a wee welcome
Hello! I’m the Kay in ‘chaotic’ and I’m on a mission to share Scotland and my car-free adventures with as many people as possible. I’m so glad you found me.
It’s hard to imagine what I would be doing right now if it wasn’t this.
My story is one of sliding doors: an unexpected opportunity and a reluctant “yes”; years of pauses and persistence; winging it and losing it; finding my voice and my way.
The common thread throughout it all is Scotland.
Falling in love with my own country significantly shifted the course of my life, and it is through documenting and sharing my discoveries that I’ve found my passion and my purpose.
A WEE SNAPSHOT OF ME
> My name is Kay, I’m 36 years old and I live in Edinburgh.
> This is my full-time career; exploring Scotland, sharing my experiences, and promoting local businesses, destinations and brands.
> I consider myself a travel writer & content creator, rather than an ‘influencer’ (this term didn’t even exist when I started blogging!).
> I don’t drive and it’s never held me back. I’ve explored and experienced so much of Scotland by public transport, and you can too.
> The Scottish Islands are my idea of paradise; I’ve been to 66 so far and I’ll never tire of their charm and beauty. Get inspired here.
> I’m happiest when by the sea, or when I’m eating! Food is always top priority on my adventures, particularly cute cafes, bakeries and anywhere serving home-cooked meals and local produce.
> I help visitors plan their trips to Scotland; my friend Yvette (Wayfaring Kiwi) and I launched the first ever Planning a Trip to Scotland online course in 2023 and I offer 1:1 travel consultations over Zoom.
MY LOVE FOR SCOTLAND: HOW IT BEGAN
Variations of “I can’t believe this was here all along” were my recurring thoughts on that very first tour. I was training to be a tour guide with Haggis Adventures, but unlike the other newbies, I had never been to the Highlands. In fact, I hadn’t even applied for the job.
I was 22, the year was 2010, and I had recently returned from a failed attempt at living and studying in London. Unemployed and uninspired, I didn’t know what to do with my life. I just knew I wanted to travel.
Browsing brochures for backpackers, I had my heart set on a bus tour through Eastern Europe and a sailing trip in Croatia. I needed money first, though.
Searching for jobs on Gumtree, I saw a Scottish tour company advertising for Reservations staff and wait for it… they were the sister company of the Euro-tour operator I had bookmarked for my next foreign escapade!
Driven purely by desire for a discount on the tours overseas, I eagerly applied and I really wanted that job.
I received a phone call to say that I’d been unsuccessful, but that they thought I’d make a great tour guide. “Would you like me to set up an interview?”. I was gutted.
Based on my complete lack of Scottish travel experience, poor knowledge of Scottish history, and low self-esteem, I very nearly declined the offer. I had no interest in being a tour guide.
Nonetheless, I reluctantly said yes.


Up until that point, I had been complacent about my home country, naively seeking out destinations elsewhere for adventure and escapism. Now was my chance to appreciate and get to know my own country.
I will never forget seeing and experiencing it all for the first time; it was like being let in on a (not-so secret) secret and one that I didn’t want to keep to myself.
From that point on, I threw myself into learning about Scotland; I taught myself Scottish history from children’s books in the National Library of Scotland and would recite vivid tales and facts to anyone who would listen.
When I was on the road as a guide, I got to relive that ‘first time’ experience through the eyes of my passengers. I loved watching their reactions to the stories and scenery, and I was immensely proud to be a part of their experience.
I wasn’t going to be a tour guide forever, but I had found my calling and I knew that I wanted to share Scotland with as many people as possible. In 2013, I found another way to do exactly that.
My blog, The Chaotic Scot, was born.
TIMELINE & ACHIEVEMENTS
2010: trained as a tour guide with Haggis Adventures. Still my best decision to this day. Started university in Edinburgh the same year.
2011: jumped ship to the sister company in Europe for a season and guess which tours I was chosen to guide? Eastern Europe & Croatia sailing. What a twist of fate!
2013: launched The Chaotic Scot website and Facebook page. I had no readers and no idea what I was doing.
2014: graduated with a First Class Honours in Tourism Management with Marketing and started working full-time at Edinburgh Airport.
2014 – 2018: used every weekend and every day of my annual leave to explore Scotland. Wished that I could travel & write full-time; very much felt like a pipe dream at the time!
2018: finally left my day job and look the leap into self-employment! Travelling, writing and creating content full-time.
2019: launched my Scotland itinerary planning services to help visitors plan their dream trips.
2020 & 2022: listed as one of the Top 100 Women in Tourism in Scotland by Women in Tourism.
2020: started a Dreaming of Scotland Facebook group during the pandemic to keep people doing exactly that. Soon afterwards, I launched my online shop of the same name and my range of beanie hats are still hugely popular.
2022 & 2023: contributed to the Lonely Planet guidebooks, including being the main writer for Lonely Planet Scotland: Edition 12.
2023: appeared on live TV (ITV This Morning) and launched the Planning a Trip to Scotland online course with Wayfaring Kiwi.
2024: I have LOTS of plans! Watch this space.