Tour guide in Carlisle England Fiona S.

Hello, my name is Fiona and I am a local tour guide based near Carlisle in Cumbria. When I am not guiding tours I enjoy walking and wildlife watching, coastal rowing, cycle touring, reading historic novels and autobiographies, growing my own food and playing the ukulele (badly). I have lived close to Carlisle and the Solway coast since 2002. Carlisle is steeped in centuries of history. The nearby Solway coast is a stunning area with big skies, a sweeping coastline, dramatic views across the estuary sands and waters, and lots of wildlife. People have lived in Carlisle and around the Solway coast for thousands of years which means there are layers and layers of history for visitors to explore. As a local tour guide I see it as my job to interpret the clues left by history, which are to be found in Carlisle and the Solway landscape. Perhaps not as well known as some parts of the UK, and therefore not so busy, the Solway coast and Carlisle are places where it is easy for visitors to find space and socially distance from other people. I am amazed by the history and stories of Carlisle and the Solway coastal areas and I have become an avid collector of local tales from this less well known but truly fascinating part of the UK. I love exploring the history and stories of the area with visitors on my guided tours of Carlisle and the coastal lands of north west Cumbria, England and Dumfries and Galloway in south west Scotland. In my tours I like to share some of the quirky, unexpected and sometimes quite bizarre stories about events and people from Carlisle and the Solway area, whilst I guide visitors on a journey of less well known, but captivating local natural and built heritage sites. I have been guiding local tours since 2017. Having taught undergraduates in various universities for 20 years, when I reached the 'not so old' age of 54 I decided I wanted to do something different and so I made a career change and set up as a local tour guide. I now thoroughly cherish this opportunity, which allows me to draw on my research skills and my years of experience. I get to meet and work with lots of new people, sharing the places, history and stories of a part of the UK that I am passionate about. What could be better than that? The Romans, Vikings, the Reivers, Anglo Scottish wars, industrialists, maritime trade, World Wars and much more have left their mark on the landscape and the cultural identity of this sometimes forgotten part of the UK. In my tours I always aim to share with visitors my passion for the area through the local stories, history and exploration of lesser known heritage sites in this, sometimes forgotten, part of the UK. There is so much to see. I have some set tour itineraries and I also create tour itineraries designed to suit the specific interests of my clients. I like to design tours that allow discussion as we explore the area either on foot, or in a hired vehicle driven by a professional driver. I love the intellectual challenge of designing tour itineraries that really suit the interests of my clients. In my tours I always aim is to devise an experience which is both fun and interesting, and which I hope gives my clients lots of great memories to take home with them. If you would like to find out more about a tour, please do get in touch. I will look forward to taking you on a guided tour. I have taught undergraduates in various universities for over 20 years. I have teaching qualifications, a BA(Hons) and Masters in Tourism and Leisure. I have been working as a local Solway based tour guide since 2017. I am not a driver guide. The price for my vehicle based tours covers my time as your tour guide and also the hire of a suitable vehicle with a professional local driver who has plenty of experience in driving on the rural Solway coastal roads.