Gallivant Scotland

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Gallivant Scotland

Specialist history, heritage and cultural tours of Scotland. Spectacular scenery a given! Scotland is incredible.

From castles and clans to archaeology and ancestry, Scotland's cultural heritage is rich and varied, and I'd love to help you experience it. As well as being a Blue Badge guide, I have a PhD in Scottish history and a background in higher education, historical research and cultural heritage. So, whether you're interested in ancient archaeology, Wallace and Bruce, kings and queens, religious history

/ Reformation, witches, Covenanters, Jacobites, the Enlightenment, industrial heritage or many of the other fascinating aspects of Scottish history, I'm in a pretty decent position to (at least try to!) answer your questions. Along the way, we can uncover so much more that Scotland has to offer: we can explore quirky customs, ceremonies, folklore and superstitions; feast on superb Scottish produce; embark on a whisky or gin trail; spot spectacular wildlife; bask in breathtaking scenery; visit film and literary locations (yes - definitely Outlander!); and photograph iconic landscapes, buildings and architecture. Allow me to help you make the most of your trip. :-)

16/04/2025

📌Mount Stuart, Bute

📷 Just a few from yesterday’s visit to Mount Stuart. It’s an incredible place, with gorgeous details and vibrant colours everywhere. The craftsmanship is truly phenomenal.

🏰 Built for the 3rd Marquess of Bute after his ancestral home was destroyed by fire in 1877, Mount Stuart is a neogothic masterpiece. The architect, Sir Robert Rowand Anderson, opted for red sandstone as he did with the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh.

🌌 Inside is a feast for the eyes. The showstopper is undoubtedly the colonnaded Marble Hall, with its enormous tapestries, zodiac windows and ceiling painted to represent the northern hemisphere at night, complete with crystal prisms marking out the constellations.

⚡️Mount Stuart was the first home in Scotland to be lit by electricity.

🏊 And the first home in the world to have a heated indoor swimming pool!

11/04/2025

Taking full advantage of the continued gorgeous weather, today we headed down the Cowal Peninsula, took in some wonderful medieval graveslabs at Kilmoden, grabbed a bite and cuppa at , hopped on the ferry from Portavadie to Tarbert, then looped back up around Inveraray. What a scorcher! Gorse everywhere and lambs aplenty. ♥️

03/04/2025

First time back .castle since its recent conservation programme and it didn’t disappoint. From 17th-century Highland hunting lodge to the stylish home of American journalist and fashionista, Frances Farquharson, with a major Jacobite rising along the way, Braemar Castle is packed to the gills with great stories. Add to that some 18th-century graffiti, shocking pink walls and baths, the obligatory creepy doll (this one in a crib dating to 1677) and possibly the best castle dog in the land (see last photo of Morris sunbathing), and you have a truly great visit. 🌟

🏅 Accredited member of and  . 

02/04/2025

Great to be back today, on their second day of the season. Glorious blue skies and the daffodil are out. 👑
 

24/03/2025

I love taking visitors to the East Neuk of Fife and often spend a lovely few days in Pittenweem with friends. The architecture, wee alleyways, quirky shops, sea views and food never disappoint.
⛴️🍦🦞

18/03/2025

The Timespan Museum in Helmsdale is a wee gem, highlighting the community’s rich heritage from crofting and through to relocation and herring fishing. ⭐ Anywhere with cool knitwear is a winner for me! 🧶

17/03/2025

Good food on the ? Absolutely! 😍

14/03/2025

A few from the North East Highlands, Cromarty and Sutherland. So many interesting wee places to stop at on the . What we’ve got here is the working harbour at Lybster, the old harbour at Latheronwheel, Keiss Beach with its WWII anti-tank defences, Duncansby Stacks and the Hill o’ Many Stanes.

12/03/2025

We met this handsome beast on the road yesterday. Posed like a catalogue model while we took our photos then calmly plodded on! 🤣 📸

11/03/2025

Roadside honesty egg hunt… one of my Highlands and Islands roadtrip highlights! 🥚

09/03/2025

Travelling north yesterday we were in and out of very atmospheric low fog. This is on the south side of Loch Ness - which we really couldn’t see until we right alongside it.

08/03/2025

Interesting wee tour of today. Fab credentials and environmentally conscious ethos. And tasty wares to boot! 🍺

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Edinburgh

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http://gallivantscotland.com/

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