Is HOSTGA a booking agency?
No. We ask you to make direct contact with our members.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is HOSTGA a booking agency?
How much does a guide cost?
How is it best to pay HOSTGA Guides?
Do I have to pay for a guide’s lunch and entry fees?
Are HOSTGA guides willing to pick up and drop off outside the Highlands?
Are HOSTGA Guides covered by insurance?
Should I make bookings for visits to distilleries, castles etc?
What will the weather be like?
How much daylight will there be?
Under which legal system do HOSTGA members operate?
How is it best to pay HOSTGA Guides?
For a one day tour, normally in cash. For more than one day, a deposit is often needed, and some guides may require full payment in advance. Some guides have PayPal accounts or credit card facilities.
Do I have to pay for a guide’s lunch and entry fees?
Guides should carry their ID (a badge) at all times, and normally get free admission to sites.
On one-day tours guides often carry a packed lunch; if you wish the guide to lunch with you then you should normally pay for his/her meal. All these arrangements should be clarified with individual guides in advance.
Are HOSTGA guides willing to pick up and drop off outside the Highlands?
Yes, in most cases. There is likely, however, to be an extra charge.
Are HOSTGA Guides covered by insurance?
Yes. Full Membership of HOSTGA provides Guides with 3rd Party Insurance. In the case of a coach tour this means for their work outside the coach. Generally they are covered by the Coach Operator’s insurance when inside. Guides who undertake hillwalking or driver/guiding work should be appropriately insured under their own arrangements.
Should I make bookings for visits to distilleries, castles etc?
This depends on the size of the group. A small (family) group can be handled without prior booking but anything bigger needs a booking. This is particularly the case with distilleries which get very full. Your guide can do the booking but give him/her plenty of warning.
What will the weather be like?
Highly changeable. Click here for a 16-day forecast for Inverness area; you can use the site to explore weather elsewhere, and also get averages for any time of year.
How much daylight will there be?
Click here for daylight in Edinburgh; in summer think of Inverness as having 30 minutes more daylight, in mid-winter 30 minutes less.
Under which legal system do HOSTGA members operate?
The Scottish Legal system is the ruling system for bookings made with HOSTGA members. It is worth remembering that in Scotland a verbal commitment can act as a contract. It is however always better if there is an exchange of correspondence covering the details of the booking being made – covering not just the itinerary but also payment, cancellation fees etc.