At Indagare, we believe that each trip should be unforgettable and every single vacation is designed specifically for each member. Pairing our in-depth destination expertise with knowledge of our members’ needs, we match them with the best and most appropriate itinerary, hotels, guides and restaurants. Here, we dive into a behind-the-scenes look at the planning process for the Saint-Amand family’s incredible trip to Scotland. We talk to Travel Specialist, Ried Stelly, who orchestrated the memorable journey, as well as Indagare member Sarah Saint-Amand, who reflects on her favorite Indagare-planned experiences.
Contact Indagare for assistance planning a trip to Scotland. Our specialists can book you at the hotels that are right for you, plan great meals and activities, arrange behind-the-scenes access and introduce you to our favorite guides.
The Request
Travel Specialist Ried Stelly tells us about the Saint-Amand family’s travel request and explains the planning process below:
“The Saint-Amand family came to me with a trip to Scotland in mind. They are very independent travelers and wanted to visit the Scottish Highlands for fishing and hiking with their three young children. They had already planned to stay with friends on the Outer Hebrides for three days, but needed help planning an itinerary for before and after their visit on the island.”
The Solution
“Last spring, I visited Killiehuntly, a very special lodge in the Scottish Highlands, and its smaller sister property on the northern coast, Kinloch Lodge (kinloch.scot). With only four rooms, the lodge requires a total buyout, which was the perfect option for the Saint-Amands. For the end of their trip, I suggested spending two nights at Gleneagles. The sprawling, family-friendly resort has many activity options and is located just 55 minutes from Glasgow airport.”
The Indagare Advantage
“Since the Saint-Amands were interested in self-driving, and specifically asked for a Land Rover, I reached out to a partner who specializes in Land Rover rentals and was able to get the Defender they wanted. It was delivered to them at the airport personally by a representative of the company. I was able to arrange car seats in the right sizes for the family’s three children as well. When it was time to drop off the car at the airport, a representative was right there waiting for them, making the entire trip as seamless as possible.”
Member Testimonial
“We had such a wonderful trip to Scotland! We were planning to visit friends on the Isle of Lewis, in the Hebrides, but wanted to go somewhere cool and off-the-beaten path with our kids beforehand. Ried was amazing in helping us pick accommodations and crafted the itinerary to maximize our vacation time. We started the trip by flying into Inverness, Scotland, and renting a Land Rover Defender. Ried was so helpful in organizing the car and having baby seats set up for our three young children.
“From there, we drove up to Kinloch Lodge, an incredibly special fishing lodge on the northern coast of Scotland. It was truly magical, and we would never have found Kinloch without Indagare! Every day we would take our Defender and drive to the beautiful lochs dotting the 155,000 acres of property and go fly-fishing. The chef would prepare a picnic basket for us brimming with goodies, and we would stop at lovely stone houses to eat lunch. One day, we headed into a neighboring town and visited a beautiful mile-long sand beach. These mini-excursions were huge adventures for our kids and so much fun.
“Kinloch Lodge was a total buyout, so we had the property all to ourselves, which was really nice with our young children. At night, after we put our kids to bed, my husband and I would enjoy the delicious dinners together that the chef prepared. The food was fantastic—up to the level of restaurants in New York or London—and the staff was so warm and welcoming.
“From Kinloch we drove to take the ferry to the Isle of Lewis to meet our friends at their home in the Hebrides. In the Hebrides, we went deer stalking and deep-sea fishing, spotting dolphins and seals along the way. Afterwards, we flew to Glasgow from Stornoway airport on the Hebrides, where Ried had arranged the car partners to pick up our Defender.
“We spent the last two nights of our trip at the Gleneagles resort, an hour from Glasgow. It was really family-friendly, and the kids enjoyed their golf lessons there. My husband and I got a babysitter one day and went on a beautiful hike that the resort recommended to us. Overall, we had such a special time on this trip, and it was so nice as a mom to have everything so seamlessly planned out!” ~ Sarah Saint-Amand, Indagare member since 2010
