Become a Dornoch Tours Guide
Bring Dornoch's stories to life, one lantern-lit evening at a time.
Apply now →Takes about 5 minutes. No experience needed.
Every evening, as the light fades over Dornoch Cathedral and the streets grow quiet, our guides step out with a lantern, a gathered crowd, and a thousand years of history at their fingertips. Guiding a ghost tour is part storytelling, part local history, part theatre — and entirely unforgettable.
If you love this town, enjoy an audience, and can hold a group spellbound on a dark street corner, we'd love to hear from you. Honestly — why not give it a try?
What Our Guides Do
Our guides lead small groups on evening walking tours through Dornoch's historic heart — from the cathedral grounds to the old jail, past the site of Scotland's last witch execution, and along streets that have seen centuries of life, death, and the occasional lingering spirit.
A guide's evening includes welcoming guests, leading the walking route safely and confidently, telling the stories of Dornoch's darker history with warmth and drama, and answering questions from the curious (and the sceptical). Tours run in most weather, in every season, and no two nights are ever quite the same.
The Skills We Look For
You don't need to arrive as a polished performer — that's what training is for. But great guides tend to share a few qualities:
Storytelling
The ability to hold attention, build suspense, and land a tale with timing and heart. If you've ever kept a dinner table hanging on your every word, you have the raw material.
Warmth with People
Our guests range from families to history buffs to hen parties. A good guide reads the room and makes everyone feel welcome.
A Love of Local History
You don't need a degree, just genuine curiosity. The stories work because they're true, and guests can tell when a guide cares.
Reliability and Calm
Tours run on schedule, in the dark, outdoors. Guides need to be dependable and comfortable managing a group on their own.
Sound like you? Even a little bit?
Start your applicationA few quick questions — we'll take it from there.
Requirements
- Available for evening work, including weekends and peak summer dates
- Comfortable walking the full tour route (roughly 90 minutes on foot, outdoors, in Highland weather)
- Confident speaking to groups of up to 25 people without amplification
- Aged 18 or over
- Able to comply with the PVG scheme (we'll help you apply if you're not already a member)
Previous guiding, acting, teaching, or performance experience is welcome but not required.
Support Materials: Our Archives
You'll never be short of a story. Over the years we've built an extensive archive to draw on:
Researched Story Files
The documented history behind each tale, so you can answer the "did that really happen?" questions with confidence.
Historical Source Material
Records, newspaper accounts, photographs, and local testimony gathered over years of research.
Route Notes and Scripts
Full tour scripts to learn from, plus notes on pacing, safety points, and alternate routes for weather.
Seasonal & Special-Event Material
Extra stories for Halloween, midsummer, and private bookings.
Guides are encouraged to make the material their own. The archive gives you the foundation; your voice makes it a tour.
Training: Learn with a Mentor
No one leads a tour alone on night one. Every new guide is paired with an experienced mentor who guides you through:
Ready to Give It a Try?
Whether you're set on applying or just curious, the easiest first step is our short online form. It takes about five minutes — tell us a bit about yourself and we'll be in touch for an informal chat.
No pressure, no polished CV needed. Just you, and whatever draws you to the stories of Dornoch.
Apply to become a guide →We'll keep a place by the lantern for you.
