Last year, we organised a sensational two-month tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland for our clients, Jillian and Gary King, to mark their 40th wedding anniversary. We were delighted to be asked to create another dream itinerary for them in July 2023, this time visiting Scotland and London. Once again, the Kings have written an entertaining blog about their adventures!

Covent Garden, London

Jillian and Gary booked this year’s three-week vacation with Curated Travel in California and Janet Redler Travel was delighted to be asked to make the on-the-ground arrangements. With our many years' experience organising tailor-made tour across the UK and Ireland, as well as other parts of Europe, we were well placed to create yet another memorable trip.

Highlights of this year’s tour included three days in London and a visit to Edinburgh before heading to the Highlands of Scotland, where the Kings explored beautiful Tayside, the single malt whisky trail in Speyside, the famous Isle of Skye, and Argyll and the Inner Hebrides.

In the first of our two blogs, we follow the Kings on their tour of London and Edinburgh.

London

The Kings' adventure began with a stay in their favourite city, London, visiting their daughter who lives there. Despite the weather being unseasonably cool, Jillian and Gary had a fabulous few days exploring the capital’s many parks and stylish neighbourhoods, as well as eating in top class restaurants.

Russell Square in Bloomsbury

Their first stop was tranquil Russell Square, right across the street from their London 'home away from home' the Kimpton Fitzroy Hotel, before enjoying the London pub scene, with its lively after-work vibe, each pub with its regulars spilling out onto the pavement on the summer evenings.

Jillian and Gary spent time at vibrant Covent Garden, Chinatown and the popular shopping district of Carnaby Street, where Liberty, their favourite London store, is located.

London’s Chinatown

When it came to food, the Kings’ daughter Zoe carefully curated the restaurants. The family started with a return trip to a wonderful little Italian gem, Vasco and Piero’s in Soho. Based on the owner’s Umbrian roots, each dish has just a few simple ingredients and all pasta is made on site. The next day, the Kings ate dinner in the theatre district at a fantastic Michelin-starred Sri Lankan restaurant, Paradise Soho. Jillian and Gary said: “We cannot rave about this place enough, every bite was a burst of texture and flavor.”

A feast at Paradise Soho

For many visitors these days, London means ABBA, and Jillian and her daughter are no exception! Having seen the ABBA Voyage virtual experience last time they were in town, this time they went to see Mamma Mia the stage show. Jillian said: “Seeing it performed with some pretty outstanding performers/singers was better than the movie (sorry Meryl, Pierce, Colin, Amanda etc).” 

Last stop on the Kings’ visit to London was a trip to Buckingham Palace for the obligatory photo op!

Edinburgh

Edinburgh was the Kings’ starting point for their tour of Scotland, and the beautiful Scottish capital really is a must-see destination.

Edinburgh is a foodie city with a healthy mixture of Michelin-starred restaurants, ethnic restaurants and trendy cafes, and the Kings enjoyed eating in a handful of them. Their recommendations include Lucky Yu, an Asian-inspired restaurant famous for speciality dumplings, bao buns and small plates; Henderson’s, a long-established vegetarian restaurant which has re-opened and been reimagined since the pandemic, and Broughton Bar, a Michelin-starred gastropub.

Bao bun at Lucky Yu

The King family also enjoyed some adult beverages along the way, including a true pub experience (standing room only!), a whisky tasting adventure and a visit to a gin distillery. 

Jillian and Gary’s hotel was close to The Royal Mile, the mile long stretch of road between the Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the monarch’s residence when in Edinburgh, which made it easy to navigate around the city.

The Royal Mile in the rain

In addition to just walking the city on their own, the Kings took a guided tour of Edinburgh Castle, visited the Palace of Holyroodhouse and spent a few hours one evening with a fabulous storyteller giving them a sense of the darker side of the city.

Edinburgh Castle has been home to kings and queens for centuries, and Mary Queen of Scots once resided there. It was a military garrison, as well as the place to house prisoners of war, and it continues to house the Scottish military. The castle contains the oldest Crown Jewels in Britain - luckily Jillian and Gary didn’t need to queue to get in to see them - and the iconic Stone of Destiny that sits under the coronation chair and which was sent down to London for the coronation of King Charles III. 

The Palace of Holyroodhouse

The wonderful gardens at Holyroodhouse

The fabulous storyteller, Alice, took the Kings into the dark corners of the city where they learned about body snatchers, murders, crimes and atrocities. Quite an exciting few hours!

Alice was a fabulous storyteller!

In part two of our blog, we discover how the Kings got on in the Highlands of Scotland. Read more here!

If you or your group would like to enjoy your own tailor-made tour of the Highlands of Scotland, London or Edinburgh, please do contact our friendly team today.

All photos courtesy of Jillian and Gary King.