Respecting our Heritage

We in Scotland are blessed indeed for the beautiful things all around us. We are the guardians of the many historic sites that have survived the centuries. As a born and bred Scot and a local tour guide I take great pride in playing my part in respectfully looking after these structures when taking visitors around the North East of Scotland.

However, it saddens and maddens me when occasionally the behaviour of some visitors displays utter disregard for our ancient structures such as stone circles. Regrettably recently visitors were encouraged by their tour guide to climb onto the stones for a "cool photo". These were subsequently posted on the company's social media. This is unprofessional, unnecessary and unlawful as these structures are Scheduled Monuments, making it a criminal offence to climb on them. Fortunately, this is a rare occurrence and most tour guides have integrity and share the same responsibility I feel in protecting and looking after our historical heritage.

Enjoy with respect.