Ken Keith

Ken and Graham were so knowledgeable on the geology, history and geography of Assynt as well as fun people!
The walks were well graded for the abilities of the group and no one was left behind or made to rush.

Ken was extremely knowledgeable, courteous, great company and an excellent guide. His driving was impeccable too. It felt as if he went the extra mile and it was clear how much he loved his job which added to our wonderful experience.

Lawrence was great too and an added bonus! Again courteous, great company and knowledgeable.

Ken and Lawrence were simply brilliant

Both guides were excellent, with local knowledge, poetry and thoughtfulness. Nothing was too much trouble, and due (I assume) to covid felt very spoilt with 2 guides and vehicles between 6. More guidance on what to tip guides would be useful. We tiped as a group which proved problematic.

Felt very spoilt with 2 guides between six of us. Gold star service, nothing too much trouble and so knowledgeable. Nothing was too much trouble. Great senses of humour too.

Really first class. Pitched just right, authoritative, empathetic, friendly, approachable. knowledgeable and passionate.

Ken was a real professional; well organised, approachable and knowledgeable, you had total confidence with him on the mountains. He was great company and used his extensive experience to challenge us and also ensure we were always safe. He took us to some wonderful restaurants in out of the way places as well as more locally in Ulapool. We feel in love with the area, despite being originally from the Welsh mountains and the Lake District! Ken helped us connect with the vastness and beauty that is Scotland.

The bar was set high with Ken Keith. An excellent guide with great local knowledge. He was always on the case making sure everything went smoothly. An all round top guy.

ken you did great ,and it was nice to see you again

Our guide Ken, willingly shared his knowledge of the area and being local, was able to adapt walks easily according to the weather and our interests. He is approachable, with a great sense of humour and love for the great outdoors.

I would recommend having Ken as a guide to anyone. He knew the areas and the history, and he made us feel welcome throughout the trip.

Ken is, as always, endlessly patient, wonderfully supportive and so knowledgeable-learn something every year. His passion for his homeland makes him the very best of ambassadors for WS and the land.

If you're lucky enough to be on a trip with Ken, you are in great hands. He'll quickly know his clients' needs and wishes and work (seemingly) effortlessly to deliver a fabulous experience. He is highly skilled, well organized, an absolute gentleman and tons of fun to be with. He knows the hills and coastlines of Scotland so well, he can modify itineraries as need be. His sole goal is to ensure his clients are happy.

Ken Keith was an excellent guide. His knowledge and experiences of walking/climbing through Scotland was invaluable when it came to adjusting the walks based on the dynamics of the weather conditions. He engaged all members of the group and understood what limitations each of us may have in an effort to adjust the pace and make recommendations.

Ken was thoughtful and fun. As a bonus, Mel was on our trip. She was more fun than a barrel of monkeys! It does seem that having a couple of guides per trip would make it better. I would also prefer that the guide stay at the same place that the clients stay. Bringing able to relax/have a drink with the guides is a big part of the trip. They are our connection to Scotland. When they cannot recreate with us, it doesn't feel good.

Ken and Mel are caring, knowledgeable and enthusiastic and went above and beyond to ensure everything was terrific !! Such an Amazing tour with super amazing people.

Ken was great☺

Ken was a great guide - pretty relaxed and not one of those in your face type of guides. Pretty knowledgeable too.

Ken was brilliant in every way

See previous

Our sincere thanks to Ken, he was efficient with time, attentive to each member of our group and picked up a slight Aussie accent along the way.

Ken was above and beyond. Apart from being a lovely person, he was so accommodating to our specific needs. Be it a longer walking day, food allergies or finding a puffin colony

Ken was a very knowledgeable, unassuming, patient guide who was professional and helpful throughout the trip. When we requested changes to the itinerary he quickly adjusted plans, or when the weather threatened he swapped around our walks and visits. His flexibility was outstanding.

Ken was excellent guide, knowledgeable and able to adjust our schedule seamlessly due to some unexpected weather. He also has s great sense of humor! Personally appreciate his assistance to the slower member of our group.

Guide very well organised and paced our trip very well. Friendly and good company.

Our fantastic leader Ken, made the trip so special and ensured that everyone’s needs and wishes were catered for. Looked after us ‘slower’ ones on the walks, and always listened to any of the group’s requests. Great knowledge of the areas and of the wildlife. Able to be calmly flexible when things didn’t go as planned ie boat trip cancelled due to weather. A truly lovely chap!!

Ken, our guide, was great and adapted our days to the suit the group and to unexpected circumstances.

Ken Keith is a LEGEND! I cannot speak highly enough of him, and his expertise good humor, and attention to detail. Really superb!

Ken was terrific - knowledgeable about nearly everything we asked him, personable, great sense of humor. And he even invited us to his home on the last day.

Ken was exceptional!!!

Best guide I’ve had ever.

Honestly the best guide we have ever had, anywhere. Ken was so professional and did an amazing job to tailor the trip to our needs. He was simply fantastic!

Kenny was a brilliant guide on the trip - couldn't have had anyone better.

Dealt with adversities caused by the weather in a professional manner.

Led the hikes at a pace that suited all and was always informative throughout.

Loved his wit and poems!!

Kept us well informed of plans, and involved us in making or changing plans. Ken took the time to ensure that everyone in the group was having the experience that was right for them. He was very knowledgeable re history and all things Scottish!

This was my second trip with WS and Ken. Ken always goes the extra mile to ensure that the whole group gets the maximum from each trip. After the first day he seems to know, intuitively, what each person is physically capable of achieving with enjoyment and makes sure everybody is happy with the walks planned. His knowledge of flora, fauna and Scottish history is wide and he even entertained us with short poetry readings whilst out on the hill! That was certainly an added bonus!

Our guide Ken was very responsive to the members of the group, giving us choices what to do and where to go. He was friendly and considerate of someone like me who sometimes lagged behind. It was great to walk with someone who knows the area intimately. He seemed to know everything, plants, trees, birds, geology, history, mountains and their names. I think he did very well.

Ken Keith was fantastic. He was quite attuned to the varying needs of the group and particularly kind and considerate to the one somewhat older member of the group. He was also extremely knowledgeable and chose excellent walks.

Keith was knowledgeable, friendly, and sensitive to the group's abilities and interests. It was clear he enjoys his job and enjoys sharing the food, drink, and lovely environment with visitors. Went above and beyond to make sure we were enjoyed the trip to the best of his ability - he remembered my birthday!

Our guide was fantastic

Nice personality.

See earlier comments- Ken- you are wonderful!

Trip #3 with one of WS’s best, and another on the books...says it all.

Ken Keith is a great guide with lots of experience. He very quickly has a good understanding of the individual abilities and interests within the group and is very good at matching that with walking route options and other things to do and see on the day. He is very approachable and always has an interesting story to tell.

Ken was awesome! Knew Shetland like the back of his hand and his love of the place was contagious. Great sense of humor and all-around lovely guy.

Ken is such a people person he quickly relates to their skill level and needs is funny and informative

Ken cared about our wellbeing very much, adapted if needed the days program to our abilities, and made sure everybody was happy at the end of day. On the first day he asked us about our expectations, a he's met them all! Never seemed tired to answer our questions. Having his roots in Shetland, he shared his affection to this island with us, and knew the places well. As we were a small group it almost felt like a private tour, which was nice :) . We've got plenty of time to talk and get to know each other.

Ken was a great guide, knowledgeable about the area and the wildlife, looked after us all, may have adapted the itinerary to suit us all without us knowing, and set the scene for a lovely friendly group experience.

Ken Keith was exceedingly helpful , thoughtful & caring! I had an asthma attack about 5 weeks before the trip. It impacted my ability to hike hills in the Shetlands. Luckily we were a small group of three so Ken was able to provide me with options & still made me feel included! Can’t say enough great things about him!!!!

Ken is the best. He restored my faith on hiking tours again

Both our guides were extremely comptetent, fun, engaging and knowledgeable. They had to be extremely flexible as the weather didn't allow us to stick to any firm plans. We still had a great time with lovely walks.

Felt very safe in their hands. Brilliant knowledge of the area and we had a good walk everyday despite the weather.

As you obviously know, we had a change of guide on the Tuesday which went very smoothly. They were both considerate and kind and friendly and helpful and I had no need to feel worried as I felt a bit unsure of some of the terrain, but a helping hand was always nearby. With the rather dreadful weather a lot of the time, our guide found suitable and good walks that were safe. I enjoyed Ken's poem readings!!

Ken is knowledgeable and organized. He adjusted hikes to weather conditions when necessary. I am not a strong hiker and Ken was encouraging and reassuring so i was able to maximize my experience.

Ken had to adapt plans, but I never felt we missed anything as a result

Ken is an excellent guide. Knowledgeable, caring and flexible. Also a very safe driver.

I thought our guide, Ken, was quite attentive to the needs and desires of our small group.

As mentioned, Ken was a great guide and clearly a very experienced and capable hiker, knowledgeable of our surroundings.

Thank you, Ken Keith for a wonderful experience. I felt completely relaxed with you in charge of our group experience. Your expertise in the outdoors, your knowledge of the area and ability to be flexible with regard to the weather and adapting our activities when needed, and your skill in leadership skills were consistently phenomenal. You thought of everything, and I felt very well taken care of throughout the entire trip. Thank you for great hikes and outdoor experiences, wonderful food, and enjoyable companionship and group cohesion. I can't wait to do it all over again!

We lucked out. I'm sure the other guides are spectacular, but come on, they can't be as awesome as Ken, can they??

Ken was excellent+ I had a fantastic time along with the others on the trip including my wife Mary

Ken was sooo lovely calm caring and the group gelled striaght away because of his people skills

Ken did a great job in ensuring that everyone in the group was happy and enjoyed the trip. He was very knowledgeable about the location, its history and its natural history.

Ken is a fabulous guide who clearly loves Orkney. His enthusiasm for everything Orkney (walks, history, wildlife, food) set a great tone for the holiday. He engaged with everyone in the group and was happy to share his extensive knowledge. Where feasible he adjusted the itinerary to suit people's particular interests.

Ken was a great guide and made the trip excellent

Ken was extraordinary.

As well as being good company, our guide was knowledgeable and always ready to adapt the itinerary if there was something we particularly wanted to see. Very good at dodging coach parties.

Ken Keith was an awesome guide. Really fun hikes and a great mix of history and nature. He worked really hard to make many different personalities happy, which was very impressive. Thanks, Ken!

Ken was AMAZING. So knowledgeable, so friendly, and so intent on making sure that everything was perfect for everyone in the group (despite our disparate interests, ages, and abilities). This was quite honestly the best tour I've ever taken, and most of that was because of our guide.

Ken was the best. Knowledgeable, friendly, accommodating, and considerate of everyone's comfort needs. Ken made the trip memorable and special.

Is there a category better than excellent? Because Ken would certainly fall into that category if their work. He did a terrific job of adjusting our hikes and other activities to meet our group's very disparate interests. Knowledgeable, cheerful, friendly- the embodiment of Scottish hospitality.

Ken was the perfect guide, thoughtful and efficient, adjusting the trip when weather or our group speed were against us.I enjoyed his daily briefings and the quick reminders he gave us before we tumbled out the mini bus at each location, which enhanced enjoyment and understanding. I liked the way he always showed us where we were on the map. He quickly pinpointed what would please each one of us and wove some magic moments into the itinerary. So as well as all the programmed delights I saw the Oyster Plant and Scottish Primrose and my husband Mike got his daily newspaper! I loved the way he got us to the archeology sites early before the cruise ship passengers arrived. He clearly loves Orkney , and his enthusiasm for the places we visited was infectious. He took interest in each one of us and helped us bond into a very happy group. He was great company all week. Thanks again Ken, I feel very envious of the rest of the groups you will lead!

Went out of his way to make sure each individual was happy. Great knowledge of sea birds. Very good social skills. Checked times to make sure we did not coincide with cruise ship tourists when visiting Neolithic sites. Did his best to locate a puffin for us. Adapted walks to weather and ability of group. Better than excellent!

Already mentioned that Ken's approach and attention to participants was outstanding. We had one participant that was not comfortable with some of the physical challenges, yet Ken was able to keep everyone satisfied.

The guide really took the effort to know us all and adjusted to what we and the group desired. We could not of had a better guide.

Thanks to Ken Shetland met and went beyond our expectations his efforts were greatly appreciated by all the group a lovely guy.

Excellent in every respect

We couldn't have asked for a better guide than Ken!

Only evidence to proffer is that I'm on my 6th booking with you- and also booking a privately guided trip with Ken!

Our guide was a true professional. Ken was fun to be with and well organized. The trip ran like clockwork -a true acknowledgement of his attention to detail- all done with a smile on his face. His efforts created very contented clients. Ken has a broad knowledge of flora, fauna, culture and history of Scotland. He willingly answered our endless questions! He truly cares that his guests thoroughly enjoy their holiday.

Ken was good company and managed the Group and all our walks, museum visits and dinner arrangements with great care.

Excellent leader who was fun, skilled, knowledgeable and managed the group allowing everyone to enjoy themselves. Constantly aware of members of the group, checking to see if people were ok. He was also flexible listening to what we wanted from the holiday and he did his best to deliver, we even saw otters!

Ken was excellent! Very knowledgable and took great care of the group. Always ready to listen and very accommodating. Also willing to share his personal experiences and love for Shetland.

Ken Keith was superb at accommodating individual requests. He also modelled a kind of good fellowship which impacted upon the group as a whole. He consulted with us over everything we did and made adjustments to arrangements when necessary. But number one for me was that he added another unexpected dimension to what were terrific walks with the occasional reading of an appropriate poem.

Ken is knowledgeable, kind and attentive to every one in the group-faultless organisation, great team management and we all had such a laugh! Ken is fantastic- please clone him!

Keith was a brilliant guide. He had a good ear to pick up on and nurture interests and had a wide range of knowledge, experience and enthuisiasms to share with the group. He could bring out the best in people.

Please see previous comments as I have already stated in detail how absolutely fantastic Ken was & how he made this trip into something special for the eight of us.

Ken is a professional and a gentleman. He looked after the needs of our group thoroughly and added thoughtful touches that had big impact. He's organized and efficient. He's fun to be with and he's got a great sense of humour! It's very clear that he really enjoys sharing his love of walking and of Scotland with others.

Ken is clearly a very experienced guide and gave us great confidence in both his competence and judgement. Together with these professional attributes he was also a delightful fellow traveller and thoughtful companion. We would certainly be happy to choose him again.

Informative, informal, organised, hiking at a good speed, taking care of everything, did a great job!!

We were lucky enough to have fantastic weather on our Outer Hebrides trip. Whilst this was obviously a contributing factor, the overwhelming success was primarily achieved by the first class guiding service from Ken together with an excellent itinerary, hotel and transport facilities.

ken is a total professional. He could not have been more attentive. He gaged the capabilities of the group well.

Ken was great , very good balance between getting on with it and listening to everybody

Ken was friendly and very professional. He kept a pace that everyone could enjoy, and also took into account everyone's personal interests - art, local craft, sport - when planning out our days.

Ken was not only a great guide, but the perfect ambassador of the Highlands. I come back with new found knowledge about pits and whisky too

Ken continued the tradition of fantastic guides. Attentive, helpful and a really nice man.

Ken was very professional. Took note of everyone's interests. Well informed on the history of the islands, the sea birds and wild life. Worked hard to make the holiday an unforgettable experience and was really good company too.

Ken did a great job. His knowledge of the history, prehistory and natural history of the area, together with his humor, patience and management skills made him a great guide. Add to that, he accommodated the varying interests and temperaments of our group in a way that made the trip more interesting and enjoyable at least for me and probably for us all.

Ken Keith was great. He was attentive to everyone and made everyone feel like the trip was their trip as opposed to being slave to group itinerary. Rather than being slave to schedule (other than obvious need to meet Ferry schedules ) Ken was flexible and allowed the group to room to find its collective pace. The trip is accurately graded as an "easy" walk but even at that level some of the group were in better shape than others and somehow Ken kept the pace at a level where the stronger walkers were not held back and the weaker walkers were not overmatched and I don't think anyone ever felt they were being held back or made to feel they were holding up the group

Couldn't ask for more. Ken was everything a first rate guide should be.

Ken,lke Kirsty on the previous holiday,was an excellent guide and a leader we trusted and liked giving his time to everyone

Professional but friendly with it.

Ken is fantastic, absolutely fantastic! He was friendly, knowledgeable, and concerned about making sure we had the best experience we possibly could. He took us on a great hike in Assynt that we never would have found on our own which was breathtakingly beautiful. He also told us we should feel welcome to call him for tips and advice at any point during our entire trip, which I thought was a really, really nice gesture.

Ken knows we love him!!! We only wish we had had more days planned with him! Hiking with him in Assynt was undoubtedly the highlight of the trip. We can't wait to come back for more!

1. Philip Price - excellent - keen and passionate about wildlife and the environment. We enjoyed our day with him. Excellent lunch included in the day. We would use him again if we return to the area.
2. Stuart Wiseman - nice guy, treated us well, tried hard to find us fish when there were none!
3. Ken Keith - excellent - very good time, brought us on a great hike despite the weather. Gave us great suggestions for the next day. We would use him again if we return to the area.

Ken and Mike were outstanding. They were sensitive to our needs, and their detailed knowledge of fauna, flora and geology was excellent.