Visitor information
Tour terms, in plain English.
These terms explain the practical arrangements for booking and taking a tour through the Scottish Borders. Your booking confirmation will contain the details specific to your day.
Before payment
Know what to expect from the arrangement.
The advertised routes are starting points for a conversation. Please ask about walking, access, vehicle travel, admission fees and the final itinerary before you pay.
A booking is confirmed after payment and a confirmation email.
1. About these terms
These terms explain the main arrangements for tours advertised by Tours: by Discover Scottish Borders. The public correspondence details for the tour service are Genscu Productions, Tweedbank Drive, Galashiels, TD1 3RS. They should be read alongside the tour description, the Accessibility page and the booking confirmation sent to you. Your confirmation will contain the route, date, price and any arrangements specific to your booking.
2. Enquiries, bookings and confirmation
You can enquire through the contact form on this website or, when using a mobile phone, through the WhatsApp button. Mark will discuss the route, date, price and practical plans with you before payment. A booking is confirmed only when payment has been received by bank transfer and a confirmation email has been sent. Please check the confirmation and tell us promptly if any detail is wrong.
3. Prices, payment and what is included
The price shown on a tour page is for the tour service described. The final price and any agreed additions will be confirmed before payment. Bank-transfer details will be provided only once the plans have been discussed and confirmed. Admission fees to attractions are not included unless your booking confirmation specifically says otherwise. Guests should also allow for personal food, drinks and any other personal expenses during the day.
4. Route, weather and access changes
The Scottish Borders contains rural, exposed and historic locations. Routes may need to change because of weather, ground conditions, road conditions, closures, opening times, access limitations or safety. Mark will discuss reasonable alternatives where possible. A tour page describes the intended character of a route; it is not a guarantee that every named site will be visited on every date.
5. Guest responsibilities
Guests are responsible for providing accurate information about their group, including relevant walking, mobility or access requirements. Guests should bring suitable clothing and footwear, arrange appropriate travel, medical and cancellation insurance, follow safety instructions, use seat belts and take reasonable care of themselves and their belongings. Children must travel in an appropriate child seat supplied by the accompanying adult.
6. Vehicles and outdoor activities
Guests must be able to enter and leave the vehicle independently or with assistance from their own travelling companion. Physical lifting or mobility assistance cannot be provided. Luggage is carried free of charge but at the passenger’s own risk, and travellers must be able to lift their own luggage. Outdoor walking may involve mud, fields, uneven ground, steep slopes and no formal path. Please read the Accessibility page before booking.
7. Third-party sites and facilities
Many attractions, roads, churchyards, toilets, car parks and other facilities are operated by third parties. Their opening times, charges, accessibility and condition are outside our control. Mark will share the information available when planning the route, but guests should expect conditions to vary between locations.
8. Cancellations and refunds
If you need to cancel or change your plans, please use the contact form as soon as possible. For a confirmed booking, cancellation is handled as follows: 14 or more calendar days before the scheduled start time, a full refund will be given; 7 to 13 calendar days before the scheduled start time, 50% of the tour payment will be refunded; less than 7 calendar days before the scheduled start time, or if a guest does not attend, a refund will not normally be available. These time bands reflect the time reserved for your group and the difficulty of filling a late vacancy; they are not intended to operate as a penalty. If the date can be rebooked, or if our reasonable non-recoverable costs are lower, we may offer a greater refund. We will also consider serious circumstances such as illness, bereavement or major travel disruption reasonably, and may offer a change of date where availability allows. Any bespoke arrangement or different cancellation terms will be confirmed before payment. Refunds are normally made by bank transfer within 14 days of the refund being agreed, usually to the account from which payment was made. Tours are date-specific leisure services, so the usual 14-day online change-of-mind right may not apply to a booking for a particular date or period. Where a statutory right does apply, it overrides this policy. Nothing in these terms removes any consumer right that cannot lawfully be excluded.
9. If we need to cancel or change a tour
On rare occasions a tour may need to be postponed, shortened or rearranged because of illness, severe weather, unsafe conditions, vehicle problems, site closure or another circumstance outside reasonable control. If we cancel before the tour starts, you can choose an alternative date, subject to availability, or a full refund of the tour payment. If a tour has started but cannot reasonably continue for safety or another serious reason, we will discuss a fair rearrangement or partial refund based on what has and has not been provided. We will contact you as soon as practical. We cannot normally reimburse independent travel, accommodation or other costs that were not booked through us, so suitable travel and cancellation insurance is strongly recommended.
10. Personal belongings, safety and liability
Guests should keep valuables secure and should not leave important items unattended in a vehicle. Discover Scottish Borders will use reasonable care in providing the tour. Nothing in these terms limits liability where the law does not permit it to be limited, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence or for other protected consumer rights.
11. Photos, feedback and reviews
We welcome photographs and feedback after a tour. If you email photographs, please state clearly whether you are giving permission for them to be shared on Discover Scottish Borders websites or social-media channels. Reviews should reflect your genuine experience and may be displayed on the website with your permission or in accordance with the arrangement discussed with you.
12. Questions and complaints
If something does not feel right before, during or after your tour, please raise it as soon as possible through the contact form so it can be addressed. We will listen, investigate where appropriate and respond in a reasonable time.
Need clarification?
Ask before you book.
If your plans involve a particular site, access requirement, child seat, walking limit or cancellation concern, please raise it before payment.