Private Scotland Tours from Glasgow & Edinburgh
Your own tour guide, your own pace, and Scotland the way you want to see it.
A private tour with your own Scottish tour guide is one of the best ways to experience the country’s history, culture and natural beauty: without rushing, without crowds and without a one-size-fits-all itinerary. You travel at a comfortable pace, spend longer where you’re genuinely interested, and skip the stops that don’t excite you. It’s Scotland done properly: personal, flexible and thoughtfully planned from start to finish.
We’re Lesley and James Kennedy, a husband-and-wife team of private tour guides, and we’ve been showing guests around Scotland since 2017. Whether you’re travelling for a day, a week or arriving by cruise ship, we’ll plan a private tour around you, departing from Glasgow and Edinburgh, for up to 8 guests.
Meet Your Scotland Tour Guides
When you book with Tour Guide Scotland, you’re guided by one of us personally, never passed to a rotating roster of drivers.
Lesley spent 17 years as a police officer before becoming a tour guide, and brings a passion for Scottish history and wildlife to every tour. She specialises in day tours and shore excursions, and guests often say a day with Lesley feels like spending time with a friend who knows every story behind every castle.
James is a Scottish Whisky Ambassador with a background in hospitality. He specialises in multi-day tours and whisky itineraries, and his storytelling, humour and knowledge of Scotland’s distilleries make him a favourite with guests travelling further afield.
Between us, we know the roads less travelled, the best photo stops and the history and legends that bring each place to life. Our ethos is simple: come as a guest, leave as a friend.
Choose Your Private Scotland Tour
Day Tours
A full day exploring Scotland with your own guide, from Glencoe and Loch Lomond to St Andrews and Outlander country. Pick-up from Glasgow or Edinburgh, fixed £695 for up to 8 guests.
Shore Excursions
Private tours timed to your ship’s schedule, from Greenock and all four Edinburgh cruise ports. Fixed £695 for up to 8 guests.
Multi-Day Tours
Travel further with the same guide throughout, to the Isle of Skye, Islay, Speyside, Orkney, Mull and Iona. From £895 per day.
Special Interest Tours
Beyond our sightseeing routes, we also offer tours built around a particular passion. Our genealogy and ancestry tours help you trace your roots and visit the places connected to your family history, often taking in ancestral villages, kirkyards and castles along the way. Our Outlander tours are tailored to your level of enthusiasm, from a single day visiting filming locations such as Midhope Castle, known to fans as Lallybroch, to a fully immersive multi-day trip. And our whisky tours, led by James, range from a day among Glasgow’s distilleries to multi-day journeys through Speyside and Islay.
Private Pick-Up, Wherever You Are
Whether you’re arriving by cruise ship, train or plane, or simply travelling from your hotel, we’ll arrange a private pick-up from a location that suits you. We regularly collect guests from hotels and Airbnbs in Glasgow and Edinburgh, from the cruise ports at Greenock, Newhaven, South Queensferry, Rosyth and Leith, and from train stations and airports across the central belt. You’ll travel in comfort with only your own group, up to 8 guests, with no strangers and no group schedules. You’ll travel in a spacious, high-specification Ford Tourneo Custom Titanium, with comfortable seating for up to 8 guests and plenty of room for luggage.
How Much Does a Private Tour Guide Cost?
Our prices are simple and fixed, for your whole group rather than per person:
- Private day tours: £695 for up to 8 guests
- Private shore excursions: £695 for up to 8 guests
- Private multi-day tours: From £895 per day
For a family or group of friends, a private tour with your own guide often costs less per person than you might expect. See our price guide for full details of what’s included.
Why Choose a Private Tour Guide?
Group coach tours follow a fixed script, a fixed route and a fixed pace. With a private tour guide, the day is shaped around you. If a castle captures your imagination, you stay longer. If you spot a Highland cow from the window, we stop. If the weather turns, we change the plan. And because it’s just your group, you can ask as many questions as you like, about history, whisky, wildlife or where to find the best fish and chips.
What Our Guests Say
From puffins on the Isle of May to multi-day adventures, here’s what guests have said about exploring Scotland with their private tour guides, Lesley and James.
“[Lesley] handled everything”
“Great service. Excellent attitude. Covered an extended day with no problem... We came from Florida to see Puffins on the Isle of May - [Lesley] handled everything: reservations and tickets, pickup in Edinburgh, wonderful safe and comfortable transport, backed by an obvious love of country and all its magnificent offerings.”
Bill, Google review
“He’s not just a tour guide, he’s your own personal concierge”
“James is INCREDIBLE! He goes above and beyond for you. He’s not just a tour guide he’s your own personal concierge, he makes the trip so much fun and personable... He knows everyone, everywhere we went he was talking to the vendors... His car was big enough for us all 6 and all of our luggage. Him and his wife Lesley are the best! Our new found friend!”
“PERFECT day!”
“Lesley took us to the Kelpies, Falkirk Wheel, the Wallace Monument, and Stirling Castle. She planned the whole day, purchased our tickets in advance, picked us up and dropped us off at our hotel, walked us to the front of the line at every place we went, gave us helpful information, and let us explore on our own... PERFECT day!”
Private Scotland Tour FAQs
Who will be our tour guide?
Your tour will be guided personally by Lesley or James Kennedy, the husband-and-wife team behind Tour Guide Scotland. Lesley specialises in day tours and shore excursions, while James specialises in multi-day and whisky tours.
How much does a private tour guide in Scotland cost?
Our private day tours and shore excursions are a fixed £695 for up to 8 guests, and our multi-day tours are from £895 per day.
Where do your tours depart from?
Our tours depart from Glasgow and Edinburgh, with pick-up from your hotel, Airbnb, airport, train station or cruise port.
How many guests can join a private tour?
Up to 8 guests. Every tour is private to your own group.
Do you offer multi-day tours of Scotland?
Yes. Our private multi-day tours visit the Isle of Skye, Islay, Speyside, Orkney, Mull and Iona and more, with the same guide throughout.
Do you offer shore excursions?
Yes. We offer private shore excursions from Greenock and all four Edinburgh cruise ports: Newhaven, South Queensferry, Rosyth and Leith.
Do you offer genealogy tours?
Yes. We can plan a private tour around your family history, visiting the places connected to your Scottish ancestors.
Do you offer Edinburgh city tours?
Our tours head out of the cities to explore the wider country, to places such as Stirling, St Andrews, Glencoe, Loch Lomond and Outlander filming locations.
How do we book?
Get in touch with your preferred dates, number of guests and the kind of tour you’re interested in, and we’ll help you plan. Our terms and conditions and cancellation policy explain the rest.
Book Your Private Scotland Tour Guide
Whether it’s a single day out from Glasgow or Edinburgh, a multi-day journey through the Highlands and islands, or a shore excursion timed to your ship, a private tour with your own Scottish tour guide shows you the country in a way that feels relaxed, personal and genuinely memorable. Get in touch and we’ll start planning your tour. You can also read more about Lesley and James.
