Holidays made differently in Scotland, Ireland, England and Wales

Our blog is home to a mix of travel inspiration, expert insight and first-hand experiences from across the UK, Ireland and The Channel Islands. Alongside stories from the McKinlay Kidd team, you’ll find practical advice, destination ideas and thoughtful takes on the trends shaping travel today.

Why Hollywood Keeps Filming in Scotland, and the Locations You Can Actually Visit

26 August 2026

From First Enquiry to Final Day: The McKinlay Kidd Experience

18 August 2026

Edinburgh Castle - The Tattoo

After the Tattoo: Why Your Edinburgh Trip Deserves a Highland Encore

13 July 2026

A McKinlay Kidd tour group at St Ninian's beach in Shetland

Small Group, Big Experience: What to Expect on a McKinlay Kidd Guided Tour

4 June 2026

St. Marys, Isle of Scilly

Hidden Corners of the UK and Ireland You Might Not Have Considered

22 May 2026

Guided, Self-Guided or Tailor-Made: Which Adventure Is Right for You?

7 May 2026

St Ninian's Isle Tomnbolo, Shetland, Scotland

Staying Closer to Home: Why More UK Travellers Are Rediscovering the UK and Ireland in 2026

24 April 2026

Your Month-by-Month Guide to the Best UK, Ireland & the Channel Islands Events in 2026

4 February 2026

Jacobite Express crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct

A journey into the Highland Heart with a ride on the Jacobite Express

2 May 2025

McKinlay Kidd founders Robert and Heather with Managing Director, Zoe Davidson.

Leading UK and Ireland specialist tour operator becomes employee-owned to reinforce irreplaceable human touch in tourism

29 August 2024

Blair Castle in Pitlochry, Scottish Highlands

Exploring the Capital of the Highlands & Historic Pitlochry

27 June 2024

A Tale of Two Cities – A brief jaunt through Dublin & Belfast

29 March 2024

Dartmouth Marina

Exploring the charm of Southwest England: A rail adventure through the best of Bath, Devon & Cornwall

19 February 2024

Inganess Beach, Orkney, Scotland

A Quick Dip into Orkney’s Treasures

8 November 2023

The Flaggy Shore – Clare and Inis Mor

31 August 2023

Isle of Raasay – Over the Sea from Skye

15 August 2023

Travel Awards 2023 Winners

18 July 2023

Finding Serenity in Shetland

30 June 2023

Ireland: Through the Eyes of Locals in Cork and Killarney

26 May 2023

Over to Orkney

18 April 2023

Traditional Music in Ennis, County Clare

17 February 2023

Make Time for Greenwich

27 January 2023

A Flying Visit to the Outer Hebrides

28 April 2022

Tips for UK & Ireland Rail Touring

3 January 2022

On Holiday with Paralympic Champions Lora & Neil Fachie

15 November 2021

Reflections on Summer 2021

21 October 2021

Wild swimming, Kintyre, Scotland

Into the Blue

14 January 2021

Loch Coulin, Torridon, North Coast 500

Back on the Road Again

14 August 2020

Classic Scotland Road Trip

Don’t ‘just settle’ for a UK holiday

23 June 2020

Kintyre Beach

A message from Robert Kidd

20 March 2020

The Magic of the Sleeper

14 February 2020

Hadrian's Wall

The Centre of Britain Makes Its Mark

8 October 2019

Barra, Outer Hebrides

A Hebridean Odyssey in Photos

6 August 2019

Fort Augustus

The Paths of Fort Augustus

10 July 2019

Beach, Isle of Harris, Outer Hebrides

Shades of Blue on the Isle of Harris

3 June 2019

Puffin on Unst, Shetland

Close Encounters of the Puffin Kind

20 May 2019

Citroen CX along the North Coast 500

Along the North Coast 500 (Part Two)

9 May 2019

Kinsale, ireland, McKinlay Kidd

The Charming Streets of Kinsale

27 February 2019

Portsoy Harbour

Rediscovering My Roots in Aberdeenshire

15 January 2019

Betws-y-Coed

North Wales – Travelling Through Space and Time?

14 January 2019

A Slice of Paradise in Shetland

23 November 2018

Scotland's Western Highlands

A Journey along Scotland’s North Coast

7 November 2018

Some of Portmeirion's quirky decor

Smile. You’re at Portmeirion.

27 September 2018

Some curious badgers in the Cairngorms National Park

Wild Encounters in the Cairngorms National Park

7 September 2018

An English pub nestled deep in the Cotswolds

The Cotswolds – Quintessentially English

30 August 2018

Isle of Skye

Falling in Love with the Isle of Skye

6 July 2018

House for an Art Lover

Discovering Mackintosh: An Exploration of Glasgow

25 June 2018

Heather McKinlay & Robert Kidd

15 Years of McKinlay Kidd: Anniversary Interview

22 June 2018

A Wild Day in the West of Scotland

16 June 2018

London Cityscape by the Thames

London: The City of Dreams

25 May 2018

The Isle of Gigha: Perfect Antidote to City Life

18 May 2018

VB-Sally Lunn's

Bath’s Brilliant Buns

24 January 2018

Mallaig port

Road tripping on the west coast of Scotland

12 January 2018

The Magical Islands of Mull & Iona

21 December 2017

St. Ninian's Isle, Shetland

Shetland: Full of Surprises

28 November 2017

Along the North Coast 500 (Part 1)

2 November 2017

Scotland’s Hidden Gem: Caithness

25 August 2017

In the Footsteps of Giants

3 July 2017

In Search of Rural Solitude

18 May 2017

Across Ireland to the Edge of Europe: Tom’s Car-free Irish break

9 March 2017

On The Road in an Aston Martin

15 February 2017

Mull: an island of memories

15 December 2016

South by Southwest: Hamish’s home from home

3 November 2016

Exploring ancient civilisations in Orkney

26 August 2016

On a nostalgia trip to the west of Ireland

11 August 2016

Been there, done that, where to get the T-shirt?

29 June 2016

Dingle, Co Kerry – A music-lovers’ treat

22 June 2016

Nearby discoveries

2 June 2016

Hamish uncovers some home truths in York

25 May 2016

Harris and Lewis – from south to north

17 May 2016

Walking in the steps of greatness

15 April 2016

A lengthy journey

1 April 2016

northumberland-anna

Exploring Northumberland – hills and castles!

1 April 2016

Going back to my roots

19 September 2015

Lewis and Harris Food Trail

27 August 2015

Two Red Men

15 August 2015

Seeing Shetland Differently

5 June 2015

Amber Alert

27 May 2015

Ireland’s truly Ancient East

25 April 2015

The start of Summer?

2 April 2015

Argyll – a hidden gem?

20 March 2015

From the air – Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way

20 March 2015

Porridge etc.

5 March 2015