Page 130 - History of the STGA 1959-2019

both drawing interest due to their high profile and ensuring the experience for visitors continues to grow. My passion for my job certainly grows with it.’
Finding a saint
By Sue Casely
‘I took a small coach from Inverness to Aberdeen on an absolutely monsoon wet day. Luggage was in a back locker and we found on arrival that the door had been leaking and some people's clothes were wet in the suitcases. I asked about drying facilities at the hotel or where laundrettes were. No joy. The under manager took pity on me and took all the wet clothes home to dry in his own tumble dryer at no charge. It completely charmed a rather disgruntled group of passengers and I am eternally grateful.
A lucky break
By Helen Manning
‘One of our passengers stumbled and fell whilst taking a photo of the Skye bridge in a lay-by above Kyle of Lochalsh. He insisted he was OK but had great difficulty descending from the coach when we stopped for lunch in Portree. So I suggested our driver drop us both at Portree hospital to be checked over. It was Sunday and no X ray available but a doctor examined him and was pretty sure he had a broken leg. He recommended we go to Broadford Hospital whose X ray department was open.
‘However by this time our coach had already left with the rest of the group and was en route to the Clan Donald Centre. An extremely kind lady who overheard us speaking offered to take us to Broadford in her car. The visitor was immediately X rayed and his leg was encased in plaster. We called a taxi and finally caught up with the group as the coach was about to board the ferry to the mainland. Everyone was astonished to see him hobbling on crutches as he had previously insisted he did not need medical attention and would be fine! We hired a wheelchair for him from the Red Cross in Inverness and all the hotels gave him a ground floor room. He was able to continue his holiday. I hope he made a full recovery and took a good photo of the Skye Bridge!
Guides working together
By Andy Middleton
‘One of our passengers left a jacket in a bed and breakfast at Kyleakin. We were heading to Edinburgh. So I called another guide staying in Portree. The guide picked up the jacket and when I met that guide in Fort Augustus, we exchanged the jacket so I could then pass it on to the owner. The passenger was from USA and couldn’t believe that we managed to get her jacket back. She said if this happened in USA, the jacket would be gone.
The Blue Badge Songbook
Over the years guides Morag Dunbar and Norma Allan have written a number of songs for social occasions capturing some of the many amusing moments in the life of a Blue Badge. Morag explains that The Skye Guides CPD Song concerns one of the CPDs that Ros Newlands organised and on which Con Gillen came along. The 'CONcake’ is a reference to him running around wearing red socks and trying to get photos. Phil is Ros’s hubby who often joined us. Lorna is Lorna Johnston who walked the path to Loch Coruisk (we went by boat). She had to negotiate the Bad Step and we were worried she had not made it when we arrived – but she did.
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