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Private Scotland tours and custom Scottish ceremonies hand-knit for your journey

Explore the best of Scotland. Not en mass or by bus, but by private tour hand-knit for you by a lifelong Scot.

Scotland is often described as the best wee country in the world. We certainly think it is.

Whether you are looking for to craft a Scottish whisky tour, explore your clan's Scottish heritage, tour Edinburgh Castle, visit historic St. Andrews, take a dip in the sea with a Fife seaside trip, or see castles and popular destinations on a Scotland Highlander tour, our private Scotland tours will provide a history-rich, hand-knitted experience you won't forget.

Meet Monica. Dundee native, Edinburgh-area local, and professional celebrant with a passion for all things Scotland.

Meet Monica
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Originally from Dundee and a lover of the sea, Monica and colleagues will guide your journey.

From childhood family road trips to present-day stravaiging, Monica inserts a lifetime of exploration to craft private tours hand-knit for your journey. 

Have a few hours? A day? A week for Scottish isle hopping? We've got you covered.

Whether you are looking for a morning walk 'round Edinburgh, a day trip to St. Andrews, or a full week of galavanting, Kelpie Quines private tours will tickle your fancy.

Here's how it works. You want to visit Scotland. We want to craft an amazing experience.

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So, you're going to Scotland and you'd like guidance from a local?

To get started, we'll schedule time to discuss travel dates, your party size, travel dates, and overall goals while visiting our wee country. Depending on your interests and dates, Monica, an occasional loon, or one of our lovely colleagues may be the best fit for your private Scotland tour.

 

Spots fill up early, so we recommend reaching out with as much notice as possible.

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Unique adventures for everyone in your clan

With high-level plans defined, we'll craft a private tour based on your specific requests. Outlander or Game of Thrones filming locations? Whisky tour? Highland outdoor adventures? Scottish heritage exploration? Food, music, and fun?

 

Throw any theme or experience our way and we'll do our best to please all the quines and loons in your traveling clan.

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Looking for a custom itinerary or family celebration?

In addition to private, guided tours, we also provide custom itineraries for you and your clan to follow independently. We can recommend foodie delights, bars to try, beaches to walk along, and how to best soak in the wonders of Scotland on your own schedule.

 

What's more, Monica is an experienced family celebrant offering baby naming services, vow renewals and celebration of life ceremonies.

It's simple. You have a dream, we can help make it happen.

How it works
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Why Kelpie Quines

No two Kelpie Quines tours are alike. While many tour providers group guests with other parties, we cater to individuals and private groups hand-knitted to your unique requests. We use private or rented vehicles right-sized for your party instead of large coaches packed with other guests. We're not a luxury tour provider and a private vehicle may have a wee bit of sand from a recent trip to the sea, but our unique and intimate private tour experiences will surely create wonderful memories you will cherish for a lifetime.

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Testimonials

Kelpie Quines Testimonials

Kelpie Lore

The Lore of Scotland's Kelpies

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Kelpies are part of Scottish folklore. They are beautiful, mythical horses who play in the seas, lochs, and rivers of Scotland. Sometimes they can take human form.

 

While beautiful, kelpies also have a dark side: they can lure people into stormy and dangerous waters that are difficult to escape.

Kelpies serve as an early health and safety warning about being aware of our surroundings and respecting the wildness of the natural world. 

 

The beauty and culture of Scotland is like no other, and we strive to respect our environment to limit the impact on our surroundings.

Offering professional, independent celebrant services for your special event 

Monica offers a range of personalised ceremonies and Scotland offers the most romantic and awesome backdrop to life affirming erremomies.  Imagine renewing your vows on a deserted beach of silver sands to the sound of the waves and the calling of the curlews, or standing by the banks of a loch in the highlands.  Or exchanging vows in historic Edinburgh, a beautiful city dominated by an ancient (and extinct!) volcano.  You can celebrate the naming of your child, or the renaming of yourself here. A perfect place to acknowledge a new life, and to give thanks  for a life well lived with an utterly personalised celebration of the life of a loved one.

+ More about our custom Scotland ceremonies

Glencoe and Scottish highlands full-day tour

"Monica is such a delight. She has so much Scottish history, folklore, and geological information to share and does so in a way that leads to all-day conversation that I couldn't get enough of. It was fascinating to learn the intricacies of the Jacobite rising, the massacre at Glencoe, and more. Can't wait to get back to Scotland and tour again with Monica as my guide!"

Edinburgh Castle and city half-day tour

"We were so happy to book with Monica instead of with one of the large tour companies. The personalization offered during our walking tour of the Edinburgh Castle and historic city provided a much more intimate and interesting experience. Monica's knowledge of the millennium-spanning Scottish monarchies blew us away."

Dundee and St. Andrews full-day tour

"Monica paired a visit to my wife's ancestral home of Dundee with my love of golf for a perfect day trip from Edinburgh. A Dundee native, Monica had much to share about this unique coastal city and we were thankful to not be part of a bus full of tourists at St. Andrews. Topping off with a Scottish whisky back in Edinburgh was the highlight of our day!"

Book your tour today >>

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