Private Shore Excursions in Scotland

Tour Guide Scotland is a family-run business offering private, driver-guided shore excursions in Scotland, built around your ship’s schedule rather than a coach timetable. Every excursion is exclusively private, with a maximum of 8 guests, so the day moves at your pace and follows your interests rather than a fixed script.

We cover the cruise ports on both sides of the country: Greenock for Glasgow, and Newhaven, Leith, South Queensferry and Rosyth for Edinburgh. Wherever your ship docks, we’ll plan a route around castles, lochs, whisky distilleries and historic towns, with a timely return built into the day. No watching the clock, and no sprinting down the pier as the gangway is pulled up.

Choose your port of call below to see routes, timings and highlights for your day ashore.

A ship-organised excursion usually means a full coach, a fixed itinerary and a fair amount of time spent waiting for other passengers. A private shore excursion is just you and your own party, with your own driver-guide from the moment you step ashore.

That difference matters on a port day, when every hour counts. We can set off as soon as you’re through the terminal, skip the stops that don’t interest you and linger at the ones that do. If you want a second look at a castle or a little longer at a distillery, the day bends to fit.

Your guides are James and Lesley Kennedy, the husband-and-wife team behind Tour Guide Scotland. Lesley is a qualified guide and former police officer with a passion for Scottish history and wildlife. James is a Scottish Whisky Ambassador who knows the country’s distilleries and the stories behind them. Our ethos is simple: come as a guest, leave as a friend.

Greenock Ocean Terminal sits on the Firth of Clyde, less than an hour west of Glasgow. Ships berth alongside the quay, so you can walk straight off the ship and meet your guide at the terminal.

The west of Scotland is on your doorstep from here. Loch Lomond is around 45 minutes away, and Stirling, the Trossachs and the Ayrshire coast are all within comfortable reach of a port day. Greenock is also the only port where our Glasgow Whisky Distillery Tour and our Culzean Castle and Burns Country tour run as shore excursions.

See the full range of routes on our Greenock shore excursions page.

Edinburgh has four cruise ports, and which one your ship uses depends largely on its size. Larger ships anchor in the Firth of Forth and tender passengers ashore at South Queensferry or Newhaven, while others berth at Leith or across the water at Rosyth in Fife.

We collect from all four. The Edinburgh-side ports open up the east of Scotland: St Andrews and the Fife coast, Stirling, the Falkirk Wheel and the Kelpies, and Scone Palace near Perth. Our excursions from these ports head beyond the city, which suits guests who want to see more of Scotland on their day ashore.

Find routes and timings for your port: Newhaven, Leith, South Queensferry and Rosyth.

These are the routes our cruise guests choose most often. Each one can be shortened, combined or reshaped to suit your ship’s timings. Drive times are approximate and depend on traffic and which port you dock at.

Around an hour and a half from Greenock, this route follows the western shore of Loch Lomond before climbing over the Rest and Be Thankful pass to Loch Fyne. Inveraray Castle, ancestral home of the Dukes of Argyll and the seat of Clan Campbell, stands at the edge of the historic town of Inveraray. With lochside stops on the way there and back, it’s a classic west coast day best suited to a longer port call.

Stirling Castle is just over an hour from Greenock and around 45 minutes from South Queensferry or Rosyth. Once home to Scotland’s kings and queens, it looks out over the battlefields where William Wallace and Robert the Bruce fought for Scottish independence. The National Wallace Monument and Bannockburn are a short drive away.

St Andrews is around an hour from Rosyth and South Queensferry, and a little longer from Leith and Newhaven. Walk past the Old Course, explore the ruined cathedral and castle, then follow the coast to the East Neuk fishing villages of Anstruther and Crail. This excursion is available from the Edinburgh-side ports only.

Around an hour and 15 minutes down the Ayrshire coast, Culzean Castle stands on a clifftop above the Firth of Clyde. Combine it with the ruins of Dunure Castle and the village of Alloway, home of the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, for a day of coastline, history and poetry.

Just 30 to 40 minutes from the Edinburgh ports and around an hour from Greenock, this route pairs the world’s only rotating boat lift, the Falkirk Wheel, with the Kelpies, two 30-metre steel horse heads. It’s a good choice when your time in port is tight.

Our Glasgow Whisky Distillery Tour, led by James, is available as a shore excursion from Greenock. Expect behind-the-scenes stories, tastings and plenty of chat about what makes Scotland’s whisky regions so different from one another.

Not sure which route suits your port and timings? Tell us your ship, date and hours ashore, and we’ll suggest a day that fits. Get in touch to start planning.

Once you’ve booked, we’ll ask for your ship’s name, arrival time and all-aboard time. We plan your route backwards from the all-aboard time, so your return to port is fixed first and everything else fits around it.

On the day, your guide meets you at the port: at the terminal at Greenock, Leith and Rosyth, or at the tender landing at South Queensferry and Newhaven. We keep track of your ship’s arrival, so if it’s running late, we adjust the plan to make the most of the time you have.

Most shore excursions run for between six and eight hours, depending on your ship’s time in port. Stops for photos, coffee and lunch are built into the day, and you set the pace throughout. We have you back at the port with a comfortable margin before all-aboard.

Our private shore excursions in Scotland are a fixed £695 for the day, for your private group of up to 8 guests. There’s no per-person pricing, so a group of six pays the same as a couple.

For full details of what’s included, see our price guide.

Which cruise ports do you cover?

We offer private shore excursions from Greenock for Glasgow, and from Newhaven, Leith, South Queensferry and Rosyth for Edinburgh.

What happens if my ship arrives late?

We track your ship’s arrival on the day. If it’s delayed, we adjust the route to fit the time you have ashore, while keeping your return to port as the fixed point of the day.

Will you get us back to the ship on time?

Yes. Every route is planned around your all-aboard time, with a comfortable margin built in. Getting you back on board is the first thing we plan, not the last.

How long does a shore excursion last?

Most run for six to eight hours, depending on when your ship arrives and departs. Shorter port calls suit closer destinations such as Loch Lomond or the Falkirk Wheel.

How many people can join a private shore excursion?

Up to 8 guests. The price is the same whether you’re a couple or a group of eight.

Can we visit Edinburgh city centre?

Our shore excursions from the Edinburgh ports head beyond the city, to places such as St Andrews, Stirling and the Falkirk Wheel. They suit guests who want to see more of Scotland than they could on foot.

Can we include a whisky distillery?

Yes. From Greenock, our Glasgow Whisky Distillery Tour runs as a full shore excursion. A distillery stop can also be built into other routes depending on your timings.

How do we book?

Get in touch with your ship’s name, date in port and the number of guests. We’ll confirm the details and suggest a route. Our terms and conditions and cancellation policy explain the rest.

Whether your ship docks at Greenock for Glasgow, or at Newhaven, Leith, South Queensferry or Rosyth for Edinburgh, a private shore excursion with Tour Guide Scotland gives you more of Scotland and less time waiting around. Get in touch with your ship’s name and date, and we’ll plan a day ashore that fits your schedule perfectly.

From the moment you step off the ship to the moment you're back on board, our private shore excursions are built around you. Here's what guests departing from Greenock, Newhaven, South Queensferry, Rosyth and Leith have to say about exploring Scotland with Tour Guide Scotland.