Might some-one be able to show me around?

Knowing I was going to be in the Highlands for five days on my bigger tour, I wrote to the local family history society in the hope that one of their members would be willing to drive me around a few nearby villages. With a grateful offer of petrol, lunch and a small monetary thank-you.

Within a week, they duly sent me an email. Excitedly, I sent off a request and within days had a pleasant reply outlining exactly what I was hoping to do. Only then did I think to google the name - a professional tour guide! The price of 550GBP was eye-watering.

Over the following days, what seemed initially extravagant coalesced into a marvellous opportunity. The background, education, skills and professionalism of the guide were outstanding. All I had to do was paypal to an email - a new but easy experience.

What's more the guide had written several books. I was browsing the $2 bargain table at the triennial Family History Congress of Australasia, when I spied a hardback copy of one such book. Eagerly I snatched it up. It was the story of the guide's own family from 123AD to the present. He clearly understands family history.

And so with an agenda down, I enjoyed choosing trains up to the Highlands and back, and two additional nights in Inverness - outside the original tour timetable. It seemed wrong to interfere with that, and the guide was not in a position to do a bit here and a bit there. Overall I am very happy!



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