Scotland’s Next Student Tourist Guides

Winter 2011/12 found the Scottish Tourist Guides Association inviting individual from all over Scotland, the UK and Europe to apply for the next Blue Badge Tourist Guide Course. We received over 60 applications, and interviewed 40 applicants. Following our successful recruitment drive STGA and the Office of Life Long Learning at the University of Edinburgh were pleased to host an Introductory weekend for the final 28 would-be students.

Held on the first weekend in March in Edinburgh, the introductory course provided a taster of the full course, covering the work of a Scottish Tourist Guide, some history and knowledge of Scotland and presentations from the students themselves. Our future students will now be working hard on their written assignments which will be assessed before we look forward to welcoming them to the full course in April.

The Office of Life Long Learning’s experience, together with STGA’s accreditation and skill set, ensure that once on the course, most of our students pass and become successful and enthusiastic tourist guides. This group will be scheduled to complete their course in time to support our wave of visitors in 2014 for Homecoming, Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, the Ryder Cup and Bannockburn. We’re excited already!