Introduction
Scottish Tourist Guides are qualified to guide throughout the whole of Scotland, including the islands. However, some may have specialist knowledge of certain areas and be able to advise you on accommodation. There are few set tours because of the geographic complexities of Scotland and most guides will be pleased to create a tour itinerary to suit individual requirements. This can vary from a half or full day tour in a city, e.g. Edinburgh or Glasgow to an extended tour round Scotland of any length. Some guides may be prepared to combine Scotland and Ireland.

Scottish guides will quote a price for your tour at the planning stage and will be delighted to meet you at airport or station at the start of your holiday.

Scottish scenery is quite outstanding and varied and within a few miles can change from mountainous and rugged terrain to fertile farming valleys. Our culture, customs and music are quite fascinating and unique!

At the narrowest point from west to east coast i.e. Firth of Clyde to Firth of Forth, there are only 35 miles to travel. The west coast is mountainous, has a rugged coastline and hundreds of islands, the east coast is flatter and has more agriculture. Sometimes progress by road in Scotland can be slow on the smaller narrow country roads (look out for the sheep!) so we advise you not to try to cram too many areas into your itinerary, particularly if you want to visit the islands too! Take time to enjoy our wonderful fresh air, local produce, and the scenery of this last wilderness in Europe.

Areas
Our guides will be delighted to give you information on possible tours in areas with outstanding features. We have mentioned only a few of the places well worth a visit but this may give you some ideas to narrow down your choice. Good luck!

East Coast South East South West West Coast Central Scotland

West & North-West Coast Farther North-West Farther north and more remote North-East Coast

East Coast
Edinburgh (the capital), Firth of Forth, Fife & East Lothian:
The old and new Georgian towns of Edinburgh with outstanding architecture; the capital of finance, law and home of the new Scottish Parliament; Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace; museums and galleries; The Britannia; shopping; numerous taverns; Queensferry and The Forth Bridges; Hopetoun House and Linlithgow Palace.

Fife: Dunfermline, St Andrews (old university town, beautiful beaches and world famous golf courses and museum). The picturesque old fishing villages and museums of the East Neuk (east corner) of Fife.

East Lothian: Coastal resorts and golf links; North Berwick & The Bass Rock; Haddington & Lennoxlove

List of Areas

South-East
The Borders: soft rolling hills, agriculture, Sir Walter Scott's beloved River Tweed and Abbotsford House; tales of the rievers (the border bandit families); the abbeys of Melrose, Jedburgh, Dryburgh and Kelso; market and rieving towns; fine country houses, castles and gardens such as Traquair, Floors, Mellerstain, Thirlestane.

List of Areas

South-West
Dumfries & Galloway: old historic town of Dumfries; agriculture; Whithorn; Solway Firth and its extensive bird-life; Stranraer and its ferry port (ferries to Ireland); the Galloway coast.

List of Areas

West Coast
Glasgow, the Clyde & Ayrshire:
Glasgow is Scotland's largest city (international airport), with its outstanding Victorian and modern buildings and shopping; art galleries & museums (entrance free); nearby Loch Lomond (largest fresh water loch in mainland UK); New Lanark (mill museum).

The coastal towns of Greenock and Gourock with their fascinating shipbuilding history; the Clyde Coast islands of Bute (Mount Stuart House), Isle of Arran (rugged and fertile), Largs and Cumbrae.

Ayrshire: Prestwick (airport for Ryanair and other charter flights); Rabbie Burns country Burns Cottage & Museum and nearby gardens and visitor centre; Culzean Castle; golf courses of renown.

List of Areas

Central Scotland
Stirling and the Trossachs area. This area is associated with the great historical characters of Sir William Wallace, Robert the Bruce and Rob Roy. The Trossachs is reputed to be Scotland in miniature with many lovely fresh water lochs and monuments of interest.

Perthshire & Angus: Perth, (Scone Palace), Crieff (distillery), Pitlochry (Victorian town & Festival Theatre, Blair Castle, Dunkeld (Cathedral), Aberfeldy & Killin; Lochs Tay, Tummel, Rannoch, rolling fertile valleys and agriculture, mountainous glens and wonderful trees.

List of Areas

West & North-West Coast
Rugged and mountainous with fjord-like sea lochs; numerous islands; freshwater lochs and waterfalls; outstanding gardens, small isolated villages and ports; wildlife in abundance; island castles; hill forts; archaeological sites and standing stones; sheep and highland cattle; fresh fish, seafood, highland beef and venison.

North-west: Loch Lomond, Argyll area: Georgian town of Inveraray, Islands of Islay and Jura (whisky distilleries), Colonsay & Gigha, Mull of Kintyre, Victorian port of Oban, Islands of Mull and Iona.

List of Areas

Farther North-West
Fort William to Mallaig "Road to the Isles", Ross-shire, Torridon, Outer Hebridean Islands - Isles of Skye, Lewis and Harris. Outstanding mountains and glens, lochs, wild and rugged moors, geology, archaeology and beautiful coastline.

The Highlands: Inverness (capital of the highlands); Beauly, The Black Isle, the Morayshire coast (Culloden, Cawdor & Brodie Castles), Nairn & Elgin; Cairngorms region; The Grampian region (whisky distilleries, gardens & castles); Balmoral, Braemar and The River Spey.

List of Areas

Farther north and more remote lie Caithness and Sutherland (wild and rugged), Tain, Dornoch and Helmsdale, Dunrobin Castle; the ferry port of Scrabster to reach the intriguing Orkney Islands rich in Viking and neolithic sites.

List of Areas

North-East Coast The coastal route north to Aberdeen - Dundee, Montrose, Arbroath, St Cyrus, Stonehaven (Dunnottar Castle). Old fishing villages, agriculture, hill-forts, sculptured stones.