Guided Tours of Scotland
Private Tours With Driver-Guide Greg Kain
Meet Scottish Tour Guide - Greg Kain
Born in Airthrey Castle near the Abbey Craig, the site of the National Wallace Monument, in Stirling, and brought up in the small cathedral city of Dunblane, the history of Scotland was ingrained in me from an early age. I now live in Glasgow, Scotland's largest city and have also spent many years living and working in the West Highlands as well as a number of years living in England. After studying business studies at Glasgow College of Commerce, I worked in my family's wholesale seafood business, where my job remit involved travelling around Scotland, sourcing and buying shellfish and supplying some of the best hotels and restaurants in the country. It was during this time that I decided I wanted to be a Scottish tour guide, and started to work towards my dream job. My varied work background, my passion for hiking and having lived in different parts of the country have all helped me to build a unique and extensive knowledge of the geography of Scotland and the country's best places to eat, stay & visit. In addition, I have been an avid reader of books on the history, current affairs, environment, culture and politics of Scotland. It is with the benefit of this combined knowledge that I can create unique, fun and interesting itineraries for my clients to enjoy.
During my business travels throughout Scotland in the 90's and 00's I noticed the growth of scheduled coach trips providing fixed itinerary day trip and multi-day tours from Glasgow & Edinburgh but very few specialised custom tour providers, outwith chauffeur hire companies, offering personalised, private tours of Scotland. In the past decade or so there has been a definite trend among the more discerning independent travellers, with a desire to explore at their own pace and in their own time, people who do not want the hassle, dangers or restrictions of self-drive touring, people who require choice, flexibility and good value when choosing a tailor made tour. I felt that there was a gap in the private driver Scotland market for this type of service and so, in 2009 Guided Tours of Scotland was born.
Private Driver Scotland Experience, Insurance and Licensing
With my unique background & knowledge, gained over 15 years as a guide and private driver, Scotland's geography, history, people, politics and places are my passion, I am well placed to offer you a unique custom tour that is fun, informative and good value.
I am a very careful and considerate driver and the comfort and safety of my passengers is paramount to me. I have held a clean licence for over 30 years and I have clocked up over one million miles (1.5 million kilometres) as a private driver in Scotland and Europe. I hold a Disclosure Scotland certificate (police check). I operate my business in full compliance with the licensing regulations of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, Section 22 .
My Custom Tour Vehicles
My largest tour vehicle is the very comfortable Ford Tourneo Custom Titanium LWB minivan (pictured above and below), with its high spec, 8 passenger seats and long wheel base for extra luggage space, it is the perfect vehicle for customised private tours. I chose this van ahead of the Mercedes V-Class and Volkswagen Transporter as I believe it is simply the best 9-seater touring vehicle in its class. The Tourneo can carry 8 passengers plus luggage, ideal for families, small groups or couples. The main features of this minivan are; privacy glass windows with sun blinds, front and rear compartment A/C control, 8 USB charging points throughout the vehicle, six reclining seats in the the rear compartment (the seating can be arranged in a conference or airline configuration), plus 2 passenger seats in the front cab. In addition to the Tourneo's generous luggage space, which can accommodate 8 cases, plus hand luggage, I have a box trailer which can be hitched to the van for those travelling with additional baggage, golf clubs, sports equipment etc.
My second vehicle, The Ford Galaxy Titanium X is Ford's top of the range MPV / people carrier. It features black leather upholstery, large windows and a panoramic glass roof, making it the ultimate tour vehicle for solo travellers, couples and small families. The Galaxy can seat up to 4 passengers, plus luggage, in comfort, but has a maximum capacity of 6 people, comprising 4 adults and 2 children, with room for hand luggage only when at full seating capacity. All 6 individual passenger seats can be reclined.
Each vehicle has a Euro 6 engine (compatible with low emission zones), premium all season tyres, dual control A/C, heated front seats, sun reflective privacy glass, USB charging points and an electric cool box as standard.
Both vehicles are comprehensively insured for business hire and reward, which also includes public liability insurance and commercial breakdown cover.
Only one vehicle is in use at any time, meaning the other is always available as a backup vehicle in the unlikely event one is required.
I look forward to welcoming you on a unique custom tour of Scotland or Ireland, and showing you around our beautiful coastlines, mystical isles, mountains, lochs and historic villages, towns and cities sometime in the not too distant future!
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Greg Kain, Scottish tour guide and private driver Scotland service.