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the age of 98 and according to Alastair, now 76, she managed the Estate well into her eighties before handing over the reins . He has inherited the Estate and Castle and now holds the title of the 25th Earl of Sutherland, while his oldest son carries that of Lord Strathnaver. Michelle spoke very fondly of the family and the two years she was in their employment. I was so glad I never got a chance to speak about their ancestors! ‘
All at sea
By Norma Clarkson
‘My first guiding work was in cruise ships. I was told to “keep it under my hat” as a newbie such as myself didn’t usually have the opportunity to access the then lucrative cruise ship market. (How times have changed!)
‘My first job was aboard the “SS Berlin”. In those days the tourist guides boarded the cruise ships at Greenock and sailed with the pax to the various ports around Scotland, disembarking an hour and a half ahead of everyone to be ready for the tours at each landfall.
‘I travelled with a small suitcase with changes of underwear and blouses and a larger suitcase filled with reference books to study between ports. On the first day’s sailing I made an alarming discovery. I had developed a propensity for seasickness, having had no previous trouble (later found out an inner ear problem was to blame). As a result I had to forego all the delicious buffets and on-board dinners and usually lie on my bunk for the duration of any sea voyage. I survived on the lunches provided with the tours. I couldn’t look at food on board.
‘I wasn’t the only colleague with such a problem. My mentor, Maggie, who later turned her hand to writing about the Jacobites, her favourite period in Scottish history, was a fellow sufferer. Sometimes being on deck helped. I recall one voyage as we rounded Cape Wrath, Maggie was wedged in a seat on deck when the ship was struck by a sudden fierce squall. Maggie and seat slithered across the deck as the chum who got me into guiding and I scrambled after her before she hit the scuppers. Maggie was a stalwart support. I took the mike during one of her tours from Oban to Inveraray Castle and I’ll always remember her comment. “That was very good, Norma, and when you gain a bit more experience, you will learn when to be quiet!” That was my best lesson in the danger of “information overload” of the pax and the art of letting the scenery do the talking from time to time! This lesson was endorsed during a trip I made to Canada some years later when the tourist guide never shut up and everyone was ready to throttle her at the end of the day...’
Ten days in the life of a guide
By Lyn Brown
‘What I really love about tourist guiding is the sheer variety of the work. Take one 10-day period as an example:
Day 1 – bus into Glasgow to meet up with 3 Swiss businessmen, all colleagues and friends on their annual guys’ getaway. They wanted a walking tour focussing on history and architecture so I planned a fairly standard tour of historic sites and Georgian and Victorian architecture – then they asked where the modern buildings were! Did they want to see the SEC, the Hydro and the Riverside Museum? Yes, please! Did they want to try public transport, or get a taxi? Not on your life, they were enjoying the walk. Cue one much needed foot-bath at the end of the day.
Day 2 – Early start for a cruise ship excursion from Newhaven to St Andrews. This was a private tour, a family of 4 in a chauffeured car, so a bit of a rest after the walk the day before.
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