This was one of, if not the best, trips we have ever been on. The staff, everything we saw, our guides, the music, the food (and beer!), and the accommodations were great. What a wonderful country, rich in history and music. We loved The Borders region, beautiful landscapes, people, architecture, and unspoiled nature.

The highlights of the tour was any time we were able to get out into nature and experience history and wild beauty. This includes Glencoe, the Butt of Lewis, Callenish Standing Stones, Loch Ness, rugged coastal cliffs and everything in the Orkney Isles along with all the ferrys that got us across the waters. I was blown away by how deep the history and culture is there and felt spiritually uplifted many times. I am also grateful for the talented line up of local musicians who shared so much of their individual spirit in the way they played and provided context for the songs they performed. Hard to choose, but I think my favorite concert was the one at the Arctic Whaler in Stromness, because of it's unique location, the gracious host and the wide range of music generes that the performers had command over. Next I want to make sure I mention that I thoroughly enjoyed meeting all the other travelers on the tour. Each was a delight and had much to offer in what they shared. I want to thank Murry for his knowledge of Scottish history and culture and his sense of humor with his musical play lists on the coach. My disappointment was I thought there would be much more participation on the part of Tim and more depth of understanding of Scottish/Celtic music history in relation to the places we were visiting. Also it would have been helpful to have more back up plans for the days that were really pouring rain, i.e. Skye, which is one of the reasons I signed up for the trip in the first place. Also I would have preferred to have a lot fewer stops for cake, coffee and shopping at little bakeries which I am not interested in and would have gladly traded that time for more of the scenery, nature, history and castles that I really would have preferred to prioritize. Overall, a great tour with a few bugs and rough spots to work on . Thanks to all for all the effort you put in. Forgot to send extra thanks to Alexa for scrambling to find me last minute accommodations in Sterling when I did not plan properly for the last day of the tour and getting back home. And thanks to Fiona for a fabulous introduction to Glasgow. Blessings to all. Sharon Fisher

Beyond the Standing Stones was a vacation that I will remember for the rest of my life. The tour took us to a wide variety of places from small and large cities, to ancient. monuments, ruined castles, Norman cathedrals, a world-renowned archaeological site, and our driver's favorite sources of sweets. To me, one of the highlights of the trip was our driver, Murray. Far more than a driver, he kept up a running commentary about Scottish history and culture throughout our tour, a commentary laced with a variety of musical selections and humorous asides. A second highlight was the other tour members. All of us got along, and were willing and happy to talk. My wife and me met several couples with whom we hope to continue to be in touch. The music was also exceptional. We got to hear a variety of local musicians in private concerts, and we were also treated to two concerts by our tour host, Tim Grimm. I highly recommend this tour for people who want to see a large cross-section of Scotland accompanied by excellent music.