News from the Scottish Tourist Guides Association (STGA) by Vice-Chair Fergus Halliday

It was an absolute joy and pleasure to be at the Cowane’s Trust Hospital to welcome our latest batch of qualified guides in Scotland.

The Scottish Tourist Guides Association Blue Badge, is a globally accredited, 20 month-long qualification that proves both the knowledge and the determination of our members. Our 21 latest graduates certainly live up to that, and I look forward to working together with them to showcase Scotland to the world. There was a wonderful feeling of optimism and a bright future ahead.

The STGA is the gold standard for training guides to be self employed Tourist Guides, or for companies wishing to train their employees. We are also Scotland’s largest resource of guides for operators and DMCs.

The tourism industry in Scotland is fantastic team to be part of, and it just got a wee bit larger.

[Photo: 2025 STGA Graduates with Sandy Maxwell Forbes, Honorary President of STGA (front middle) and Fergus Halliday STGA Vice Chair (top left)]

Author: Fergus Halliday, Vice Chair Scottish Tourist Guides Association

The Training Programme of the Scottish Tourist Guides Association is accredited by WFTGA to the standard EN15565 ‘Tourism Services – Requirements for the provision of professional tourist guide training and qualification programmes‘