Ian was brought up just South of Glasgow, and has a long-standing love affair with Scotland. His passion for Scottish culture came to fruition when he became part of a group called The White Cockade, a living history, re-enactment group which travelled the country bringing history alive for its audiences. Being introduced to this way of communicating Scotland’s history was to be a turning point in Ian’s life. 

 

In 1995 Ian moved to the shores of Loch Ness to immersive himself in the Highlands and deepen his knowledge of Scottish history. He was asked to work and help develop a small living history attraction which was recognised by the tourist board and achieved a 4 star rating. Taking his experience to another level Ian went on to form a living history business, Battlescar Entertainment. For over a decade he has worked and performed in many pertinent historical sites, most notable - Stirling Castle, Edinburgh Castle and Culloden Battlefield where his work as a costumed interpreter secured him several roles on television and the ‘big’ screen.

 

Ian’s six years as a guide at Culloden Battlefield and his library of rare books from the 1700s brought him to the attention of archaeologist Tony Pollard. Pollard’s work was to survey the site before construction of the new visitor’s centre and Ian proved to be an invaluable reference point to the archaeologist.

 

His knowledge of Scottish history and culture, from the Vikings to the Scottish Wars of Independence and the Jacobite Risings of 1745, is second to none. This coupled with a talent for making his love of Scotland feel fresh, fun and relevant makes him the ideal Personal Guide for your excursion.

 

Ian’s love of the Scottish landscape has cemented his passion for photography and has proved a great way of scouting out some truly sensational, less travelled spots. Ian will be only too happy to share with you his favoured spots.

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tripadvisor feedback

 

We contacted Inverness Customs Tours with special requests at rather short notice. Ian responded very quickly, was extremely accommodating, and went well out of his way to ensure that we were able to get what we requested. Not only was he personally kind and very helpful, the tour itself was phenomenal! He was an absolute wealth of information, and the passion he brought was abundantly clear. We were completely captivated by his Battle of Culloden descriptions, which he turned into an experience for us. I am amazed at how much we were able to see and do in such a short time, without feeling rushed for even a minute. Thank you for an incredible day!

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jlb_ame

Raleigh, North Carolina