Established in 1959, the aim of the Scottish Tourist Guides Association is simple: to provide clients with professional tourist guides who will inspire, educate, and entertain.
With over 60 years of experience, the STGA has built up a vast network of clients with a first class reputation of training highly skilled guides, who can bring any travel itinerary to life.
The STGA is the only professional membership body for fully trained, accredited guides within Scotland with endorsement from VisitScotland and VisitBritain.
The STGA has over 500 members based in Scotland, including Blue Badge, Green Badge and Yellow Badge Guides.
Blue Badge Guides are qualified to guide anywhere in Scotland.
Green Badge Guides are qualified to guide in a certain area within Scotland e.g. Shetland.
Yellow Badge Guides are qualified to guide at a specific site and are affiliated with a tourism company/organisation.
Each guide brings a variety of skills ranging from languages to specialist areas of interest – what they all have in common is their great communication skills.
Whether you’re travelling alone, with family and friends or as part of a leisure or corporate group – there’s no doubt that the STGA can help you find your perfect guide, with the right skills to enhance your visit to Scotland.
The STGA takes pride in being able to provide guides to clients who are:
- Fully trained professionals, fun and personable with in-depth knowledge of what’s hot and what’s not in Scotland
- Experts in their field of interest
- Highly skilled – speak, translate and interpret in 22 different languages
- Qualified to tour as Driver Guides
- Able to plan and design bespoke itineraries to suit any budget and timescale
Members of the STGA have been entertaining visitors and locals with their storytelling for over 60 years!
Guides have a gift for storytelling – they are taught how to make the most of their skills through our intensive training
Whether it’s art, architecture, literature, politics, theatre, music or whisky, our guides have it covered!
Our guides offer a huge range of experiences & services; whether it’s a tour for the Outlander fan or connecting with your ancestral roots, there will be an STGA guide for you!
Guiding Lights - Our History
Guiding Lights tells the extraordinary story of the Scottish Tourist Guides Association – from its inception in 1959 to 2019, when the STGA celebrated their 60th anniversary.
Researched and written by Blue Badge guide, Alasdair Northrop you will learn how guides are trained, hear amusing stories from the field and discover how dramatically tourism has changed in Scotland over the last 60 years.
Guiding Lights by Alasdair Northrop is available on Amazon.
