(Update November 1, 2015: I have revised my service offerings. You can read all about them here.)

My first trip to Scotland happened in 2003, when I was 22, and it went down like this. My buddy Tim and I sat in the basement of the Great Dane bar in Madison, Wisconsin as we neared graduation from college. I’d never been to Europe and I had basically no money to pay for a trip, but we decided to go for it during winter break. I borrowed money from my generous older siblings, packed my things, hopped an Aer Lingus flight to Dublin, and promptly got sick. I struggled through a week in Ireland before flying to Edinburgh. Tim and I hung out for a weekend there before he flew back to the States. He had one more semester. I had graduated and had planned a longer jaunt on my own after he left.

I took the train north to Inverness, my congested melon leaning against the window watching the icy countryside pass. For a time Scotland’s natural beauty made me forget my pummeled constitution, but my illness was getting worse, exacerbated by the unexpected pangs of homesickness. By the time I got down to Glasgow I’d swallowed my pride and booked a flight home. The last two weeks of my trip were forever relegated to the “what could have been” limbo.

The trip was not a lost cause; I had fallen in love. As I convalesced at my parents’ house, my thoughts were consumed. Scotland had worked its way into the center of my consciousness. There was so much to see and do, and I had only had the smallest scrap of experience there. I realized that sick or not I was woefully ill-prepared to get the most out of the trip. As the memory of being sick faded, what remained was an intense love for Scotland. I remember thinking, “I wish I’d had someone to help me get the most out of that trip.” If this question is running through your mind about an upcoming trip to Scotland,

I can help.

…said the bearded highlander. In the 11 years since that fateful first trip, I’ve focused on Scotland at the expense of the rest of the world, trading nearly all my vacation days for time on Alba’s shores during the many years at my old corporate job and dedicating my work life to exploring Scotland since leaving it. In all, I’ve spent nearly a year’s worth of time (and counting) ranging across Scotland as an explorer and hunter of fine experiences – but you don’t need me to convince you of that, just have a look at this site or read the testimonials below.

For more information, take a look at my Scotland Trip-Planning Services.