Stuffed to the turrets with antique furniture, paintings and ceramics, the legacy of generations of Clan Brodie, this 16th-century castle is a slice of Scottish history not to be missed.
Guided Tour
Guided Tour
What is it?
A guided tour is the practice of an individual leading a group of people around a point of interest and giving them information about it, which can cover topics such as religious significance, cultural history and how it relates to other locations and events in history.
What does it involve?
Attending a guided tour basically just involves paying attention! All the work is done for you in finding out the facts and presenting them in an interesting manner; the role of the participant just calls for a level of interest in your surroundings and an eagerness to learn!
Why do it and what are the benefits?
Tour guides can be extremely educational - physically interacting with the place while learning about its history will provide a different kind of academic experience to the classroom by giving the students something more tangible to focus on.
What equipment do we need?
You shouldn't need any equipment for a guided tour, but check beforehand to make sure; some tours involve their participants even further by getting them to write down their own thoughts, or make drawings - so you may need to ensure students have something to write on!
Who is it suitable for?
Guided Tours are suitable for pretty much anybody if you pick the right one - smaller children will find it harder to focus on more complex subjects and will need more visual aids, but if they are engaged correctly they will have a great time! Likewise, teenage students will get bored if the subject isn't engaging enough, so make sure to choose the tour appropriate for the age and interests of the group.
Costs?
Around £20 or less per person, but it can vary greatly depending on the location of the tour - for example, a minibus tour around a park will cost more than a short walk around a country manor! Make sure to shop around to get an idea of the prices in your area.
Issues/Things to think about? (unsuitable for age groups, medical conditions etc)
A guided tour should be suitable for all ages, but students with condtions such has ADHD may have trouble focusing for an extended period of time - make sure to be aware of the specific needs of your group.
How do we include?
Many guided tours have disabled access for those with limited physical movement, but it would be wise to doublecheck beforehand. Those who are deaf and blind can also be included in guided tours but may need more specialist staff - again, you will need to check with the specific establishments.
Doing it abroad?
There are points of public interest all around the world, so wherever you can find something well known chances are there will be a guided tour available! Foreign tours may be conducted in another language though, so make sure to confirm the specifications of the tour before booking it.
Main website:
This website gives a good overview of places where you can go for a tour guide, but you're best looking at the specific areas around you to find out details!
Venues with this Activity
Stone-built house of Elizabethan origin
Originally an Elizabethan house, Morville Hall was extensively enlarged and expanded around 1750, giving it the appearance of a Georgian home.
Look out for interesting and quirky Elizabethan features of the original house. Wander through to the back of the house where a flight of elegant stone steps lead down to a beautiful garden.
High on a hill in Helensburgh, overlooking the River Clyde, sits what is universally regarded as Charles Rennie Mackintosh's finest domestic creation.
Education visits can be arranged. Morning visits can last from 1.5 to 2 hours. Morning visits are available for pre-booked groups by phoning or e-mailing the Hill House.
Family home and garden of Sir Winston Churchill
Chartwell was the much-loved Churchill family home and the place from which Sir Winston drew inspiration from 1924 until the end of his life.
Tudor house with superb collections, garden, quay and estate
Cotehele was the ancestral home to the Edgcumbe family for centuries. The Tudor house, perched high above the River Tamar, is decorated with tapestries, arms and armour, pewter, brass and old oak furniture. The interior tour has changed little over the years, although the furnishings were titivated as Cotehele continued to inspire its adoring owners.
Hidden away in the rural idyll of East Linton resides an architectural oddity beloved by artists and photographers.
Preston Mill, with its distinctive Dutch style conical-roof, was East Lothian's last working water mill.
The Castle of Exeter stands atop the highest part of the city, within the north-east angle of the city walls. From the reddish colour of the volcanic rock on which it stood, it became known locally as Rougemont Castle.
Picturesque Yorkshire manor house with organic garden and exciting exhibitions
Enjoy the atmosphere of this beautiful Yorkshire manor house, nestled on the quiet banks of the River Rye.
Explore the period rooms whilst hearing the Hall's many tales and discover one of the world's finest collections of miniature rooms in the attic.
Castle Fraser is an atmospheric baronial castle dating back to the 15th century and was the ancestral home of the Fraser family. School trips can be arranged over the phone at any time of the year. If the tour is arranged out of season there will be a small fee to cover the cost of staff.
Elegant country mansion set in attractive formal gardens and extensive parkland
Explore Kingston Lacy, a lavish family home built to resemble an Italian Palace.
There’s plenty to see, from grand, beautifully detailed carvings, to intimate family souvenirs and even strange curiosities such as an ‘I owe you’ note from a king.
Ordinary house, extraordinary home
Step back in time to the 1920s and discover how a grocer's family lived in a Midlands market town through their furnishings and household objects.
The Bowes Museum is a hidden treasure, a jewel in the heart of beautiful Teesdale. The magnificent building stands proud in the historic market town of Barnard Castle housing internationally significant collections of fine and decorative arts. Purpose built in the 19th century by John and Joséphine Bowes, the Museum has a wonderful story to tell.
Set high on the rugged North Cornwall coast, visitors can enjoy dramatic sea views from the castle ruins on the headland and island. Steeped in myths and mystery, this is a spectacular place which has inspired artists and writers throughout history who have associated it with the legend of King Arthur and the story of Tristan and Isolde (Yseult).
Be charmed by a stylish royal residence with a foothold in history.
From the King's Gallery, designed by Wiliam Kent, to George II's state apartments to the Queen's state apartments, once used by Mary II for relaxation opulence abounds at Kensington Palace.
The Palace was also home to Queen Victoria and, of course, Princess Diana.
Whether you are looking for a trip down memory lane, a chance to learn something new, a peaceful stroll through nature or a nice cup of tea and a cake, Hartlebury Castle has it all. Hosting exciting events throughout the year a great day out for all the family.
The Bachelor's Club was one of the historic places which poet Robert Burns and his pals would while away the hours chewing over the topics of the day.
A visit to this authentically restored house, now converted into a museum chronicling the formative years of one of Scotland's greatest literary talents, is a must for any Burns enthusiast.
Inextricably linked with the most powerful and ambitious men and women of the medieval period, the castle's history reads like a medieval who's who, full of murder, marriages of convenience, double crossing and devious alliances.
Magnificent late Victorian country house with gardens and wooded estate
Lanhydrock is the perfect country house and estate, with the feel of a wealthy but unpretentious family home.
This winter take a stroll around the extensive gardens and enjoy the year-round colour. There are beautiful herbaceous borders, a fabulous formal parterre and colourful higher gardens.
14th-century tower built to assert the authority of the Abbot of Furness Abbey
The 14th-century tower known as Dalton Castle was formerly the manorial courthouse of Furness Abbey. Here the abbott exercised his right to hold manorial courts and administer justice within the lordship of Furness, as authorised by the abbey's foundation charter of 1127.
The British Library is a treasure trove of the written word, housing just about every famous manuscript you can think of.
Here you can find:
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The Gutenburg Bible
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Caxton's Chaucer
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Shakespeare's Quartos
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Magna Carta
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Lindisfarne Gospels
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Captain Scott's Diary
Tudor hunting lodge to fashionable home, set in a spectacular estate
Newark Park stands proud on top of the Cotswold escarpment, looking down into the Ozleworth valley to the Mendips beyond. This remote corner of south Gloucestershire is a secret and unspoilt place, with barely a sign of modern life visible in any direction. A place of architectural intrigue, quaint gardens and sprawling parkland there is much to see and do at Newark.
Spanning nine acres of land on its rocky plateau high above the Northumberland coastline, Bamburgh is one of the largest inhabited castles in the country.
This beautifully conserved dwelling and byre in Glen Lochay, near Killin, offers a unique insight into rural life in 19th-century and early 20th century Scotland.
There are 5 jointed and pegged cruck couples, two of which can be viewed easily in the byre end of the house.
Discover 300 years of Scottish history through this magnificent and carefully conserved neo-Palladian villa. Newhailes is famed for having some of the finest rococo interiors in Scotland.
Learning Officer and Ranger Service available. Your visit duration and content can be tailored to individual school's needs.
Get your hands inky at this living museum of a thriving printing firm in the Borders, whose premises were more or less unchanged for over a century.
Try your hand at being a printer's apprentice to learn the almost forgotten art of letterpress printing and typesetting.
Schools are welcomed and visits are very much tailored to suit the needs and requirements of the school.
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