“Arrive a Visitor, leave a friend”
That’s our philosophy with Mary’s Meanders. All we want is for you to enjoy your trip of a lifetime. This has been recognised by our five-star rating on Trip Advisor, and the lasting friendships made within the groups who have joined us.
We were also awarded Visit Scotland’s 2018/19 & 2021/22 Thistle award as Regional Ambassador for Lothian and the Borders and 2019/20 award for Tourism and Hospitality Hero.
For the past 7 years Emma & Anne, and the growing team at Mary’s Meanders, have been welcoming visitors from all over the World to share in our enthusiasm for our local area and enjoy tales of history and local traditions. We particularly love chatting about our specialist subjects Outlander, Mary, Queen of Scots, filming and Ancestry Tours.
We have met many amazing people and have made many friends, particularly in the Outlander Community. We can say that Outlander has truly changed our lives and the culmination of that came earlier this year when Visit Scotland asked us to host Diana Gabaldon on an Outlander locations tour. It was a real honour.
Our tours are particularly suited to solo travellers and those who may be travelling for the first time. From first contact, we will guide you all the way, and make you feel at home once you get here.
Read what some previous guests had to say here
Based in Linlithgow, the birthplace of Mary, Queen of Scots, just 20 minutes by train from Edinburgh, we are ideally placed right at the heart of the train and motorway network, within 1 hours drive to most of the major filming locations on our tours.
We mainly offer small group tours (max 14 people) and private tours, with larger groups by special request. On our minibus tours, we always have a separate driver and guide, and your guide will accompany you into the attractions.
A growing part of our business is Ancestry tours, and what a fascinating area it is. It is such an honour for us to be involved in some very personal stories.
Read about our own Genealogy paths and hear some of the stories from our Ancestry guests here.
And as we love talking about our favourite topics so much, we are available for talks to groups. Anne particularly enjoyed sharing her thoughts on Mary, Queen of Scots at Borthwick Castle and at Tartan Week in New York earlier this year.
In 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic , Anne and Emma have had to think creatively about ways to continue promoting Scotland and their tours. In May they launched their Virtual Outlander Tours, which became very successful with over 1000 bookings being made in one month! A Virtual Mary Queen of Scots tour was added in June. They also created a game app called Mary the Coo, where characters go on an Outlander Tour.
They realised that many of their past and future guests were missing Scotland and they wanted to create something that embodies the Scottish experience, until such time as we can travel again. And so, the Scottish Road Trip in a Box was born – “Bringing Scotland to your car wherever you are”.
Box Contents –
- Evocative audio content 135 mins approx
- Scottish scented car freshener
- Handmade Soap
- Artisan Scottish Mementos
- Traditional Scottish Tea and Snacks (for 2 people)
Why tour with us?
Being a friendly independent company, we can deliver the experiences you are looking for. Our tours include:
- Passionate and enthusiastic guides who are great storytellers
- Itineraries your way – flexible transport options and at a pace suited to you
- Excellent reputation – take a look at our amazing reviews and our media appearances.