Local Guides For British Isles

[TM]

We're doing a British Isles cruise in August.  I've got some private tours booked.  But are there local guides for hire at the cruise ship ports looking to show the sites?  Specifically at Guernsey, Glasgow, Invergordon and Cork?

 

Thank you in advance for all responses.

[CruisingIGo]

Suggest 2 helpful websites.....

 

Visitguernsey.com

 

Guernseyguidedtours.com

[Guernseycruiser]

Can only help with Guernsey as a port.  CruisingIGo took the words right out of my mouth, the first website is the local tourist board website, the second website lists all the accredited guides on the island.  If you click on their name, you will then find all their contact information.  

 

There is also a thread running with a lot of information on Guernsey including some recommendations for guides from other cruisecritic members (the thread started in 2016, however there are more recent posts on pages 2 and 3).  I attach below for ease.

 

 

If you have any other specific questions on St Peter Port, Guernsey please post here and I will try my best to help.

 

[Alaskanb]

We used Dougie with Highland Tours Inverness for a fabulous day. https://www.highlandtours.info

In Cork we used eCoach in Cork/Cobh https://www.ecoach.ie/index.php

[VMax1700]

You will not find local guides in Cobh.  

[Two from Virginia]

4 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

You will not find local guides in Cobh.  

 

On 3/5/2019 at 4:24 PM, TM said:

We're doing a British Isles cruise in August.  I've got some private tours booked.  But are there local guides for hire at the cruise ship ports looking to show the sites?  Specifically at Guernsey, Glasgow, Invergordon and Cork?

 

Thank you in advance for all responses.

We will be in the British Isles in June 2019.  In Cobh (Cork), I have booked a private tour with Paul Kealy. For St Peter's Port, we have booked a private tour with Mich as well as a private tour in Invergordon. If you would like to contact them, please email me at obxcl328 at gmail dot com.

[VMax1700]

22 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

You will not find local guides in Cobh.  

@TM

Sorry, let me clarify my comment!

There are not local guides standing at the port soliciting for hire.

You would be advised to book a tour in advance or walk around Cobh (website) or take the train to Cork.

Edited March 8, 2019 by VMax1700

[prudence passenger]

Alaskanb, I am interested in the Highland Tour company.  Was it a small group in a van, or a bus?  were you able to tailor the day to the things you wanted to do, or did you have to do a set one of his 3 tours listed on the website?  did it have to be a full 8 hour day or were you able to make it shorter?  I have to even check how long we are in port that day, we will be on Viking Jupiter in July/August 2019.  thank you

Judi

[Alaskanb]

15 hours ago, prudence passenger said:

Alaskanb, I am interested in the Highland Tour company.  Was it a small group in a van, or a bus?  were you able to tailor the day to the things you wanted to do, or did you have to do a set one of his 3 tours listed on the website?  did it have to be a full 8 hour day or were you able to make it shorter?  I have to even check how long we are in port that day, we will be on Viking Jupiter in July/August 2019.  thank you

Judi

It is a private tour in a van so you create the group. You do one of his tours that are designed to get you back to the ship on time. He can modify it a little. 

[prudence passenger]

thanks for the info

Judi

[Southern Cruise]

For Glasgow in May - we booked The Glencoe tour for 4 people with Tom @ Photowalk Scotland.  Tom has been very responsive and accommodating as we determined what we wanted to do.

 

https://photowalkscotland.com/

 

Depart Greenock after disembarking.  Drive up to Tyndrum via Loch Lomond. Rest stop/coffee stop in Tyndrum.  Continue to Glencoe, via Rannoch Moor and Glen Etive.  Explore Glencoe area.  Lunch in Glencoe.

[Southern Cruise]

On ‎4‎/‎2‎/‎2019 at 1:25 PM, Southern Cruise said:

UPDATED REVIEW - this was a fantastic day and despite cold, rainy weather, we enjoyed the beautiful scenery, Tom was flexible and easily modified our schedule when the rain showed no sign of letting up so instead of doing a 10 minute hike to a waterfall in another Glen, he took us to see two castles and stopped at a beautiful small church along the way.  We got great photos and thoroughly enjoyed the day. 

 

For Glasgow in May - we booked The Glencoe tour for 4 people with Tom @ Photowalk Scotland.  Tom has been very responsive and accommodating as we determined what we wanted to do.

 

https://photowalkscotland.com/

 

Depart Greenock after disembarking.  Drive up to Tyndrum via Loch Lomond. Rest stop/coffee stop in Tyndrum.  Continue to Glencoe, via Rannoch Moor and Glen Etive.  Explore Glencoe area.  Lunch in Glencoe.

 

[Southern Cruise]

On ‎3‎/‎5‎/‎2019 at 4:24 PM, TM said:

We're doing a British Isles cruise in August.  I've got some private tours booked.  But are there local guides for hire at the cruise ship ports looking to show the sites?  Specifically at Guernsey, Glasgow, Invergordon and Cork?

 

Thank you in advance for all responses.

We just sailed on the Crown Princess on from May 13 - May 25, 2019 so I can give you some current info:

 

For Cork/Cobh – we had a great day with Craig @ Munster Bus Tours and we saw Cork, Kinsale & the Jameson Distillery.  We had 6 people and were able to see so many things that we would never have seen on a big tour.  Craig drove us around the city of Cork, we visited a local sweet shop/candy company where they were hand making candy, to a beautiful cathedral and before we enjoyed a lovely lunch in coastal Kinsale, he took us to a small memorial garden honoring the 343 firefighters who lost their lives on 9/11.  We enjoyed staying ahead of the big ship tours and he had secured a lunch reservation for us in Kinsale.  Craig answered all of our questions and gave us personal insight into the area.  His pride in his home country was evident and the scenery was amazing, exactly what we imagined Ireland to be.  One note about the Jameson Distillery – it was an interesting tour but we thought we would see a working distillery and instead toured their old factory and did not actually see any actual whiskey production.

 

For Guernsey – we did NOT book a private tour but BEWARE – tendering issues (high winds) caused havoc on our day in Guernsey and some folks waited 90 minutes to return to the ship.  Make sure if you book with a private company that they will refund your money if the ship isn’t able to tender in Guernsey.  Also, many of the shops/museums and the tourist office in Guernsey didn’t even open until 10 am so we got up early and rushed off the ship to maximize our time only to find that most places weren’t open yet.