Experienced Tour Leader / Tour Guide - Scotland 2025

Back-Roads Touring; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

Join an innovative travel company as a Tour Leader, where you will be the heart of unforgettable travel experiences. This role involves leading tours, sharing your passion for local destinations, and ensuring the safety and enjoyment of your group. As a Tour Leader, you will engage with guests, manage logistics, and create life-changing experiences. If you are organized, possess excellent problem-solving skills, and have a genuine love for travel, this is the opportunity for you. Enjoy competitive pay, a supportive team, and the chance to share your passion for travel with others in a rewarding environment.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Excellent expense package

Comprehensive training

Mentorship from experienced leaders

Life-changing travel experiences

Qualifications

• Experience as a Tour Leader or relevant transferable skills are preferred.
• Availability in May and September is required.

Responsibilities

• Manage daily tour operations and ensure guest safety and enjoyment.
• Provide commentary and engage with guests throughout the tour.

Skills

Local knowledge of destinations

Problem-solving skills

Customer service

Organizational skills

Ability to manage customer expectations

Language skills

Job description

Tour Leader

The role of a Back-Roads Touring Tour Leader

Our Tour Leaders are responsible for the day-to-day running of the tours on the road.

This involves:

• Giving in-depth commentary relevant to the destination, the route, the experiences, the local life and everything you see along the way;
• Managing all tour related paperwork and expenditure and completing the relevant accounting and administrative paperwork;
• Leading all group activities and socialising with the group;
• Interacting with various suppliers on a daily basis;
• Looking after the group safety and enjoyment and being the first point of contact in case of incidents or crisis.

It is a big responsibility as you are directly responsible for the successful operation of the tour.

What we look for in our Tour Leaders

Our Tour Leaders are at the heart of our product and personify what we want to achieve as a business.

Our Tour Leaders:

• Have an in-depth local knowledge of the place where you would lead tours and a genuine interest and passion for our destinations;
• Make safety a priority on a daily basis;
• Are highly organised with the ability to plan ahead;
• Possess extremely developed problem solving skills;
• Demonstrate a professional attitude and behaviour at all time;
• Possess a high level of customer service and great people skills;
• The ability to manage customer expectations;
• Have the ability to speak the local language is HIGHLY recommended, though fluency is not always required.

We will consider all applicants, especially those with previous experience as a Tour Leader or any relevant experiences or skills that can be transferable to what we expect from our Tour Leaders on the road.

Eligibility

To apply to work with Back-Roads Touring, you must be eligible to work in the destinations we visit.

This may include:

• A UK and/or European Passport;

• UK Right of Abode/Residency; or

• UK Ancestry or other Working Visa

Requirements

This season, we are only recruiting experienced Tour Leaders. To apply, you must have the following:

• Availability in May and September (which are our busiest months)

Benefits of Being a Back-Roads Tour Leader

• Sharing your passion for a country with others;
• Creating life-changing travel experiences for our customers;
• Joining an award-winning On-Road team;
• Delivering high-end products on the road;
• Competitive salary and excellent expense package;
• Staying in the same local accommodations, sharing the same meals and experiences as our customers;
• Mentored by an experienced Back-Roads Tour Leader and the assistance of an experienced Operations team;
• A comprehensive training (On-Road, city tour and interactive classroom sessions).

How to Apply

Simply click Apply Now to access our online application form. Be sure to check out our FAQ section for more information on becoming a Backroads Tour Leader.

If you are successful, you will be invited to the next step of the process.