads and were lucky with the weather and so we had some beautiful views. Even I went for walks along the beach at Nairn in the early morning which made for good relaxation especially after an afternoon's shopping in Inverness.
Captain Mark Tozer and Dr & Mrs Ng (April 2005)

I wanted to thank you again for the superb way in which you arranged our holiday in Scotland. The route you planned for us was easy to follow and perfect for our schedule. There was a lot to see - so much, in fact, that we will revisit Scotland next summer - by boat. The accommodation was mainly outstanding. In particular, I should like to mention the mansion for its excellent cuisine, and the other mansion for its wonderful interiors and friendly service, and Glengorm Castle for the rugged beauty of its location, a highlight of the holiday for my children. A warm thank you from us all for all the personal attention you gave to organising our holiday. I shall certainly be contacting you again next spring when planning our Scottish summer holiday.
Antti K. & family (Finland, October 2004)

Well here we are back in the real world. Our trip was truly wonderful. The places you recommended for stops were such a help. We got to see so very much. I'm really glad you suggested Pitlochry as our first stop what a lovely town and the Wilmores were wonderful and the breakfast super. As was all breakfasts. My girls and I are really missing our morning porridge.
Among our best memories was our stay at the old church. Mrs S. was such a gracious lady. It was cold and wet when we got there and she built a lovely fire in the lounge which we sat around and enjoyed our "take away" fish and chips. She even had hot water bottles for our beds. The Castle was wonderful. The food excellent - I had Haggis.
Our stay in Plockton with Miriam was also super - her homemade hot out of the oven bread for breakfast cannot be beat ever. We also had a lovely evening in the pub and made several new friends there including the daughter of our hosts.
Richard and Maki went above and beyond. We arrived there very late and too wet and tired (I had an awful cold by then which turned into flu) to go out to eat so that wonderful man and his wife made us hot soup, omelets salad and dessert. He even provided wine and would not let us pay for anything.
Sorry this missive is so long. We loved our holiday the Scottish people the food and the magnificent scenery. We did get to the perfumery bought lovely scents to remind us of our wonderful wonderful trip.
Thank you again Marie, sorry we didn't get to meet you. I've recommended you to several of my friends you did an outstanding job.. Thanks again
Stella M. (USA, October 2004)

We are now back in Montreal after a super trip to Scotland. You did a wonderful job for us - the planning and information added greatly to our pleasure and helped us enjoy your truly beautiful country - even the weather cooperated!! The places we stayed were all very nice and the way we were treated was always gracious and helpful! The countryside is beautiful and the food was excellent - much better than the war years! You can be sure that we will spread your name far and wide to anyone thinking of a trip to Scotland. The family so enjoyed the trip that we are already planning another in the next two years and will call upon you then for help. If you have any enquiries from other Canadians, do not hesitate to use our name as a reference.
Harry and family (Canada, October 2004)

I regret taking so long in expressing our sincere thanks and appreciation for all that you did to make our trip to Scotland a masterpiece! Your choice of accommodation and sightseeing recommendations were perfect for us. We strayed a bit from your driving directions which took us across some pretty interesting roads...and I use the term very loosely!!! Leslie and I put over 800 miles on the rental car in 5 days prior to arriving in Edinburgh. The scenery was spectacular - castles wonderful and we found some terrific food everywhere we went. Our favorite was most definitely the Loch Fyne Oyster Bar where we spent a lazy afternoon eating seafood and tasting a delightful wine.
The hotel in Aberdeenshire was beautiful - we had a room overlooking the front lawn with sheep baying in the background - my gosh you have BIG rabbits (which I'm certain are the bane of the owners since you could easily drop out of sight into one of their warrens). You are obviously a good friend there and they told me to tell you hello!
The castle was a wonder also - both of us really enjoyed the grounds - spectacular sunrises over the Loch from our bedroom window, we walked a little island/peninsula (depending on the tide!) one morning-like being in the middle of nowhere! We had great fun with the staff there - we had an Irish server who couldn't have been more entertaining. The whole Kintyre peninsula is wonderful - we enjoyed Cambeltown and (almost) ventured to land's end by a wrong turn).
Edinburgh was a blast and Ian was an absolutely charming, entertaining and most gracious host (plus he saved me a ton of money since he knew where all of the "deals" were in town). Please refer many others there. We ADORE ancient architecture but this house, with its modern-clean cut interiors, was a welcome change of venue and absolutely lovely all around.
We couldn't have been happier the entire time, the weather cooperated, coming from Maryland's humid 90 F summer, the jackets were a pleasant change.
So...thanks for everything, including just giving me the confidence up front in your ability to do it right! I will refer everyone interested in seeing your country to you. Please let me know if you're ever coming to Maryland or Washington D.C., perhaps I could offer some advice to you to make your trip more enjoyable!
Courtney & Leslie W. (USA, August 2004)

I finally have a chance today to provide some feedback on our recent tour. The short answer is BRILLIANT!!. We couldn’t have asked for more interesting and varied places to visit. I toured parts of Scotland 20 years ago myself but I had forgotten just how much there is to see and experience. The itinerary you provided for us and the accommodations you booked were awesome, with each stop having its own special and unique charm so that we never felt like we were repeating ourselves.
Without fail our hosts made us feel right at home and were very helpful with tips on restaurants and things to do. Special mention has to go to Ken and Morag. The morning we were leaving to catch the ferry back to the mainland I accidentally locked my keys in the rental car. They went above and beyond to get me the contact number for Hertz and to arrange for a local service to open the car. We unfortunately just missed the 9:00am ferry and had to wait until 4:30 for the next one. On the bright side we had a sunny day for exploring more of Orkney (and Mavis was able to find more Orkney ice cream and fudge.) Since we didn’t get to the mainland until 6:00pm we had to revise our drive up north and instead go back down the east coast and cross over by Dingwall to still get to the Lighthouse that day. This ended up being a beautiful drive, especially along Loch Maree. We hit that area just as the late day sun was hitting the hills and the scenery was magical in that light. I went through a roll of film on just that stretch so it was around 10:30pm when we finally hit the road into the lighthouse. (I was never so glad for the extended day light as on that last 3 miles!)
The next morning at the lighthouse was full sun and the scenery around the cliffs there just took our breath away. It seemed destined to be our favourite place but whenever we have tried to pick a top spot we just couldn’t. As I said earlier, each had its own special quality and they were different enough to make comparisons just too hard. Suffice to say that they were all wonderful. Mavis did insist that we put in a good word for the B&B near Oban, though. The attention to detail and service that Margaret provides is outstanding.
We even got away with very little rainy weather. The first 2 days were fairly wet but we were mostly driving then anyway. After that we only had a few short spells of showers, again mostly while driving. They actually got far more wet weather back here in Canada while we were gone.
We’ve done quite a bit of travelling in North America and in Europe to France and Switzerland a number of times but this trip certainly sticks out as one of the best we’ve ever taken. From 5,000 year old Neolithic villages on Orkney, to 12th century castles to seeing Donny Osmond (ewwhh!) doing a sound check before an evening concert at Edinburgh castle we got to see a bit of just about everything from every era. I even managed not to kill any people (or sheep) driving on the other side for 2 weeks! One of the few downsides has been getting my clothes to still fit after 16 days of full Scottish breakfasts, waaay too much Orkney ice cream and Walkers ready salteds etc…. The saving grace was the workout I was getting carrying Mavis’ suitcase which got increasing more heavy each day with various jars of Scottish honey.
Our only disappointment of the whole trip was that we didn’t get to meet you in person when we were in Nairn. (I could have walked for hours just looking at the houses and gardens in your area by the way.) We were running all over the place seeing the sights and then racing out for dinner on our last night in Nairn and realized we had forgotten to look up your B&B. By this time it was quite late on a Sunday night and we thought it too late to visit. We’ll just have to come again I guess, especially since our 12 year old son Colin was already asking when we were coming back to Scotland before we had even taking off from Glasgow. (The jails and dungeons were obviously a big hit for him!) Thanks again
Bruce, Mavis and Colin F. (Toronto, July 2004)

We had a fantastic time on our trip through Scotland. We visited Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle, Cawdor Castle, and Eilean Donan. Our absolutely favorite stay was the bed and breakfast in Ft. William. The bath and room was a dream and the hostess very attentive and spoiled us completely. Actually, all of our Bed and Breakfast arrangements were very nice.
Although a bit of a trial to get there, the Lighthouse views were incredible and we thoroughly enjoyed the hosts. We really wished we had more time for exploring in this area. We will also want to stay longer next time so we can explore Skye further. One of the highlights of our trip was the Bella Jane boat trip in the Cullins. We have rarely had a more beautiful, peaceful day. (Next time we'll take a picnic and stay longer in the mountains during the boat stop.)
Our favorite meals were all quite different. We had great steaks and chicken at the Railroad Restaurant outside of Plockton. We also enjoyed great food in a friendly atmosphere at the Royal Mile Pub just down the street from the Edenburgh Castle. Sandwiches were also very nice at Cawdor Castle. Our last night in Scotland was very lovely at the Windmill House. The hosts recommended a restaurant nearby called "The Restaurant" which treated us royally. Our breakfast next morning consisted of fresh strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, granola, and a whole hot breakfast menu. The breakfast buffet was extensive and my husband and I were the only guests that day!
Thank-you so much for all of your help. It was wonderful to just breeze in and out of bed and breakfast and never have to worry about having the correct funds to pay the bill. (Some did not take credit cards!) All of the hosts spoke very highly of Scotland Made Easy. I'll definitely recommend your services to my friends and hope to travel again with your help in the future. I will be happy to give you recommendations to travelers in the United States.
Roxanna R. (Kentucky, July 2004)

You package arrived and it looks fantastic! Everything on the map looks great and the hotels look even better! I am so looking forward to staying in the castle, it looks amazing, and I can't wait to explore it. And the mansion in Aberdeen looks so nice, I am glad we will be there for our longest stay! Thank you for everything, and I will let you know how our trip was after our return!
Amanda B. (Texas, July 2004)

We got the package yesterday and it looks fantastic. Thanks ever so much for sorting it out! The map is great and will be a real help in our journey. Once again, thanks. We'll let you know how we get on.
Maria & Hywel R. (UK, July 2004)

Just wanted to let you know we received our package today and have really enjoyed looking through it. You've done a wonderful job of planning our trip. Thanks!
Roxanna R. (Kentucky, June 2004)

Just wanted to let you know that we had a wonderful trip to Scotland. The accommodations you arranged for us were excellent and all the hosts were very friendly and helpful. We do appreciate your assistance and will recommend you to others. Thanks.
Jim, Nancy & Neil S. (Charlotte NC, June 2004)

What can we say. Just about the best short break we have ever had. Each of the properties you selected was excellent and all our hosts made us very welcome. The manor house was like stepping back in time, our room directly overlooked the garden and Joan really made us feel at home. The wedding was next day and it was just about as good as you could get. The service in Lindisfarne Castle was enjoyed by everybody and the piper played some really beautiful music before the proceedings got underway. Later in the day Edinburgh! My favourite place and Ian was in superb form. The house, the décor and fittings, food – all excellent and a really enjoyable time for both of us. George and Angela in Nairn were also excellent hosts and the standard of accommodation was first class. What a superb house and the story of how they came to own it was like a dream coming true for them. We did the trip to Plockton and managed to demolish some haggis, Plockton prawns and some venison for lunch. And the drive was superb, the scenery breathtaking. And finally the “garden in the sun” - and so it was. Another step back in time and a really interesting discussion with David over breakfast before we left. All in all a perfect holiday. Thanks for everything
Phil & Maggie C. (UK, May 2004)

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This email is was sent by clients (Amy and Jeanne) in May 2004 to a potential client who had asked for a testimonial:
We are glad you chose to contact us because we cannot say enough good things about Scotland Made Easy. We had to be in London for a conference, and decided rather spur of the moment to tack an extra week onto our trip for vacation. Because we were so concentrated on preparing for our conference, we had very little time (if any) to prepare for the Scotland leg of the trip. We contacted Marie and told her our basic needs - we had 6 nights and wanted to see as much of the country as possible. That afternoon, we had a preliminary itinerary to review.
Once the booking had been done, Marie sent us a package with information and directions to each of our B&Bs, complete with a large driving map of Scotland - with the route highlighted. She marked on the map areas of interest along our route and also included her own "guide of things to see" for each town. It was fun comparing her "guide of things to see" against our Fodor's Scotland book we got as a gift. If something showed up both in the book and on Marie's list, we considered it a must-see/do stop. In addition to the services Scotland Made Easy provides, Marie made herself available to answer questions about travel to and from Edinburgh and about ground transportation including car rental. She's very personable and charming and takes her work very seriously. (She often emailed me back quite late at night in her time zone, wanting to be responsive to needs and requests coming from our time zone.)
One of the two of us has some dietary restrictions and Marie also made sure all the B&Bs were aware of our needs in advance. Everyone was very willing to accommodate special requests.
We actually met Marie when we were in Nairn. She came to our B&B in the morning and had coffee with us. It was fun to meet her and let her know how much we appreciated her efforts. All of the places we stayed were so beautiful, and the innkeepers were so kind. It was so nice to have a destination at the end of each day, and we never had to worry if we would get into a town early enough to find lodging. Having everything done by Marie in advance made the trip much more enjoyable, relaxing and stress free.
If you have any further questions, please let us know. We highly recommend booking through SME, but whatever you decide I am sure you will have a wonderful time in Scotland. We did!

This email is was sent by a previous client (Mark P.) to a potential client who had asked for a direct testimonial:
Marie from Scotland Made Easy wrote to me in order to ask if I'd be willing to speak with you about her outfit; and also to reassure you about the advance deposit which is necessary, and I told her I'd be more than happy to speak to any client of hers based upon my own recent terrific experience in Scotland. The trip through Scotland was silky smooth and extremely comfortable thanks to Marie's meticulous planning and extremely organized preparation for my own trip to Scotland with my son this past October.
You will get booked into the most charming places imaginable, hosted by the most hospitable folks. The accomodations were superlative. Directions and mapping of your tour route are crystal clear and well planned time-wise. Pictures of your destinations on your itinerary packet will be of help to you, as well. Maps galore, and tips for your travel are included.
The hosts of all the B&B's and the various hotels and mansions and castles which you stay in all hold Marie in the highest regard, as well, which in turn enhances your own experience as her client.
In any event, I'd be more than happy to speak with you personally about the experience if you'd like to call me. But let me reassure you that any advance fees or deposit associated with your tour will be be well worth your expense!! You will have a great time in Scotland thanks to Marie's professional and careful itinerary planning.

The following was sent by Mark P. to another potential client who had asked for contact with a previous client:
To answer some of your questions, we stayed in some truly lovely B&B's (two or three), all situated in idyllic settings, which were all self-contained (not shared) with your own bathroom and very comfortable bedrooms. We never felt cramped (I went with my son) and the only time we were with others at these B&B's was at breakfast, so you don't at all feel uncomfortable - it's truthfully no less private than a hotel. I don't know how to rate these B&B's with stars, but I'd guess they were at least 3-star - we were VERY comfortable, and I also appreciate my luxury and creature comforts, so this is no exaggeration. As I recall, the beds were long enough, so don't worry about your height. Every place I can recall had a tub (except maybe one). And the showers were great.
We also stayed in some private mansions (B&B style), at a Scottish sheep farm and at a great old castle, also very comfortable and entirely charming. Be ready to be overwhelmed with amazing history. What a rich culture, and the Scots are incredibly hospitable - I couldn't get enough of them.
The food? SUPERLATIVE. Some of the dinners we enjoyed at these B&B's (you need to arrange those with the B&B proprietors in advance) knocked our socks off - gourmet cuisine, I kid you not. Scottish breakfasts are extraordinary and delightful. I hope you get a chance to try Cumberland mustard sausage with your oat porridge and morning entree! If you like seafood, then you're REALLY in for a treat there - it beats Boston!!. You need to at least try haggis - I loved it. And that lamb with mint sauce...
Let me just say, you are in for a real treat! I want very badly to go back to Scotland - when I do, I would do it the same way - through Marie.

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Once again , a beautifully organised trip! All the accomodation was first-rate. The Stonefield Hotel made a wonderful start. It is so beautifully situated. The lounges and the superb dining room are very impressive and the staff are first rate. Glenmachrie Farmhouse couldn't be better. Rachel is a real character - so warm and friendly. We had a superb morning out bird watching with Jeremy from Islay Birding in a super big Landrover. Saw two golden eagles. We can thoroughly recommend him. On the way home the stop in Balloch was very friendly and comfortable. Thanks again for everything.
Muriel & Peter M. (UK, January 2004) - their 3rd trip with us!

The last trip to Scotland was wonderful. All the places we stayed were just great. Particularly liked the place on Isle of Skye as the meals were just fantastic. And, thanks for the kind gift. I hope to go to Scotland again and use your services. Kind regards,
Jeremy P. (December 2003)

Wanted to let you know that we had a wonderful time on our holiday and we enjoyed each stop on the way. Thanks for setting us up with quality B & B's. Our trip went without any problems and we were thankful for the confidence that arrangements were in place for each night. We appreciate your assistance and professionalism.
Steve H. (California, October 2003)

We had a great time in Scotland. Thanks for all your help. All the B&B's were great and made the trip just that more enjoyable. We took the train from Fort William to Mallaig one day. We enjoyed Glamis Castle and Roslyn Chapel. Many other places too numerous to mention. Thanks again,
Harold & Donna V. (October 2003)

We had a wonderful tour around your beautiful country. We were delighted to be able to actually meet you at your home. Each B&B was so very lovely. But it was the host/hostess of each place that made our stay so very pleasant. We know that you have had many conversations with all of them. Everyone was so wonderful. Thank you for your wonderful service in finding our accommodations and mapping out our trip for us.
Marge and Bob B. (MD, USA, October 2003)

I can't begin to tell you what a wonderful time we had!!!! We loved EVERYTHING - and I do mean EVERYTHING - about Scotland! We have done nothing but rave about it since we returned. We loved the scenery, the people, the sights, absolutely a perfect trip. And we are not novice travelers. My only problem is that now all I want to do is go to Scotland again - and again - and again.
We really benefitted from your services. The map was terrific and we followed it to the letter. We loved our B&Bs, and your help just made the trip.
Chris Jones was FABULOUS!!!! I can't say enough good about him. He was so courteous to meet the ferry LITERALLY at the unloading gate - he got special permission to drive up that far because of JoAnn's handicap. He was utterly delightful. He's a geologist by profession (taught high school and college geology for 11 years) so perfect for Mull, which has been highly influenced by extreme geological changes. He is warm, friendly, charming, ADORABLE. Wears a kilt, and full Scottish dress. His van was large and accommodating and spotless. He had so much knowledge, and LOVES Mull. We learned a lot. He took us everywhere, brought lunch with him and we ate in a pasture on a beach, surrounded by Highland cows and sheep. Never had such an experience! It was our favorite day, if we had to choose one. We simply cannot recommend him highly enough.
Bev K. (NC, USA, September 2003)

All these days we've spent on the Islands are still in front of our eyes. We are still ordering hundreds of photos we've made, listening to the music, studying books and magazines about Scotland and Ireland. We've managed to visit many countries, but there is something special in this two, that attracts us so much. Perhaps it is misty landscape suplied by our imagination with many mysterious legends, perhaps the history which in some points is very common with Polish one (by the way Bonnie Prince Charles is the grandson of the great Polish king John III Sobieski, who was the commander-in-chief at the battle at Vienna at 1683). A week in a country is not too much, but there was one thing that allowed us to understand more and fill the "climate" better. That was a fact that we had opportunity to meet people in their houses, in their families, just to touch their lifes. We've appreciated it very much. As to the trip you arranged for us, everything was done perfectly! We have also very nice memories from meeting you!
With lots of best regards from
Jacek, Monika, Jagoda, Jedrek and Anna Zarnowiecka (Poland, September 2003)

We keep a very good memory of the week spent in your nice country. Your organisation was perfect and I used a lot your commentaries concerning every region to organize the visits of each day. The itinerary and the choice of B&B gave us a first good image of Scotland.
Jean Paul L. (France, September 2003)

Just to say what a great time we had. We left for Scotland just as the heat wave started so we had excellent weather throughout which was a bonus. The scenery and places visited were of course stunning, but what wonderful B&B’s you arranged for us. Such splendid houses, fantastic interiors and locations, beautiful views and such a warm welcome everywhere. Such variety too, each place was different and had it’s own charm. We also met people from all over the world as fellow guests. The only thing we missed out on was being in the right place at the right time to see some highland games, but there you are you can’t have everything. So thanks again for arranging it all for us. It was a really memorable holiday.
Richard & Mavis B. (Surrey, England, August 2003)

We would like to thank you for making our visit to Scotland so enjoyable. Your accommodation and itinerary more than met our expectations. It was like a magical, mystery tour finding our way around and being rewarded at the end of the day with an interesting place to stay. The farm near Glasgow set the scene with a warm welcome, comfortable accommodation and great food, the castle at Dingwall was fun as a contrasting style of accommodation, we fell in love with Plockton and our host in Edinburgh was most helpful during our short stay. We can warmly recommend your service and hope we will have the opportunity to return sometime and see some more of the lovely countryside and the friendly people.
Noel and David T. (New Zealand, July 2003)

I want to thank you very much for arranging an absolutely marvellous set of accommodations for us. The hosts were charming, witty and helpful, the rooms extremely comfortable and those breakfasts... Your accompanying notes relating to each of the venues were very useful and included just the right amount of detail and information. Although every one of the places we stayed had its own unique charm, I have to say that Plockton was the highlight of the trip. It may have been in part because we stayed three days but I suspect it was more to do with the people. I have already given your name to a colleague who is contemplating a trip to Scotland next year.
Bob L. (Canada, June 2003)

The holiday was in one word fantastic!! We really enjoyed our stays, think we have seen the really good (best?) parts of your country, met very nice people and accidently had great weather!! All our hosts made us really welcome and comfortable. And your ideas on the length of daytrips was perfect. The one week really made us want to come back to the country again. It was a holiday to cherish. Thank you again for your planning and thinking. If we come back I will surely contact you again (given your address to a couple of friends already!!).
Barbara P. (Holland, May 2003)

We are home and have wonderful memories of your beautiful country. All of our B&B's were perfect. The hostesses and hosts could not have been more helpful and each place was immaculate. You really did a super job of arranging great spots for us. Of course, we were far too ambitious and wished we had more time to spend in each spot. Next time! Thanks again for helping to arrange a memorable time in Scotland.
Nancy S. (May 2003)

We received the packet yesterday and are thoroughly delighted at how you have fulfilled our brief. The B and Bs are far more wonderful than we expected, and the realities of travel just what we had hoped for. Maybe we can meet briefly during the trip for lunch or dnner, or best a cup of tea and scones.
Chris M. (May 2003)

We received the package yesterday. It looks great! I did not have the time to finish reading all the information you sent but from the little I read it look amazingly helpful. You cannot imagine how simpler it is to work with you instead of remotely trying to achieve all this from my side of the Atlantic. Many thanks again!
Jocelyn (Canada, April 2003)

Another superb Scottish holiday! Your organisation was absolutely the tops, and every one of our four stays was really high class. Everywhere we went the beds and bedrooms oozed comfort and the breakfasts were all equally delicious. We ate far too much! You also laid on superb weather - very clever! Thanks again from us both.
Peter M. (UK, April 2003) - second trip booked through Scotland Made Easy

A special presentation of our customised tour package in a red tartan bag was made by 2 sons at a party for their father’s retirement party.
Here's one son's description of the event:
The party was an overwhelming success. My Dad was completely surprised! The presentation blew them away, and the look on their faces priceless. They are so excited, it is all they have spoken of for the last three days. Your presentation received countless compliments from our guests, some will probably be contacting you as I passed your e-mail address out to several of them. Bravo to you! Thank you again for all of your hard work. I look forward to working with you in the future, next time I am going. James P, (Denver, Colorado)
And here's his father's reaction to the surprise:
We were beyond surprise at the gift of a trip to Scotland. It has been 48 years since I have been to the old country and have always wanted to take JoAnn for a visit. You did such a wonderful job of planning the trip that I am sure that it will fulfill our wildest dreams. Thank you so much for all the planning and attention that you put into this trip. Jim & JoAnn P. (Florida)
Then his comments on the trip:
JoAnn and I just wanted to say thanks for a wonderful trip to Scotland. Your attention to details and the accommodations selected were just great. We were totally impressed with our hosts and hostesses and the effort they went to to make sure that we had all the comforts of home at our disposal.
We are sorry that we did not get a chance to meet you while we were in Nairn, but our time just seemed to fly by. If we were to change anything, it would be to reduce the amount of driving and extend the vacation to two weeks. We plan to do this on our next visit.
I just had to mention one stop in our journey that left a lasting impression. I was able to locate my old high school in Milngavie, and as chance would have it, the custodian opened the doors and gave us a complete tour of the facility. The school brought back so many memories and the visit seemed to bridge the gap of the last 48 years.
The country is beautiful and we look forward to visiting again in the near future. When we are able to schedule another trip we will get in touch with you.

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I want to tell you how absolutely FABULOUS our trip was, all thanks to you and the individually tailored planning which you saw to on our behalf.
Every single B&B, whether it was a stately mansion, a fabulous castle, a guest house and/or a small hotel were situated and ensconced either in serene, quaint or breathtaking backdrops. And every one was selected by you with an unexpected degree of hospitality extended toward us by the proprietors. You reputation with them was impeccable, of course, and that fact assured our exemplary and personal treatment, as well.
Your well-devised driving map and the packet containing our bookings complete with photographs of the places where we stayed helped to ensure that we never got lost, and everything WAS truly "made easy" for us. We were able to focus on Scotland's magnificence without getting caught up in the logistical details of trip planning and best of all, with a complete abscence of planning omissions.
Marie, this could not have been as enjoyable had we not found you on the website, and I can't thank you enough.
Scotland is simply magnificent - it's like living in a postcard. The people are so very warm and so incredibly accomodating and hospitable. We learned so very much about its extraordinary history and its geographic wonders in so short a stay.
I hope to return to Scotland with my wife in the not-so-distant future, and I will definitely be contacting you again to arrange another fantastic trip for us.
Mark P. (USA, October 2002)

I want to thank you so much for the trip you put together for us and for all of your help with the arrangements you made for us. It worked out great and every place we stayed was so lovely. You were so kind to be so helpful. By the way, the place in Edinburgh was absolutely so perfect. Ian was a gem and just delightful. Wow, and all of the breakfasts were fantastic! We enjoyed staying in the "apartment" so much, in fact, the next time we go, we will request it.....we even went to the market and cooked our last night there!
Candy & Bob (USA, October 2002)

We just wanted to let you know that we had a lovely time in Scotland. All of the guesthouses were wonderful and our hosts were most delightful and very helpful. We loved Scotland and we credit it to your planning and multiple ideas of things to do. Thank you so much.
Andy & Kathy (Rhode Island, USA, October 2002)

How was the holiday? In a word - marvellous! Every place we stayed was clean, comfortable - and all were run by really nice people. We were fortunate too to have had great weather almost every day - I even managed a little paddle in the sea at Huisinis Beach on Harris. I loved Lewis - fascinating history there. Skye had fantastic scenery (the Cuillins were awesome), and Jane thought Oban was the prettiest place she had ever been. The castle in Argyll... well... that was just the icing on the cake. :) So thank you VERY much once more for organising a holiday I know I'll never forget!
Willis and Jane (Lanarkshire, August 2002)

Just wanted to thank you for organising our trip which we really enjoyed, the B&B's were great, ate too many "full Scottish breakfasts" and we all loved Haggis!! Please contact us if you get a free weekend/week whatever and you fancy coming to Valencia and we can organise it for you and take you to the villages in the mountains.
Carol, Marisa, Javier and Julian (Spain, August 2002)

Your suggestions for excursions and meals were much appreciated and helped to fill our days and nights with many memorable experiences.
Carl E. (Lincoln, USA, July 2002)

Marie really did make Scotland easy for us. Because of her organisation, we could enjoy the travelling and the scenery knowing that we had a homely welcome every night and more importantly, because of her contacts, we went to the un-heard of Treshnish Island of Lunga, off Mull and had a breathtaking experience walking amongst puffins. The highlight of our holiday - all thanks to Marie - and oh yes, every morning the breakfasts were superb!
Geoff, Anne, Georges and Corinne (Channel Islands, July 2002)

I just wanted to write and say a big THANK YOU for arranging our wonderful honeymoon in Scotland. We had an absolutely fantastic time and have completely fallen in love with the Highlands! The accommodation was all superb, your map and area info was our lifeline .... we are thinking of framing the map with all the places we visited highlighted! And all our hosts could not have been more friendly and helpful - their hospitality and homes were beyond all our expectations. Thank you again for a holiday we will always remember - no doubt we will be in touch again for our next trip!!
Victoria C. (England, May 2002)

I had a wonderful time. All the B&Bs were great. I couldn't have done it without you.
Ros A. (Australia)

We have now returned from Scotland and had a lovely trip. Your suggestions made it an unforgettable holiday for us. The accommodations were all very good and we are so satisfied.
Bjorn T. (Oslo, Norway)

Thank you so much for your help in planning our Scotland vacation. We had a wonderful time. The B&Bs that you booked us into were absolutely fantastic; the hostesses/hosts were lovely and the breakfasts were fantastic. We so enjoyed our holiday in Scotland that we hope to return and do it all again. I will certainly recommend your agency to friends.
Cindy L. (USA)

You did a great job! We just got our pictures back so we're having fun sharing with others about our adventures. We love the people in your country (so friendly!) & the beautiful scenery. Thanks again for all you help. Our trip was a lot less stressful because of your help with the accomodations, itinerary, & directions.
Lynn & Cory (Sioux Falls, USA, August 2002)

The skirl of the pipes, mist hanging over the highlands, hearty breakfasts with memorable people, smoky single malts, and, of course, the incomparable Scottish spirit...all were a part of my week of wandering the coastlands and islands of Scotland. Marie is an expert and helpful guide. She made every step of my journey memorable. There is no doubt that the next time I head for the Highlands, I will count on Marie to plan my trip.
Blair M. (Dallas, USA, August 2002)

We are back in Philly after a really wonderful visit to Scotland. Although I had visited Edinburgh and Glasgow many times, it was my first real trip to the Highlands. It was unforgettable. The B and B's worked out very well as did the castle and mansion. We especially enjoyed Flora MacDonalds B and B in Fort William. And the weather? It rained every day. But then you had no control over that. My thanks.
Irving S. (Philadelphia, USA, August 2002)

I thoroughly enjoyed my trip. The accommodations you planned for me were all easily found, warm and welcoming, helpful, comfortable and had beautiful views! The map plan was of great help too, it allowed me to see places of interest and also decide where I wanted to go. The notes on each place I visited also added to the trip because it gave me ideas of things that were not on the map. Pre-organisation is fantastic when you are travelling alone. I had a great time and thank you for the good job that you did.
Paula C. (Australia, October 2001)