Hi all,
I am wondering about how difficult it would be to become a tour guide in the north highlands. I've been thinking about what I enjoy and how I could turn it into a business. I like meeting new people and love the area I live in. I know there's lots of distillery guides, but I'd want to take people to scenic views, historic areas, areas of special interest.
Does anyone have any experience of this or could point me in the right direction?

by nukefodder

16 comments

  1. I would absolutely pay a shit ton to have a talking dog as a tour guide! I think you’re on to a winner here, let us know how it goes…

  2. Depends on how much you like things like eating and living in houses.

  3. What can you teach them? Can you tell them why the landscape they are looking at is barren and near enough lifeless?

  4. If you mean guiding hill walks that usually means a mountain leader qualification.

  6. They’re not tour guides and I think it’s too late for this summer but Highland Council employs a number of access rangers over the summer, could be interesting to get you started?

  7. You could maybe start with working with one of the established tours around Scotland already to build experience. Haggis, Rabbies etc. Get experience, branch off from there

  9. Can’t tell if Goat with horns or Dog with flippy floppy earflaps

  10. I was a tour guide for a bit. Made a little over £800 per month. The work itself was great but fuck me you can’t live on that amount, even with another job

  11. There’s the Rabbies tour paradigm, or maybe since you are up a hill become a mountain leader. Get your summer ML – so you can get insurance, and then take people into the hills. It’s not an easy qualification to get, lots of time in the mountains with associated expenses and in all weathers.

  12. Scotland is pretty saturated with tour guides but it doesn’t mean you can’t be one . It’s a busy life though and if you want to make money you will be away from home a lot . Winter will be quiet so you will have to account for that . April to October will be busy

  13. The easiest, low key way to reach people and running your own busines rather than being employed is by using a platform like airbnb experiences.

    I know airbnb is frowned upon… but if it is your dream to do this, then that platform is a good way to get started. Tons of guide experiences on there, and if you offer a full package and have a decent price you’ll get customers

  14. You want to get yourself down to where the ferry’s come in and start scouting the tourists. Preferably they would book you online prior to arriving and you collect them, take them out on their tour or you collect people from the airport, perhaps Aberdeen, take them to their hotel and then the next day take them out on the tours. Provide the full service. Make sure you pop on a kilt and have all the facts and figures memorised. Do deals with local cafes for a 10% discount, the tourists will like that and you can offer it on your website/instagram page. Make sure you have a large enough car as well, water, travel sweets, blankets, chargers, etc. maybe even offer a packed picnic as an additional extra payment.

  15. Being a tour guide is a very viable career in Scotland. I do walking tours of Edinburgh so haven’t got the complete background of the sort you’re looking at but if you can drive you might be somewhat good to go. Look up Rabbie’s and Timberbush, those are probably the two largest.

    It’s incredibly fulfilling as a job. Pay can be variable but I know tons of guides who live well.

    EDIT: feel free to message me and I can help you a bit

  16. Just be aware that you need the correct training, insurance rams etc.
    As soon as you take payment your responsible for all the people that book.

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