Meet Your Scotland Tour Guides, James & Lesley
Come as a guest, leave as a friend.
We’re James and Lesley Kennedy, the husband-and-wife team behind Tour Guide Scotland, a family-run private tour company we founded in 2017. As your Scotland tour guides, we personally lead every tour ourselves, from private day tours and shore excursions to multi-day adventures across the Highlands and islands, all departing from Glasgow and Edinburgh.
We don’t do coach tours, crowds or rushed timetables. Every tour is private, just for your group of up to 8 guests, and planned around you. We’ve welcomed visitors from all over the world, and many of them have become friends. That’s why our motto has always been: come as a guest, leave as a friend.
Meet the Team
James: Scottish Whisky Ambassador & Tour Guide
James has spent his whole life in travel and hospitality. He started out as a holiday rep in Turkey before becoming entertainment manager at a large resort hotel in Gran Canaria, where he learned that the best holidays are built around people, not timetables.
Today, James specialises in multi-day tours of Scotland, from the Isle of Skye and Orkney to the whisky regions of Islay and Speyside. As a qualified Scottish Whisky Ambassador, he leads all our whisky tours, bringing every distillery to life with history, stories and plenty of drams. He’s also a professional magician and a published author of children’s books, including Baxter the Highland Unicorn, so don’t be surprised if a little magic, or a visit from Baxter himself, finds its way into your tour.
Lesley: Former Police Officer, Historian & Tour Guide
Lesley is a born-and-bred Scot who spent 17 years as a police officer before turning her lifelong passion for Scotland into a career. She has completed VisitScotland’s SCOTS Agent programme and specialises in our private day tours and shore excursions, from Stirling Castle and the Trossachs to St Andrews, Outlander locations and the Isle of May.
Lesley loves the lesser-known stories of Scottish history, the ones you won’t find on the information boards, and she’s a keen landscape and wildlife photographer. Her favourite place in Scotland is the Isle of May, where she never tires of watching the puffins. Lesley is also the creator and host of Everything Scotland, a podcast, blog and travel guide celebrating Scottish history, culture, travel, food, music and folklore.
Why Travel with Tour Guide Scotland?
When you book with us, you’re not handed over to a driver you’ve never met. You travel with James or Lesley, in our own comfortable Ford Tourneo Custom Titanium vehicles, with a route planned entirely around your interests. Whether it’s castles, whisky, wildlife, family history or Outlander, we’ll share the Scotland we love, at a pace that suits you.
What Our South Queensferry Guests Say
From arriving beneath the Forth Bridges to a private day taking in Edinburgh, St Andrews or Outlander's Scotland, here's what guests have said about their time ashore with Lesley and James.
“One of the most memorable days of our entire trip”
“Our group of three couples arranged a private tour with Tour Guide Scotland while our cruise ship was in Glasgow, and it turned out to be one of the most memorable days of our entire British Isles trip... She met us right at the Glasgow cruise terminal, and from that moment on, the day felt relaxed, personal, and exceptionally well planned... We returned to our ship feeling that we had experienced far more than we ever could have on a typical large-group excursion.”
“We didn’t just take a tour with a random tour guide rather made a dear friend”
“We recently took a 5 day 4 night bespoke tour with James (Tour Guide Scotland). James was amazing, he was always prompt in his communication via email and was willing to spend time planning with us over zoom to make sure our trip to Scotland was perfect... We appreciate his deep knowledge of the region and willingness to customize the trip on the fly when we had extra time on the road. He quickly realized my fascination with medieval castles and bridges and would find fun surprises for us each day... We left our trip feeling that we didn’t just take a tour with a random tour guide rather made a dear friend.”
“It was like spending time with a friend”
We had 1 day in Scotland during a cruise and are so glad we booked with TGS. From the beginning, Lesley was responsive and friendly. She tailored the day for our needs and we saw Inveraray Castle, stunning scenery including Rest & Be Thankful, Luss, and enjoyed a delicious lunch at a historic inn. It was like spending time with a friend. Thanks so much again for sharing your beautiful country, knowledge, and stories with us! It’s a day we won’t forget."
Frequently Asked Questions
Who will be my tour guide?
Every tour is personally guided by James or Lesley Kennedy, the owners of Tour Guide Scotland. Lesley usually leads our day tours and shore excursions, and James leads our multi-day and whisky tours.
Are your tours private?
Yes. Every tour is private, just for your group of up to 8 guests, with no coaches or strangers. We plan each tour around your interests and pace.
Where do your tours depart from?
Our tours depart from Glasgow and Edinburgh, with pick-up from your hotel, Airbnb or cruise port. Multi-day tours can start anywhere in Scotland.
H2: Ready to Explore Scotland with Us?
Whether you’d like a day among castles and Highland cows, a shore excursion from your cruise ship or a week of whisky and islands, we’d love to show you our Scotland. Tell us your dates and what you’d like to see, and we’ll take care of the rest.
