Bill Hill's blog

I just received a call from Liliane Bois-Simon of the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines in France to ask If i would conduct a tour for this year's batch of students like I did last year. I remember it well because of the intelligence and courtesy of last year's group and I'm sure the latest crop[ will be the same. Of all the many pleasures I get doing what I do, nothing is quite as good as a former client coming back.

I spent 4 days over a long weekend in the company of a group of 12 and 13 year old Spanish children with their teachers. It was my first time working with a company from Peterborough which organises educational tours so it was important to make a good impression. We had 2 half day walking tours and 2 day tours by coach planned. The first walking tour, in the Old Town was conducted in the teeth of a North Easterly wind and sleet, but the kids and their teachers fell in love with Edinburgh anyway.

http://www.ceilidhculture.co.uk/index.asp This festival is held in various venues in Edinburgh from 26 March until 18 April,2010. It is a celebration of Scottish music and culture. If You are going to be in Edinburgh at that time, be sure to visit the above web address to see what's going on. Enjoy, Bill

I did a step on on Monday for a coach company called Majestic Tours, based in Taunton, Somerset. The group were all from Wales so the Celtic connection was not difficult to establish. They were a very enthusiastic and receptive group and Roger, the driver, was super to work with. Its always good to get positive feedbach from the clients but when the driver says that it was the best tour he has ever been on, well that'[s a bit special!

Hi, Winter is slowly giving way to Spring and for those of you thinking about planning a trip to Scotland, I'd remind you that I do give planning help and support as part of my approach to welcoming visitors to Scotland. This is particularly useful for groups who are staying for longer spells and are planning excursions outwith Edinburgh. Yesterday I was asked to comment on a proposed itinerary for a school group from the Netherlands, being organised by a company which specialises in this activity.

Yesterday afternoon was spent in the company of 3 delegates attending a conference in the Balmoral Hotel. I had planned to walk them through Princes Street Gardens and on up to the Castle. As It happened we were driven there by the lovely Morven from my favourite travel company (see my links page), It was just as well since a bitter south easterly wind was blowing in from the firth of Forth and it was mighty cold up in the citadel. I had also planned to walk them from the Castle back to their hotel, pointing out places of interest in the Royal Mile.

Chloe is nineteen years old but will turn twenty this week. She is lovely, intelligent and enthusiastic and the grand neice of one of my oldest friends who aked me to take her for a tour yesterday. She is a California girl who was born in Oregon and she fell in love with Edinburgth at first sight. I spent three hours in her delightful company and it was a very pleasant experience. I also introduced her to the delights of Cullen Skink which she declared to be the best meal she had had since coming to the UK (apart from Pop's steak pie).

Being near the coast, Edinburgh does not get a lot of frost and snow in Wintertime, but this year ir has been different. Scotland is currently in the grip of the most prolonged cold snap for decades and parts of the city, mine included, have been snow covered for over 2 weeks with more to come! Currently there is a covering outside my house of around 30 cm with more to come, tonight and for the next few days. Even the centre of town has snow lying and the footpaths are pretty treacherous.

The morning of Christmas Eve was spent on a coach with a party of elderly people from around Warwickshire and a lively and appreciative bunch they were. The craic was sharp and continuous and despite the state of the roads we had a good time. My first job for Johnstones Coach Holidays and hopefully, not the last. My thanks to driver Steve, courier Pam and Karen the Tour Director. It was a pleasure to meet you and I hope our paths cross again.

On Sunday I met with 2 young Indian chaps. Harshit and his brother, who had recently arrived from India. The plan was to take them on an all day walking tour. Edinburgh in mid December can be a cold place. Its not that the temperature gets very low (on that day it was around -2 degrees) but the combination of wind and the damp atmosphere serve to chill you to the marrow of your bones and such a day it was.