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Chapter 11
Guides tales
In this chapter we hear about some of the extraordinary and often hilarious things that can happen to a guide.
A royal appointment
By Eddie Ramsay
‘The booking came in and was confirmed with the additional information that the group were VIPs; otherwise it sounded like a normal tour. The 'night before the tour there was a 'phone call to make sure everything was ok, but the courier wanted to meet for coffee as there were things that had to be discussed. I duly arrived at the hotel and we had our coffee; then came the disclosure that two of the guests were royalty, Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex. Everything was to be informal and no one forewarned. I was given the money for the group’s visit to the castle and told to pre-purchase the tickets so that when the coach arrived there would be no waiting in queues.
‘When the coach arrived on the esplanade the group disembarked from the coach with several weel-kent faces. Prince Edward came over and had a wee word and I was cool, calm and ready to go. We went into the castle and I was telling them the stories as we went, always on the move, to the first point past the portcullis gate where we stopped. A bit of banter was flowing. They were an easy group, informal and enjoying themselves. I had just finished talking about the one o’clock gun when the booming voice of another guide shattered the stillness of the castle, everyone stopped and stared and the comments started to flow. I had to stop talking as the booming voice was now drowning me out. One of the group said: “Eddie if the castle runs out of shells for the gun they could get him to shout BANG! And everyone would hear him, that’s a way to save money!” (perhaps some respect for fellow guides and tourists is called for!)
‘I got stuck behind the booming voice again as I tried to explain about the site of the tea room. I had not noticed that the other group had moved on when one of the castle guides discreetly waved me on. In Crown Square when the group was going into the apartments, the majority of the group, including Prince Edward, stood in the queue to see the Crown Jewels. Whilst I was waiting the castle duty manager came over to ask me why no one informed the castle that Prince Edward was visiting and we explained we were under strict instructions that no one was to be informed. I could sympathise with the manager as the staff would want no hiccups while Prince Edward was within the castle walls (although the Prince had security guards). The group came together at the Royal Scots museum and we made our way down to the coach. Prince Edward joined me on the walk down and we chatted about Sir Walter Scott and the George IV. He and most of the men walked down to Holyrood and I look the ladies on a quick tour of the New Town.’
Saving the Lion of Scotland
If you visit St Andrews Square in Edinburgh you will come across a striking statue of a lion created by Cramond sculptor Ronald Rae. The Lion of Scotland was carved from a twenty- tonne boulder of pink Corrennie granite from Aberdeenshire and took over a year to complete using hand tools only. Rae said he chose to portray a Lion because it was the traditional symbol both of power and of Scottish identity. From 2006 the lion was part of a two year long exhibition of Rae’s work in Holyrood Park and proved to be a big hit with tourists. Ronald offered it on a free extended loan for another year which was initially
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