Traveler Spotlight: Carolyn & Bill’s UK Adventure
In April 2024, Carolyn and Bill landed in London to begin their journey through England and Scotland, both destinations having been on their radar for some time.
While considering who to trust with their journey, Carolyn and Bill reached out to R. Crusoe & Son after a successful 14-day tour of China a decade ago. They hit it off with their travel advisor, Rachel, and the planning was quickly underway. During their initial call, they mentioned their love of museums, nature walks, lunches at local restaurants and having the opportunity to speak with locals in informal settings — all our favorite things as well!
EVERYONE’S CUP OF TEA
Their path around Great Britain started in vibrant London, where they particularly enjoyed high tea at The Drawing Room at Brown’s Hotel before attending a performance in the West End.
Then, to the Cotswolds. While traveling, Carolyn and Bill prefer smaller, boutique hotels with character that are also walkable to shops and restaurants. The beautiful, historic Lygon Arms in Broadway ticked those boxes. The original building is centuries old, and even the “new” addition dates back 200 years. The in-house restaurant was also top-notch.
THE PERFECT DRIVE
Next, they boarded a northbound train, which deposited them in the heart of atmospheric Edinburgh. There, they experienced the magic of dining by candlelight at The Witchery’s Secret Garden dining room.
A private driver-guide escorted them from there through Perthshire, Cairngorms National Park and Inverness before two nights on the Isle of Skye, ending on the shores of Loch Lomond. They became quite connected with their excellent driver, Craig, who went above and beyond, even providing mood-appropriate music for every beautiful landscape and quoting Scottish poetry, which proved to be especially hard to resist with his charming accent. In fact, Craig and his wife have an open invitation to visit the couple in the U.S.
A WALK IN NATURE
Other Scottish highlights? While traversing the wilds of Scotland, they stretched their legs on a custom 4-hour hike through Cairngorms National Park with a local guide, Katie, and her dog, Mac. And they found the drive through Glencoe, which has an ancient Highland landscape, absolutely breathtaking.
What trips are up next for Carolyn and Bill? They’ll be cruising through the Greek Isles soon, and next year, it’s time for them to say “olá” to Portugal!
Would you like to visit the UK?
The details of each R. Crusoe journey are unique and special — much like an architect’s renderings or a chef’s secret sauce. Have one of our real human travel planners send you your own private copy of the fully customizable itinerary via the form below, including day-by-day activities, accommodations and base pricing. Don’t hesitate to ask them your questions—they’ll also be your personal travel concierge from the moment you get in touch.
