Becoming A Guide

 Do you have a passion for Scotland?

Could you be an ambassador for Scotland?

Would you enjoy the freedom and flexibility of being self-employed?

Could you cope with a demanding part-time University-based course, involving considerable self-study time?

The Scottish Tourist Guides Association is the accrediting body for professional tourist guides in Scotland. However, the STGA is not directly involved in training guides. The STGA select the student guides, set the criteria for training courses and approve training providers and trainers. The STGA also carry out the final membership accreditation assessment.

Accreditation of our guides is according to STGA Standards of Performance and profesional Code of Conduct and is benchmarked against the following nationally approved qualifications.

STGA Ordinary Membership BLUE BADGE GUIDE at SCQF level 7 (Higher National Certificate) - an undergraduate university course to become a tourist guide for the whole of Scotland.

STGA Regional Affiliate GREEN BADGE GUIDE at SCQF Level 6, for regional tourist guides within Scotland.

STGA Site Affiliation YELLOW BADGE GUIDE at SCQF Level 5, for fixed route tourist guiding, usually in a site or on a fixed open-top bus route. Yellow Badge Guides are usually employed and trained by tourism companies.

For more information on the specific courses for each category please read the relevant pages on this website.

To request an information pack about our courses, please contact us or call 01786 447784 or email info@stga.co.uk.

TRAINER TRAINING

We offer trainer training to qualified tourist guides and hold a list of approved tourist guide trainers.

TRAINING PROVIDERS AND COURSES

For guide training, courses and the trainers must be approved by STGA. The criteria for the accreditation of Course Directors, Tutors and Courses can be obtained from the STGA Office.

STGA approved courses follow best practice in tourist guide training and are compatible with the training guidelines set by the Federation of European Guides and the World Federation of Tourist Guides Associations as well as with  European Standards for the Training and Qualification of Tourist Guides.