Virtual tours of Scotland
Visit different parts of Scotland from the comfort of your own armchair, writes Alasdair Northrop
With people set to be stuck at home for many weeks yet, Scottish tourist guides are offering a range of live video and virtual tours and podcasts to keep us entertained. You can visit different parts of Scotland from the comfort of your own armchair with various events that are being delivered by members of the Scottish Tourist Guides Association.
Three guides – Pitlochry-based Susan Brown, Fife-based Helen Houston and Liz Lister who splits her time between Fife and the Highlands, do a regular free Scottish Blethers podcast at https://open.spotify.com/ SHOW/3ILZKSBWK2DJT4GCYZJNYE Subjects have ranged from Scottish boiled sweeties to the story of St Andrew.
They are also doing live paid for virtual tours including a journey through the historic town of Culross on March 11 with Helen Houston, a history of some of the locations used for filming the popular TV series Outlander on March 25 with Susan Brown and a tour of St Andrews with Liz Lister on April 8. More information at www.eyeson-scotland.com/portfolio/susanbrown/ On February 26 and 27 Helensburgh-based guide John Harbour is doing a live hi-tech virtual tour of the Trossachs with recordings he has filmed using high resolution cameras fixed to his vehicle and drones (www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/ john-harbour-31584835953). John also does regular podcasts on https:// exclusivescottishvisits.co.uk/uniquescotland-podcast/
If you want to learn more about Edinburgh, then every Monday Joe Harrower and Mike Turpie broadcast live in the streets of the city at 3pm GMT www.facebook.com/Joeandmikestours
They have been doing their tours since last summer and recently won the Green Microphone Award for responsible tourist guiding from the Slovenia based G-guides Academy. Hannah Mackay Tait has recorded two tours in Edinburgh with one covering the city’s LGBTQ+ history and the other on Hidden Streets of the Royal Mile.
“LGBTQ+ people, from one of Scottish history’s most famous kings to a pioneering lesbian doctor in the Victorian era, have always been a part of Scotland’s story,” says Hannah. (www.scotlandwithhannah.com/ shop).
Jenny Mann and Richard Thomson
have put together a one and a quarter hour long recorded virtual tour of Edinburgh which can be downloaded from www.edinburghwalkingtour.com
Highlands-based guide Andrew Baxter has had great success with his virtual Harry Potter tours and also has a series of “On the trail of…” virtual tours (https://glen2glen.com/ category/virtual-tour). Shetlandbased Green Badge Tourist guide Laurie Goodlad has a Patreon site offering virtual tours and monthly essays. She also does a regular podcast and got a major scoop when Shetland and Vera author Ann Cleeves agreed to be interviewed by her (www.shetlandwithlaurie.com/ podcast#/).
Ayrshire-based Noreen Lyon is talking about Maybole boots and shoes on February 4 and Stewarton bonnets on March 4. (www.tickettailor.com/events/ tastinghistoryscotland/468361). Dan Sauder Tyler and his wife Michele offer three different virtual “Bubble” tours: Inverness, Culloden Battlefield and Introduction to Scotch Whisky. “What's special about the first two, is that we do them as a husband and wife "tag team", said Dan, “Michele is in town or on the battlefield and I add pictures and stories from home, which makes a good mix.” (www. airtsnpairts.co.uk/).
Members of the STGA also put together a 13 minute long recital of Tam O’shanter to celebrate Burns Night and it is available free on www. youtube.com/watch?v=v75xhm4wx Qe&feature=youtu.be
On March 5 I will be following in the footsteps of Scotland’s saints in a virtual tour which takes me from Dumfries and Galloway to Orkney. There are some great stories to tell and the saints lived in some very beautiful locations (www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/followingin-the-footsteps-of-scottish-saintstickets-138234546249).
As STGA marketing chair, I know that members have been out of work since the Coronavirus crisis struck in March last year. Some members managed to do some walking tours when lockdown lifted in the summer but since December they can’t even do that. Instead they are doing these virtual tours and podcasts to help boost their income. They are hoping to bring a bit of delight into people’s lives in these difficult times.
Andrew Baxter has had great success with virtual Harry Potter tours