Scotland and London Solo - July 18-August 4, 2025

Aberdeen July 21-24:

Accommodation:

Station Hotel: very convenient to train and bus stations but I was disappointed in the overall property. The single bed was small but comfortable. there was no air conditioning and the window would not open, the toilet seat was broken and there were no hooks or towel bars in the bathroom at all. There was no service elevator, so the wait time was very long during changeover times. The price was affordable but I probably would not recommend the hotel unless they changed some key requirements.

Meals that Stood Out:

The Silver Darling, Tall Ships set menu of grilled scallops, crab encrusted salmon, charred broccoli and toffee pudding-wonderful and mouth watering

Ma Cameron’s, classic fish and chips with mushy peas enjoyed in this very Scottish pub

Maggie’s Grill, fried chicken w/spicy gravy, mashed potato, Cajun green beans and cornbread

Cullen Skink at some cafe while on Coastal Village tour

Activities/Events:

Tall ships festival/viewing: the ships were pretty cool to see with their country flags flying but I wasn’t there to see them in full sails because my tour left Aberdeen before their departure for the next leg of the race, I think it was Norway. The festival was too crowded for me, so I pretty much explored other parts of Aberdeen.

Provost Skene’s House: oldest townhouse in Aberdeen, initially built in 1545 but has been rebuilt over time and underwent a major transformation in 2019. It’s free to the public but the hours are seasonal (April through October, closed Tuesday and Wednesday). There are many stairs and some tight spaces and steep staircases to maneuver. The Hall of Hero’s of Aberdeen and surrounding area was quite interesting. Hanoverian troops used the house during the Jacobite risings. The townhouse became run down in the 1800’s and was used as a hostel for the homeless. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit here and the garden across from the house is lovely. In the garden is a bronze sculpture of two sea people, mermaids(?). A sculpture of famous footballer, Dennis Law is near the house, and a gigantic bronze sculpture of Robert the Bruce is at the gorgeous Marischal College.

Marischal College: I did not tour, but the building is absolutely beautiful with water fountain park for practicing your gymnastic moves. This was fun watching people do hand stands and cartwheels among the spitting water. Aberdeen is known for granite and Marischal is a prime example of a solid granite building. It is now used as headquarters for the Aberdeen City Council and other office space.

Rabbies Guided day trip to Dunnottar Castle and Royal Deeside, Banchory, Braemar, Falls of Feugh, River Dee, Muir of Dinnet: it was very nice to get away from crowded Aberdeen for this trip out to the countryside, and cliff side. Our guide, Jamie, was real good at explaining the industry of Aberdeen and the surrounding area as we set off on our ride to the castle-starting with granite and elevating to North Sea oil. Aberdeenshire provides 60% of the barley for Scotland’s whisky production. Wind farms will soon take the place of oil to provide energy for the country. Then it was onto our climb to the castle. It’s a long, really easy walk to the castle, but I’m glad to have my walking stick to give my knees some extra strength and support for the hill. Explored the castle for a good hour or so and then headed further West passing many castles on the way. We stopped at the gate for Balmoral but didn’t explore, and walked up to the Braemar Castle for photo ops. We did not go inside. I loved getting out of the van for small woodland walks along the River Dee, to the Falls of Feugh and a small stream crossing to the Muir of Dinnet. When we went through the town of Braemar, it reminded me of the Highland Games during my 2022 trip. All in all, a perfect day of exploring the cliff side castle and the countryside.

Grampian, Guided day trip of Coastal villages of Aberdeenshire: Gardenstown, Crovie, Pennan, Fraserburgh, Bullers of Buchan, Cruden Bay, drive by New Slains Castle, walk to seal colony at Newburgh. This was also a very well done tour of the coastal area above Aberdeenshire. Fascinating to find out there are currently 4 residents in the tiny village of Crovie. I particularly liked the extra hike to see the Bullers of Buchan. We wanted to spot some puffins but alas, they had already left on their migration. We did spot many seals at Newburgh on our way back to Aberdeen.

Inverness July 24:

Accommodation:

B&B Hotel Inverness: Loved everything about this nice hotel in the center of Inverness. The room was large with opened windows overlooking the courtyard, bed was super comfortable and the bathroom had everything I needed.The shower was open, meaning there was no curtain or door separating it from the sink and toilet. It didn’t seem to matter because nothing outside of the shower was wet.

Meals that Stood Out:

MacGregors, I can’t remember the food here, but my conversation with a couple from Vancouver BC was great and we sang along with some of the live music in this fun pub.

Activities/Events:

Inverness was basically a stopover visit on my way to the islands of Lewis, Harris and St Kilda. So I enjoyed listening to students sing traditional Scottish music in Gaelic near the oldest church, had great fun conversing with Canadians at the pub, and then walking across the River Ness using the footbridge and then sitting on a picnic bench along the river enjoying my leftover fried chicken. Inverness is a good place for travel connections.

Stornoway July 25-28:

Accommodation:

Manor House: Large room with nice view out to a courtyard, the furnishings were great and there was a kettle for tea/coffee and cookies provided. Christine and Iona were so pleasant and welcoming; they treated me like family and gave me some wonderful tips on exploring. Iona especially was excited for my trip out to the Calanais Stones.

Meals that Stood Out:

HS-1 Restaurant (same chef as Boatshed, next door) casual space serving delicious food; ate here twice: bowl of Leurbost mussels with side green salad for dinner and haddock sandwich w/onion rings for lunch

Manor House, breakfast made to order each morning w/French pressed coffee

Activities/Events:
Lews Castle museum and more of the Lewis chess pieces, stories of island life with articles of clothing, farm and fishing tools, kitchen gadgets. Beautiful location for a wedding - I met the father of the bride the morning after the wedding while I looked in at the ballroom. His face was beaming. Here is a link to Lews Castle

https://www.lews-castle.co.uk/

Bus trip to the Calanais Standing stones: this was a jaw dropping site, once I arrived. This is where having a vehicle would have been easier. I managed very well, albeit a little nervous, using the local bus from Stornaway. Me, along with three other passengers departed the bus and walked the 3/4 mile (I’m guessing) to the stones. It was nice knowing there were others visiting the stones that were traveling by bus. I sometimes feel nervous if it’s just me in the middle of nowhere. Seeing all the stones at the top of the hill took my breath away. It was a typical Scotland day (cloudy, somewhat grey, then sun), so our photos have a lot of contrast. It’s possible to walk right up to the stones; they ask you not to touch them however. If you are visiting this beautiful island, please venture out to the stones.

Practicalities: only water closet/toilet is at the nearby touristy alpaca farm because the visitors center is being redeveloped and may open in Spring 2026. There is very little parking at the bottom of the hill, likely at one of the farms. I didn’t explore that option, obviously. Our bus #2 going back to Stornaway picked us up at the same place he dropped us off - at the end of the farm road abutting the highway. Here is a link to the stones.

https://calanais.org/

Walked along the river and explored Stornaway: watching lawn bowlers play a match in misty rain, spotted a great blue heron and an oystercatcher

Tarbert July 28-30:

Accommodation:

Hotel Hebrides: very nicely decorated single room with great amenities: herbal products, bathrobe/slippers, wee dram of whisky, kettle, fridge, plenty of outlets and comfortable bed. Angus and Fiona were very welcoming but pushed dining in their restaurant, Pierhouse. It pretty much was the only place to have a sit down meal, other than Harris Hotel.

Meals that Stood Out:

Pierhouse Restaurant, Caesar Salad with Prawns, dressed too much for my liking
Pierhouse, Salmon beurre blanc with asparagus, tomatoes, semphire & taters, again, too much sauce

Activities/Events:

Harris Tweed for some tweed to take home to sew some pillows

Harris Distillery, gin experience tour/tasting: this was a fun tour and I learned a lot more about the nuances of gin and its flavors. The tasting was a gin and tonic that we created to our liking with a small wedge of grapefruit as garnish

Luskentyre Beach: again, this outing is best done with your own vehicle. I took a bus that dropped me off 2 1/2 miles from the actual beach and then I didn’t really know exactly where the beach access was until I literally came to the end of the road and there was the beach. It was damp, windy and rain at times, so the walk going back wasn’t much fun. I tried to enjoy the farm scenery and beach and it certainly would have looked more beautiful if the weather was better. I’m walking in the rain about 2 miles back to the bus stop on the highway and a friendly Catalan family rescued me asking if I would like to venture to the other beach close by (Seilebost) and then back to Tarbert where they had a ferry booked for Skye. I whole heartedly agreed and said that would be wonderful. We chatted up until arrival in Tarbert. Such a nice family of husband, wife, two young girls and a boy came to my rescue.

Leverburgh July 30-August 1:

Accommodation:

Lingay House: my room in this small BnB was very comfortable with en-suite bathroom and included hot breakfast with eggs made to order. What I liked best about the house was the view outside my window of the pond and very pretty gardens.

Meals that Stood Out:

Lingay House, Brie w/oat cakes and cherry tomatoes, Saucy Salmon w/rice pilaf and braised leeks, lovely fresh strawberries and buttery shortbread

Isle of Harris Brewery, burger and fries at busy family and dog friendly pub at the pier

Leverburgh continued……..

Activities/Events:

Once in a lifetime trip to the remote island of St Kilda off the Western coast of Scotland with Kilda Cruises: Angus and Archie were our crew and guides. They both helped passengers with luggage and even gave me a ride to my BNB from the pier afterwards. our boat ride to the island (approx 2 1/2 hrs) was exciting with plenty of spray, waves and bumpity bumps. I didn’t get woozy at all, but I don’t usually get affected anyway. Most of us were on the outside deck during the ride.

The history of St Kilda is fascinating. Please, if you get a chance, read the island’s story. I’ve added links to some information. The small isolated community existed by harvesting birds and their eggs, using feathers for bedding, etc. They also grew some plants, but by the late 1920’s, due to diseases and diminished opportunities to harvest the birds and eggs, the last remaining residents (36) were evacuated to other islands and mainland Scotland. The National Trust of Scotland has restored some of the black houses for their research teams and continue to maintain a small museum and gift shop on the island. There are a couple of toilets but no food to purchase. Angus gave us about 3 hours to explore before returning to the boat for our ride to see the bird colonies on the many sea stacks in the area. Back on the boat, Archie graciously offered pound cake with our choice of hot tea or coffee. Boy, that warm tea was very appreciated after being in drizzle on and off the whole day.

For me, the trip to the stacks was almost the highlight of the tour. All the passengers were in awe at the sight of thousands of puffins, gannets, fulmars, and kittiwakes flying all around and above us. We also saw baskin sharks and seals. Some passengers spotted dolphins, but I never did. Angus offered us a wee dram of whisky as we approached home and the pier in Leverburgh. It was simply an outstanding trip and one adventure I will cherish.

https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/st-kilda/planning-your-visit

https://www.kildacruises.co.uk/history

There really isn’t much to do in the “town” of Leverburgh, it’s really just a ferry hub. It didn’t seem to have any grocery stores or pharmacy that I could see. Surely they must have some services - I didn’t have a vehicle so didn’t venture too far away from my accommodation. The next day after the trip to St Kilda, I enjoyed a pleasant walk from the BnB to the pier for watching the different ferries load and unload. I also did some birding along the way, since I had my binoculars. I saw a Butty, a kind of chippy food truck, near the pier but I opted to have a burger at the Harris Brewery, also near the pier. The rest of the day, I relaxed at the BnB and had nice conversations with fellow guests. That evening, the clouds disbursed and we had a brilliant sunset over the pretty pond and gardens. Went to sleep early as the following travel day would be long.

Inverness August 1-2:

Accommodation:

Park Hill Guesthouse: small room with comfortable bed, toilet/shower down the hall, inexpensive and adequate for a one night stay. The neighbors were doing construction until the early evening though.

Activities/Events:
Really just used Inverness as an overnight, since it was a long trip up the islands of Harris and Lewis by bus, then ferry to Ullapool, and then CityLink bus to Inverness. I was pretty tired upon arrival and knew I had a fairly early flight to London-Gatwick the following morning so I basically found something quick to eat and went to sleep.

London August 2-4:

Accommodation:

Premier Inn Hub Westminster: I really liked this hotel room. The bed was very comfortable and the lighting was quite innovative with controls on a panel at the headboard. Bathroom was compact with walk-in shower, small closet, chair, loads of outlets/USB port, good AC, plenty of space at foot of bed for my Tom Bihn bag and IPad. The over all space is small, but it had everything I needed. I can see that it would be quite tight for 2 people. Reception was great at holding my luggage until check in.

Meals that Stood Out:

Gail’s, wonderful bowl of porridge and fresh blueberries
Great Court Restaurant-British Museum, afternoon tea was delicious and I asked to take away some of the treats as it was simply too much for me to eat
Whole Foods Market, small hot plate of food to eat in my hotel room
Wagamama Kensington, noodle salad and refreshing ginger peach drink

Activities/Events:

Westminster Abbey visit and tour, so crowded but the Abbey is gorgeous. I saw among others, the tombs of Queen Elisabeth I and Queen Mary I. I lit a prayer candle for my beloved cat, Poppy and listened to some lovely organ music.

London Walks tour of Kensington: I was really looking forward to this walk but frankly, it was a bit too much talk on history with standing around and not enough walking in my opinion. Maybe I was just too tired to enjoy it since London was the end of my 40 night trip and I had already spent many hours at Westminster Abbey that morning. Think I was just exhausted.

British Museum: the museum is massive, of course, but I tried to focus on exhibits of interest - Sutton Hoo horde, Lewis Chess pieces, statues from Rapa Nui and some of the ancient Egyptian carvings.

Japan House in Kensington had a wonderful free display and story of pictograms.

Transportation:

Ryan Air-Lisbon >Edinburgh

Train-Edinburgh >Aberdeen

Rabbies van to Dunnotter Castle and Royal Deeside

Grampian van to Coastal Villages of Aberdeenshire

Train-Aberdeen >Inverness

CityLink bus #961 Inverness>Ullapool

CalMac ferry Ullapool>Stornaway

Local Stornaway bus #W2 to Calanais stones

Local bus #W10 Stornaway >Tarbert

Local bus #W10 Tarbert>Leverburgh

Kilda Cruise boat tour Leverburgh pier>St Kilda, then tender to dock

Local bus, CalMac ferry, CityLink bus to Inverness

EasyJet-Inverness>London Gatwick

Air Canada-London Heathrow>Vancouver>Seattle

Fun encounters and interactions w/locals and travelers

Candid conversation with tour guide from Aberdeen about a certain US politician visiting Scotland to open his golf courses

Conversation and singing w Vancouver couple at MacGregors in Inverness

Catalan family rescue on walk back from Luskentyre Beach

Bicyclists at Calanais stones, one from Austria and the other from Colorado, deciding whether to carry on with their bicycle ride back to Stornaway in the rain or try to see if the bus driver would take their two bicycles on board. They decided the wind was at their backs and would motor on.

Long conversations with Christine and Iona of Manor House

Petting a white horse on the way to what I thought was the pathway to Luskentyre beach; turns out it was just another farm with no easy access to any beach, let alone, Luskentyre beach

Final Thoughts:

I can whole heartily say that the highlights of this second trip to Scotland were the amazing Calanais stones, the guided tours of Dunnottar Castle and the coastal villages of Aberdeenshire, and the unbelievably fantastic boat trip and tour to St Kilda. These memories will last a lifetime.

Next up, Japan…..

I really like the organization of your trip report. I particularly appreciate the transportation section and your fun encounters section. Thanks for giving us so much practical advice.

Well done thank you. I've bookmarked for future use/ideas.

I agree with Laurie Beth. Great organization. It’s long, but easy to ready because of your nice formatting. That is much appreciated. And wow, Japan for your next trip.

Linda, thanks so much for your trip repor.! Sounds like a great trip. Oh, the kindness of strangers! I could feel your relief on your cold, wet walk. And St. Kilda does sound fascinating. Thanks for the info.

I do have a couple questions. In Aberdeen, did you find both day tour companies to be similar in quality and service? I'm not familiar with Grampian Tours. If you hadn't included St. Kilda on this trip, would you have considered the Rabbie's Tour of Lewis and Harris from Inverness?

Again, wonderful trip report!