About Solway Tours
Five star, bespoke guided historic and ancestral tours of Dumfries and Galloway and across Scotland. DandG Life Tourism Champion Winner 2016
Solway Tours Description
We aim to provide unforgettable experiences through our extensive knowledge and insight into the History of Scotland which will create memories and smiles that last a lifetime. We seek to provide our customers with positive travel experiences delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, pride and a passion for promoting Dumfries and Galloway as a high quality tourist destination. We are very confident that you will thoroughly enjoy all aspects of our guided tours and be in awe of the majestic countryside and impact which South West Scotland has had on shaping our global community.
We are more than happy to create a flexible itinerary to suit your areas of interest. Our website gives more suggested areas to visit and we will arrange a bespoke and personalised tour for each party. We also offer guided tours of other areas of Scotland including city tours of Glasgow, Edinburgh and Stirling.
Our tours offer an individually tailored and unique insight into the historical and cultural delights of South West Scotland and beyond. We provide a personalised, chauffeur-driven, high quality service which will allow you to experience the most majestic countryside whilst visiting some of the most important historical and cultural sites in the country.
Lesley and Mark, your Solway Tours guides, offer a range of flexible, tailor-made tours for families or small groups to experience the charms that Dumfries and Galloway has to
offer. We are both experienced historians with specialist backgrounds in secondary education at a senior managerial level and will delight and regale you about the historic and cultural importance of Dumfries and Galloway and beyond.
Your tour experience will be enhanced further by being chauffeur driven in our comfortable and stylish seven seater Renault Grand Scenic.
Suggested Themed Tours
Castles and Kids
We will take you to a number of agreed historic sites within the Region and allow time to visit one of the excellent local attractions for children.
Wars of Independence
Dumfries and Galloway is renowned for its pivotal role in Scotland's fight for independence. We will guide you through the crucial role played by the Bruce family during this war torn period.
Robert Burns
Follow in the footsteps of the National Bard from Ellisland Farm to the “Sanghoose” and from The Brow Well to Burns Mausoleum. Dumfries offers an incredible insight into the life of Scotland’s favourite son.
Cradle of Christianity
St Ninian landed in Galloway at the end of the 4th Century and changed the religious map of the Nation. This tour will look at how Dumfries and Galloway played a crucial role in the spread of Christianity.
D& G Heroes and Heroines
J M Barrie, Kirkpatrick McMillan, Thomas Carlyle and Jane Haining are just some of the people raised locally who have impacted so much on the world. Their tales will inspire you! !
For full details and prices for all of our tailor made tours please check our website or contact us by email or phone.
Reviews
The magnificent ruin of Melrose Abbey!
Founded by David I in 1136 this Cistercian Monastery is the final resting place for King Alexander II and the heart of King Robert the Bruce!
The location of the Abbey meant that it regularly found itself on the front line of conflict during the Wars of Independence however there is enough of the Abbey left to appreciate the fascinating architecture and sculptures found within this medieval church!
... An Abbey that is steeped in history and well worth a visit when exploring the Borders!
#celebratingscotlandshistorywithyou #RobertTheBruce #Scotspirit #ScotlandisNow #SolwayTours #guidedhistorictours VisitScotlandWelcome to ScotlandHistoric Scotland
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We had another great day with Larry and Cory from Salt Lake City.
Today we had a focus looking at Outlander filming locations and the history behind these superb sites. We managed to pack in visits to Linlithgow Palace, Blackness Castle, Midhope, Hopetoun House and Culross.
... We wish our guests all the best for their 3 days in Edinburgh including the Tatoo without Solway Tours before we join up with them again on Monday for a full week of touring the Highlands and Islands.
#scotlandisnow #scotspirit VisitScotlandHistoric ScotlandWelcome to Scotland
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We had a fantastic historic day 3 of our 14 day tour with our lovely guests from Utah. We spent today around Falkirk and Stirling with visits to some of our most iconic sites.
We started the day at Doune Castle before making our way into Stirling to The National Wallace Monument , Stirling Auld Brig, Stirling Castle and The Battle of Bannockburn Experience and the King Robert the Bruce statue, Bannockburn. We also squeezed. In a visit to the majestic The Kelpies .
Another g...reat day!
#ScotlandisNow #LoveScotland #GuidedHistoricTours Welcome to ScotlandVisitScotland
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It was great to see Morag from VisitScotland this morning at the The National Wallace Monument
It has been another fantastic day with Larry and Cory.
Our morning started at Gretna where we reflected on the role of women during WW1. After we went on to Gretna Green to the famous Blacksmiths Museum. We then made our way through the Scottish Borders.
We had stunning views at Scott's View and the Leaderfoot Viaduct and we enjoyed the walk to the Wallace Monument at Bemersyde.
... We are now in historic Stirling and look forward to more exploring tomorrow!
#GuidedHistoricTour #ScotlandisNow Welcome to Scotland VisitScotland
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Looks good!
Today was day 1 of a two week tour with Larry and Cory from Utah. It was a great day exploring some ancestral sites and more across Dumfries and Galloway. #LoveDandG Welcome to ScotlandVisit South West ScotlandVisitScotlandHistoric Scotland
Today was our first day back out on the road after a well earned holiday and where better to take guests than exploring gorgeous historic Galloway!
It may have been a bit wet and windy today but that did not stop us or our lovely guests Adelle and Dan from Yellowknife, Canada.
We had a great day exploring various places in Galloway including St Ninian's Cave, the Whithorn Priory Museum and the Wigtown Martyrs Stake.
... Our highlights from the day were visiting Garlieston’s Secret War exhibition, the fantastic Iron Age Roundhouse at Whithorn and we made the steep climb to the top of Druchtag Motte!
A great day with a lovely couple!
#ScotlandisNow #LoveDandG Welcome to ScotlandVisitScotlandVisit South West Scotland
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There are only 4 spaces left on our April 2019 WW1 Battlefields Tour!
The trip takes place from Sunday 14th to Thursday 18th April. Leaving from Dumfries we will take the ferry from Dover to Calais and then we will spend four nights at the fantastic 4 star Hotel Ariane in Ypres. We will have two full days exploring memorials, and cemeteries around Ypres and also a full day at Arras and the Somme. Included in the price is any family research we carry out and a visit to a rela...tives grave if possible will be included.
Highlights of this trip include attending the emotional Last Post Ceremony, Sanctuary Wood Trenches, Tyne Cot, Thiepval and Vimy Ridge.
The price is £605 per person and this includes all travel from Dumfries, bed and breakfast at the 4 Star Hotel Ariane , all entrance fees, and any family research carried out. Places are limited to 30 and the deposit to book your place is £150.
If you would like any further information or to book a place then please get in touch at beinspired@solwaytours.co.uk
#WW1 #guidedhistorictours #TourfromScotland
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The story of Richard the 3rd is probably even more dramatic in his death than his life. The incredible story is told perfectly at Leicester Cathedral and at the nearby Exhibition. A great visit if you are near the city of Leicester.
You just never know what is under the Car Park!
We had a great deal of interest in yesterday’s post about our top 30 towns or cities where our followers live. The actual list is below.
Please let us know where you are from if your hometown is not on this list. Thanks for all your support again!
1 Dumfries ... 2 Glasgow 3 Lockerbie, 4 Newton Stewart 5 Edinburgh 6 Thornhill 7 Castle Douglas 8 Annan 9 Dalbeattie 10 Stranraer 11 Carlisle, England 12 Sydney, NSW, Australia 13 London, England, 14 Kirkcudbright, 15 Moffat, 16 Sanquhar, 17 Adelaide, SA, Australia 18 Perth, WA, Australia 19 Melbourne, VIC, Australia 20 Ayr, 21 New York, NY 22 Lochmaben 23 Edmonton Canada 24 Toronto, ON, Canada 25 Brisbane, QLD, Australia 26 Stirling, 27 Calgary, AB, Canada 28 Los Angeles, CA 29 Ottawa, ON, Canada 30 Newcastle, England
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The Dear Green Place !
We are now taking bookings for our April 2019 Battlefields Tour!
We are delighted to announce that next year our trip will be from Sunday 14th to Thursday 18th April. Leaving from Dumfries we will take the ferry from Dover to Calais and then we will spend four nights at the fantastic 4 star Hotel Ariane in Ypres. We will have two full days exploring memorials, and cemeteries around Ypres and also a full day at Arras and the Somme. Included in the price is any family research... we carry out and a visit to a relatives grave if possible will be included.
Highlights of this trip include attending the emotional Last Post Ceremony, Sanctuary Wood Trenches, Tyne Cot, Thiepval and Vimy Ridge.
The price is £605 per person and this includes all travel from Dumfries, bed and breakfast at the 4 Star Hotel Ariane , all entrance fees, and any family research carried out. Places are limited to 30 and the deposit to book your place is £150.
If you would like any further information or to book a place then please get in touch at beinspired@solwaytours.co.uk
#WW1 #guidedhistorictours #TourfromScotland
See More
You will never find a better set of guides! They made our trip to Scotland fantastic!! Lesley and Mark are some of the mostly lovely people I've ever met! I will tour with them again someday.
We couldn't believe our good fortune in snagging Mark and Lesley from Solway Tours! What fun people they are! They were thoughtful and conscientious in planning just the tour we hoped for. Thanks to their careful planning and attention to detail and logistics, we were able to see an impressive list of sites and attractions. It was obvious they have a real passion for the history and culture of Scotland. That was evident in every fact and story they shared along the way. We had lots of laughs and came away truly enriched. Thanks, Mark and Lesley!
Today was Day 1 of our Outlander Tour with Solway Tours. It was incredible!!! Mark and Lesley were so knowledgeable about Scottish history and they went above and beyond our expectations. They even took us to the actual spot where Outlander was filming in Culross!!! We saw Sophie Skelton and Nell Hudson!! Can’t wait for day 2 tomorrow�
Thoroughly interesting and diverse experience with Mark n Lesley on the two....two day tours of Scotland booked from Australia to Dumfries with internet by 3 seniors (a feat in itself!)....our interest in history since has grown 100 fold....an ancestral tour in the south west region initially due to a convict ancester and a lighter but equally historically interesting tour of the northern region of Scotland including Isle of Skye......would recommend anyone of any age to get accurate Scottish history from Solway Tours......
Our tour yesterday was amazing. Full of informative History and getting to see beautiful scenery along the way. Mark and Lesley were both excellent guides, full of knowledge, History chat and helpful in every way possible.
My friend and I spent the most wonderful day with Lesley and Mark yesterday!! We had door to door service as they picked us up at our hotel in Edinburgh and dropped us back off. We did the Robert the Bruce tour in Dumfries and Galloway. We saw some of the most dramatic and beautiful scenery that Scotland has to offer!! Mark and Lesley pulled out all the stops to make sure we didn't miss a thing. Their touring style is what I wish every tour could be like. If there were more stars here to give, I would give them. I can't recommend them enough!!! It was one of the most memorable birthdays I've ever had!!!!
Mark and Lesley are knowledgeable and passionate about giving tours. During our 14 days in Scotland the two spent with Solway tours were the highlight. They provided custom tours to explore our family heritage that were much more than we could have asked for. Their consideration for our needs and their desire for us to have the best experience possible was evident. Our Kerr family was one that they had never explored before, but they did the research and really provided us with a wonderful glimpse into our history. I can't wait to return to Scotland to spend more time with them.
Lesley spent all day with us today and it was magnificent!! We immediately connected, she toured us through all of the locations, knew all of the answers to our questions, added a location at the last minute, and was a joy!! Cant wait to take another tour!! Sorry we missed meeting you, Mark!!
Lesley and Mark are amazing tour guides! I would book a tour with them again in a second! They took us to so many historical spots in just under three days it would take me pages and pages to write them all down in this review. On our first day they picked us up from the Glasgow airport to bring us down to our B&B down in Dumfries and while they could have done just that they actually spent the better part of the day touring us around the area they wasted no time showing us some amazing sights in Southern Scotland. After a few mins in the car with us they got a feel for what we like and wanted to see and immediately started to customize our tour by changing routes to show us fantastic scenery and sights. Every moment we spent with them just got better and better, some parts of our tours were off the beaten path the give us more history and appreciation for where we were. They are extremely personable and so fun to be around wish we had booked them for our entire trip here. I could really go on and on but the main thing is this is not just a business and work for them it's their passion and it truly shows, their passion for history and their pride in this amazing Country just made it that much more of a special tour. Thank you Lesley and Mark for everything!
Just returned from WW1 Battlefields Tour led by Mark and Lesley whose knowledge and research into the subject is incredible. Thanks to them we were able to visit the final resting places of my wife's grandfather and his brother killed within two weeks of each other and pay our respects. Nothing was too much trouble for them and they made the trip most enjoyable and informative. I would highly recommend their tours and look forward to joining them on a future tour.
I started planning my trip back to Scotland last year with Mark and Lesley. They were so great to work with as I created my own itinerary and they promptly answered all my questions along the way. Each day with Lesley was absolutely brilliant and she has a wealth of knowledge about the country and its history so I also learned much as we traveled along the way! I’ll be going home once again leaving a small piece of my � here �� knowing that I’ll return again in the future. thanks again for everything my dear new friends �
I had one of the most amazing trips with Solway tours! Mark and Lesley definitely know their stuff and made sure they went the extra mile for every single person on the trip. If you're thinking about going on the Battlefield WW1 trip do not hesitate, it's an unforgettable experience that would be difficult to forget! x
Highly recommend Solway Tours our trip to Rosslyn Chapel and the Kelpies made all the more enjoyable by the information given to us by the friendly , approachable and knowledgable Lesley and Mark and not forgetting our coach driver who got us there and back safely in appalling weather conditions . I'd definitely travel with them again. x
Had a wonderful day out with Solway Tours to Garlieston and Sorbie Tower to see the Weeping Window. Really enjoyed all the local history and sights. Lesley clearly is passionate about her local history and promoting Dumfries and Galloway. We plan to use Solway Tours in the future. Thanks for a most enjoyable day.
Great historic tour today with Lesley and Mark. Castles, towers, stone circles, ancient crosses. So knowledgeable about everything. Highly recommend �
Geared to what you want to see and the history makes it so special.
Absolutely the way travel! Mark and Lesley created a bespoke tour for us that centred around our ancestral history. They are fountains of knowledge about everything and know all the great sites. Their passion for history and delivering a great experience makes a tour with them a fun, comfortable, informative and stress-free way to see the country! Thank you for a fantastic three days our family will always treasure 😊
Absolutely the BEST vacation! Many thanks to Mark and Lesley for making this an amazing and unforgettable experience! Can’t wait to see you guys for the next trip!
Absolutely grand time exploring the family history in the border lands with Solway Tours. It's clear from the start that Mark and Lesley enjoy what they do. Their passion shines through in the history they share as well as their willingness to change course when new information is found. I can't recall a better guided tour ever. So happy to have found their website and booked with them. If you've got even a hint of Scottish blood in you, these are the folks you want to have help you discover more.
You will never find a better set of guides! They made our trip to Scotland fantastic!! Lesley and Mark are some of the mostly lovely people I've ever met! I will tour with them again someday.
We couldn't believe our good fortune in snagging Mark and Lesley from Solway Tours! What fun people they are! They were thoughtful and conscientious in planning just the tour we hoped for. Thanks to their careful planning and attention to detail and logistics, we were able to see an impressive list of sites and attractions. It was obvious they have a real passion for the history and culture of Scotland. That was evident in every fact and story they shared along the way. We had lots of laughs and came away truly enriched. Thanks, Mark and Lesley!
Today was Day 1 of our Outlander Tour with Solway Tours. It was incredible!!! Mark and Lesley were so knowledgeable about Scottish history and they went above and beyond our expectations. They even took us to the actual spot where Outlander was filming in Culross!!! We saw Sophie Skelton and Nell Hudson!! Can’t wait for day 2 tomorrow�
Thoroughly interesting and diverse experience with Mark n Lesley on the two....two day tours of Scotland booked from Australia to Dumfries with internet by 3 seniors (a feat in itself!)....our interest in history since has grown 100 fold....an ancestral tour in the south west region initially due to a convict ancester and a lighter but equally historically interesting tour of the northern region of Scotland including Isle of Skye......would recommend anyone of any age to get accurate Scottish history from Solway Tours......
Our tour yesterday was amazing. Full of informative History and getting to see beautiful scenery along the way. Mark and Lesley were both excellent guides, full of knowledge, History chat and helpful in every way possible.
My friend and I spent the most wonderful day with Lesley and Mark yesterday!! We had door to door service as they picked us up at our hotel in Edinburgh and dropped us back off. We did the Robert the Bruce tour in Dumfries and Galloway. We saw some of the most dramatic and beautiful scenery that Scotland has to offer!! Mark and Lesley pulled out all the stops to make sure we didn't miss a thing. Their touring style is what I wish every tour could be like. If there were more stars here to give, I would give them. I can't recommend them enough!!! It was one of the most memorable birthdays I've ever had!!!!
Mark and Lesley are knowledgeable and passionate about giving tours. During our 14 days in Scotland the two spent with Solway tours were the highlight. They provided custom tours to explore our family heritage that were much more than we could have asked for. Their consideration for our needs and their desire for us to have the best experience possible was evident. Our Kerr family was one that they had never explored before, but they did the research and really provided us with a wonderful glimpse into our history. I can't wait to return to Scotland to spend more time with them.
Lesley spent all day with us today and it was magnificent!! We immediately connected, she toured us through all of the locations, knew all of the answers to our questions, added a location at the last minute, and was a joy!! Cant wait to take another tour!! Sorry we missed meeting you, Mark!!
Lesley and Mark are amazing tour guides! I would book a tour with them again in a second! They took us to so many historical spots in just under three days it would take me pages and pages to write them all down in this review. On our first day they picked us up from the Glasgow airport to bring us down to our B&B down in Dumfries and while they could have done just that they actually spent the better part of the day touring us around the area they wasted no time showing us some amazing sights in Southern Scotland. After a few mins in the car with us they got a feel for what we like and wanted to see and immediately started to customize our tour by changing routes to show us fantastic scenery and sights. Every moment we spent with them just got better and better, some parts of our tours were off the beaten path the give us more history and appreciation for where we were. They are extremely personable and so fun to be around wish we had booked them for our entire trip here. I could really go on and on but the main thing is this is not just a business and work for them it's their passion and it truly shows, their passion for history and their pride in this amazing Country just made it that much more of a special tour. Thank you Lesley and Mark for everything!
Just returned from WW1 Battlefields Tour led by Mark and Lesley whose knowledge and research into the subject is incredible. Thanks to them we were able to visit the final resting places of my wife's grandfather and his brother killed within two weeks of each other and pay our respects. Nothing was too much trouble for them and they made the trip most enjoyable and informative. I would highly recommend their tours and look forward to joining them on a future tour.
I started planning my trip back to Scotland last year with Mark and Lesley. They were so great to work with as I created my own itinerary and they promptly answered all my questions along the way. Each day with Lesley was absolutely brilliant and she has a wealth of knowledge about the country and its history so I also learned much as we traveled along the way! I’ll be going home once again leaving a small piece of my � here �� knowing that I’ll return again in the future. thanks again for everything my dear new friends �
I had one of the most amazing trips with Solway tours! Mark and Lesley definitely know their stuff and made sure they went the extra mile for every single person on the trip. If you're thinking about going on the Battlefield WW1 trip do not hesitate, it's an unforgettable experience that would be difficult to forget! x
Highly recommend Solway Tours our trip to Rosslyn Chapel and the Kelpies made all the more enjoyable by the information given to us by the friendly , approachable and knowledgable Lesley and Mark and not forgetting our coach driver who got us there and back safely in appalling weather conditions . I'd definitely travel with them again. x
Had a wonderful day out with Solway Tours to Garlieston and Sorbie Tower to see the Weeping Window. Really enjoyed all the local history and sights. Lesley clearly is passionate about her local history and promoting Dumfries and Galloway. We plan to use Solway Tours in the future. Thanks for a most enjoyable day.
Great historic tour today with Lesley and Mark. Castles, towers, stone circles, ancient crosses. So knowledgeable about everything. Highly recommend �
Geared to what you want to see and the history makes it so special.
Absolutely the way travel! Mark and Lesley created a bespoke tour for us that centred around our ancestral history. They are fountains of knowledge about everything and know all the great sites. Their passion for history and delivering a great experience makes a tour with them a fun, comfortable, informative and stress-free way to see the country! Thank you for a fantastic three days our family will always treasure 😊
Absolutely the BEST vacation! Many thanks to Mark and Lesley for making this an amazing and unforgettable experience! Can’t wait to see you guys for the next trip!
Absolutely grand time exploring the family history in the border lands with Solway Tours. It's clear from the start that Mark and Lesley enjoy what they do. Their passion shines through in the history they share as well as their willingness to change course when new information is found. I can't recall a better guided tour ever. So happy to have found their website and booked with them. If you've got even a hint of Scottish blood in you, these are the folks you want to have help you discover more.