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Hugh was born and brought up in the western Highlands, in the shadow of Ben Nevis, Scotland’s highest mountain.
His mother was a Gaelic speaker, with a broad expertise in Scottish history and Highland culture. She knew all of the tales and stories of the north, and the locations where these events unfolded.
Hugh’s spare time was spent hill-walking on the tracks, byways and drove roads, learning about the flora and fauna of the area from his father. In this way he built up knowledge of the prettiest glens, the best views, the most inspiring waterfalls, and the ruined castles and towers with the blackest of legends.
The degree Hugh studied for, at the historic Glasgow University, included Geography, Geology and Scottish History. He has worked for different Scottish Tourist Boards and later worked for the Highland Council developing and promoting heritage and tourism, gaining a string of prestigious awards. He also wrote several publications on car-tours, geology and the myths and legends of the Highlands.
At the turn of the millennium he took employment with “The National Trust for Scotland”, managing both Brodie Castle and Culloden Battlefield. It was during this period that he realised the long-held dream of becoming a fully-fledged author. He has now written four acclaimed books.
The first book, “Roots of Stone” is an easy-to-read journey through the last 2,000 years of Scottish history. The next work, “Rivers Running Far“ looks at the emigration of the Scots to America and Australia. His third book “Culloden Tales” outlines the role that each of the clans played at that tragic battle and also tells the other tales and stories relating to the Inverness area.
The fourth book “No Lying Quiet” is a modern-day thriller with revenge and retribution storylines colliding across the histories of Scotland and Nova Scotia.
In the last few years Hugh has delighted in showing visitors around his beloved Highlands, with tours showing the best of the magnificent scenery and tales of the people who came before. He joined the Highlands of Scotland Tour Guide Association (HOSTGA) to concentrate on guiding full-time. He finds that another fun aspect of touring can be sharing book and film locations, like the Harry Potter movies.
He also enjoys undertaking author-endorsed tours tailored to the Outlander books by Diana Gabaldon and Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher. Hugh has enjoyed guiding Diana personally.
His authentic Jacobite gear and weapons presentations bring any historical journey to life. Hugh’s background in history and landscape combines perfectly with his lively sense of humour, skill as a storyteller and his knowledge of the area. A true Highlander, he is waiting to share his culture with you.
Hugh's Alhambra carries up to six passengers
(see interior image under Tony below), but larger vehicles up to eight
passengers can be organised by arrangement
Author
of Scotland's Bloody History and Loch Ness Nessie and Me. Designer of the Loch
Ness Centre, Macbeth Experience and Story of Scotland.
Currently he is Chair of the Drumnadrochit Chamber of Commerce and Tourist Association and an ex-director and now advisor to Destination Loch Ness, the local destination management organisation.
Born in Hertfordshire, England his mother was from Preston Pans near Edinburgh and his father's family had connections in Caithness and Sutherland. He was educated in Welwyn Garden City then Bude in Cornwall.
Owing to an allergy he failed all his university entrance examinations and moved to Manchester where he began a career in sales, rapidly progressing to store management. A move to Basingstoke in Hampshire accompanied a move into general industry and he held executive positions with Wella and then British American.
In 1978 he moved to Drumnadrochit on the side of Loch Ness and conceived, set up and ran the Official Loch Ness Centre for more than ten years. After a dispute with the owner who wanted to conceal the truth about the famous photograph he left and concentrated on other aspects of Scotland's heritage.
He designed, produced and lost a lot of money developing the award-winning Nessie Hunt board game. He has also written a number of booklets on the Loch Ness phenomenon and has recently completed a 340 page book on the subject which was published at the beginning of December 2010.
In addition he ran and improved the Great Glen History and Heritage Exhibition in 1982; in 1993 he conceived, researched and set up the Macbeth Experience; in 1994 he designed and staged Scotland's largest private exhibition, the Story of Scotland at Fort Augustus Abbey. This latter exhibition covered not just the country's rich heritage, but also the natural history, wildlife and geology of the area and was very highly acclaimed.
More recently he has guided large and small groups of
visitors around the whole of the north of Scotland and runs InvernessTours.com.
In 2008 he published his book "Scotland's Bloody History" which is available on
the "Book Now" section of this website. He has guided heads of state,
royalty, army groups and university groups.
Tony has a Seat Alhambra vehicle which is comfortable for up to six passengers with good head and legroom for those of average build. There is very restricted luggage space with six passengers. Groups of eight or six with lots of luggage can usually be accommodated with enough notice at an extra charge of £95. He usually undertakes just one tour per week owing to other business interests. Once a day is booked three days either side usually become unavailable. If you would like to read more about Tony's background go to his Loch Ness Information Website here.
John is a true Mulleach, (belonging to Mull) being born in Tobermory on the Island of Mull, famous for its painted houses and the Spanish Galleon sunk in the harbour following the disastrous invasion of England in 1588.
There have been MacKellaich's in Mull since the 1750’s following their migration from Lismore. The family lived at Sorne just outside Tobermory until cleared by James Forsyth to build Glen Gorm Castle in the 1860’s.
Interestingly his name in Gaelic translates into son of the witch,
John a supporter of the Gaelic language he tells of how his father was only able to speak Gaelic when he went to school in the 1930’s. He is named after his Grandfather who was the Town Clerk of Tobermory and also presenter of the Free Church in Tobermory until 1973.
John proudly lists Cameron’s, MacLachlan's, MacLeod's, MacLean's, Mackenzie’s as well as the infamous Campbell skeleton in his family tree.
He was educated mostly in England where his mother is from, although his final education was in the Highlands under the shadow of Britain’s highest Mountain Ben Nevis. John has also lived in London, and the historical cities of York and Edinburgh before arriving in Fort William in 1967.
John has worked in the industry for the last ten years following his early retirement to spend time sharing his knowledge with visitors.
He is a member of the Episcopal Church, and is at pains to point out that the majority of the Highlanders that fought at Culloden were Episcopalians contrary to popular misconception. His Church, St Johns was at that time on Church Street, and the place where most of the Jacobite troops would have worshipped before Culloden. John loves to demonstrate the weapons used on the field that day, Just be sure to duck when he swings his broadsword!
Before taking up guiding, John was an Inverness College lecturer as well as having a career in the North Sea and like Hugh Allison worked for the National Trust for Scotland at Culloden Battlefield.
Married to his Inverness born wife of 38 years, John has two children and a grandson.
His other love is his 1935 Rover 12 Car which is often requested for weddings and was used for a Pioneer Production’s film of Loch Ness. The car with John at the wheel took the part of Mr Spicer. Mr and Mrs Spicer were the couple who reported the Loch Ness Monster running across the road in 1933 while driving along the south side of Loch Ness.
But don't worry, John will be carrying you in a comfortable modern vehicle, not his Rover ... except by very special request, of course!
George was born in the beautiful Speyside town of Grantown, close to the home of his maternal grandparents. On his father’s side he has been able to trace his Highland ancestry back to the mid 1770,s when written records first appeared. On his paternal side he had a Gaelic influence while his maternal family brought him an understanding of the Doric language.
He spent all of his working life in and around Inverness - unofficially known as the capital city of the Highlands. A Chartered Accountant by profession he held a senior management post within the Highland Council, the local authority for the area, and latterly a post with Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the statutory body established to bring employment stability to the area. These posts enabled him not only to travel extensively within the Highlands and Islands of the North of Scotland but around all parts of Scotland, representing his employers in a national context.
In addition to his professional career George is heavily involved with community activities at a local level, and is the current Treasurer of the Clan Munro Association, based at Foulis Castle in Easter Ross. A local sportsman of note he was well known around the local highland games circuit in his younger days, before a back injury caused while playing rugby at Gordonstoun School put paid to his sporting ambitions.
George has now decided he would like to share this knowledge, experience and love of his native Highlands with visitors to the area and as a consequence he has joined the Highlands of Scotland Tour Guide Association to concentrate full time on guiding.
George alo has an Alhambra (see seating in Tony's profile above). It carries six comfortably. Eight passenger vehicles can be hired by arrangement and subject to availability.
