Meet your personal guide

Cameron Burns

Cameron is deeply passionate about Scotland.  He loves to share his knowledge and experience with visitors, helping them to make their own connections with the land, the history and culture.

His family are Scottish but he was raised in Manchester and London. He was an academic and organ scholar at New College Oxford and spent most of his life working as an opera conductor, vocal coach and pianist. He made his conducting debut with the London Symphony Orchestra in 2012 and worked for Royal Opera House, Mariinsky Theatre, Staatsoper Hannover (where he was Kapellmeister for 5 years), English National Opera, BBC Proms, as well as  engagements in the USA, Japan, The Netherlands, Belgium and Bulgaria. He was mentored by Sir Jeffery Tate and studied with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Mirella Freni. After 35 years of dedicating his life to music, he decided to hang up his conducting shoes in 2024 and pursue something new.

Cameron has lived for extended periods in Germany, Italy and Portugal. More recently he has lived in Glasgow, and the Isle of Mull, and now lives in Edinburgh with his husband Lincoln, the founder of Scotland Live. He posts regularly on Instagram via his page cam.tours.scotland.

Five reasons to book with me

1. Stress-Free

   I will take care of all the arrangements, from booking hotels to making dinner reservations. Scotland’s roads are not easy even for the most experienced driver. I drive so you can concentrate on the extraordinary scenery.

2. Flexibility

   Your private tour will be entirely tailored to you. I create a schedule which affords you the luxury of spending time in places without rush. And if you want to divert from the plan, I’m well-versed in the art of adaptation.

3. Comfort

   Travel with ease in my spacious Land Rover Defender - probably the most iconic vehicle associated with the Scottish Highlands. All hotel recommendations are based on my personal experience of their comfort and quality.

4. Connection

   You don’t need to be Scottish to feel Scottish. In sharing my local knowledge, I help you to make your own connections with this extraordinary place. You are never a tourist in my eyes but somebody who is integral to keeping the traditions and culture of Scotland alive.

5. Memories

   Stuff is temporal. Memories are eternal. I aim to create intimate experiences with Scotland’s magic which will linger in the soul and continue to inspire long after you have returned home.