Terms and Conditions
Terms & Conditions (for Participants on 2 hour to ½ day trips)
1. Booking & Payment
Full payment is required to secure your place on the event.
All bookings are non-refundable.
2. Cancellations & Transfers
If you can no longer attend, you may:
Transfer your spot to another person by notifying me at least 24 hours in advance, or...
Request a **credit note** for the full value of your booking, valid for any future event within 12 months - this can only be requested 1 month or above before the tour date commences.
No cash refunds will be given under any circumstances.
3. Event Changes or Cancellations
In the event of severe weather, ferry disruption, or unforeseen circumstances, the organiser reserves the right to reschedule, cancel, or modify the event.
If the event is cancelled by the organiser for any reason, you will receive a **credit note** to be used on a future event within 12 months. No refunds will be issued.
4. Participant Requirements
Participants must be aged 16 or over.
You must have a reasonable level of fitness and be capable of walking on uneven, rugged rocky terrain for several hours.
You are responsible for bringing suitable clothing, footwear, a pack lunch and any medication you require.
You must disclose any relevant medical conditions & allergies prior to the event.
5. Liability
The organiser is not liable for any injury, loss, or damage incurred during the event.
Participation is entirely at your own risk.
6. Photography & Media
By attending, you grant permission for photos or videos taken during the event to be used on @scottishgeologist social media, website, or marketing materials unless you notify us otherwise before the event.
Terms and Conditions
Terms & Conditions (for Participants on 5 to 7 day trips that include accommodation, transport and guiding)
Last updated: 31/08/2026
These terms and conditions apply to tours and geological excursions organised by Scot Rock Walks – Scottish Geology Tours Ltd, trading as the Scottish Geologist.
Please read these terms carefully before booking. By making a booking, the lead traveller confirms that they have read, understood and accepted these terms on behalf of everyone included in the booking.
1. About Us
Your contract is with:
Scot Rock Walks – Scottish Geology Tours Ltd
Trading as: Scottish Geologist / Scot Rock Walks
Company number: SC800102
Registered office: 11 Muirhead Drive, Law, Carluke, ML8 5FB
Email: info@scottishgeologist.co.uk
Telephone: +447703854719
Website: www.scottishgeologist.co.uk
In these terms, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to Scot Rock Walks – Scottish Geology Tours Ltd. “You”, “your”, “traveller” and “participant” refer to the person making the booking and everyone included within that booking.
2. Your Booking Contract
A booking is made when:
you submit a booking through our website or another agreed booking method;
you pay the required deposit or full tour price; and
we issue written booking confirmation.
Your booking confirmation, tour description, itinerary, booking information and these terms together form your contract with us.
Please check your confirmation carefully and contact us immediately if any details are incorrect. Names must match the details supplied for accommodation and other services where applicable.
The lead traveller must be at least 18 years old and is responsible for:
ensuring that all booking information is accurate;
making all payments due;
sharing these terms and all relevant tour information with the other participants; and
passing on any updates or instructions we provide.
3. What Is Included
The services included in your booking will be clearly stated on the individual tour page or booking confirmation. Depending on the excursion, these may include:
professional geological guiding;
transport during the advertised tour;
accommodation;
specified meals or refreshments;
admission charges included within the itinerary; and
educational materials or equipment.
Anything not expressly listed as included should be treated as excluded.
Unless otherwise stated, the following are not included:
travel to and from the advertised meeting and finishing points;
personal travel insurance;
meals, drinks or refreshments not specified as included;
personal purchases;
optional activities;
additional accommodation outside the tour dates; and
costs arising from a participant’s delay, illness, cancellation or failure to follow joining instructions.
4. Prices and Payment
The total price, deposit and payment schedule will be displayed at the time of booking.
A booking is not confirmed until the required deposit or full payment has been received and written confirmation has been issued.
Where a deposit is accepted, the remaining balance must be paid by the date shown on your booking confirmation. We may send a reminder, but it remains your responsibility to make payment on time.
If the balance is not received by the due date, we may treat the booking as cancelled by you. Any cancellation charge will be calculated in accordance with section 8 and will reflect the losses and costs arising from the cancellation.
Payments must be made using one of the approved payment methods shown on our website or invoice.
5. Package Travel Protection
Where your booking combines two or more travel services and constitutes a package under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018, you will benefit from the rights applying to package travel.
We will be responsible for the proper performance of the travel services included in your package and for providing assistance if you experience difficulty during the trip.
6. No Automatic 14-Day Cooling-Off Period
Tours, accommodation, passenger transport, catering and leisure activities supplied on specific dates are generally excluded from the standard 14-day cooling-off right applying to some online purchases.
Your cancellation rights are therefore governed by these terms and any statutory rights that apply to your booking.
7. Changing Your Booking
Please contact us as soon as possible if you wish to change a booking.
We will try to accommodate reasonable requests but cannot guarantee that a change will be possible. You will be responsible for any additional costs charged by accommodation providers or other suppliers, together with any reasonable administrative costs arising from the requested change.
Where package-travel legislation applies, you may transfer your booking to another person who satisfies the conditions of the tour. You must give us reasonable written notice, normally at least seven days before departure.
You and the replacement traveller will be jointly responsible for:
paying any outstanding balance;
the actual costs of making the transfer; and
providing all information needed to complete the transfer.
We will provide evidence of the transfer costs on request.
8. Cancellation by You
You may cancel your booking at any time before the tour begins by notifying us in writing. Cancellation takes effect when we receive your written notice.
Any cancellation charge will be reasonable and justifiable, taking account of:
how far in advance the cancellation is made;
accommodation, transport and supplier costs already committed or paid;
costs that cannot be recovered;
administrative costs;
savings resulting from the cancellation; and
whether we are able to resell your place.
The maximum cancellation charges will normally be:
Notice received before departure - Maximum cancellation charge
More than 120 days - Up to 30% of the total booking price
91–120 days - Up to 50% of the total booking price
61–90 days - Up to 60% of the total booking price
31–60 days - Up to 80% of the total booking price
30 days or fewer - Up to 100% of the total booking price
These percentages are maximum amounts rather than automatic charges. We will reduce the charge where our actual loss is lower or where we successfully resell your place.
If we resell your place, we will refund the amount recovered, less any non-recoverable supplier costs, price difference and reasonable administrative expenses.
You may request an explanation of how your cancellation charge was calculated.
We strongly recommend taking out suitable travel insurance as soon as you book. Depending on the policy, insurance may cover cancellation arising from illness, injury, bereavement or other specified circumstances.
Failure to attend, arriving after departure or leaving a tour early will normally be treated as cancellation by you. No refund will be due for unused services unless required by law or the services are successfully resold or recovered from the relevant supplier.
9. Unavoidable and Extraordinary Circumstances
Where package-travel legislation applies, you may cancel before departure without paying a cancellation charge if unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances occur at or near the destination and significantly affect the performance of the package or the transport of passengers to the destination.
If this statutory right applies, you will receive a refund of payments made for the package, but you will not normally be entitled to additional compensation.
An unwillingness to travel because of poor but safe weather, personal circumstances or a change of mind will not automatically constitute unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances.
10. Cancellation by Us
Our public tours require a minimum number of participants to operate. Unless the individual tour page states otherwise, the minimum is f paying participants.
We may cancel a tour if:
the minimum number of participants is not reached;
unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances prevent us from delivering the tour;
the guide becomes seriously ill or unavailable and a suitable replacement cannot reasonably be arranged;
transport, accommodation or another essential service becomes unavailable; or
continuing with the tour would create an unacceptable safety risk.
For a five-day excursion, we will normally notify you of cancellation due to insufficient numbers no later than 28 days before departure.
If we cancel your tour before it begins, you may choose any alternative expressly offered by us or receive a full refund of the payments made to us for the cancelled booking. Refunds will be issued without undue delay and, where the Package Travel Regulations apply, no later than 14 days after cancellation.
We will not be responsible for separate travel, accommodation or other arrangements you book independently. You should ensure that external arrangements are refundable or adequately covered by your travel insurance.
Where cancellation results from unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances, a full refund will be provided, but additional compensation will not normally be payable.
11. Changes to the Itinerary
The published itinerary represents our intended plan, but outdoor geological excursions require flexibility.
We may change the order, timing or location of stops because of:
weather or ground conditions;
tides;
road closures or transport disruption;
ferry changes or cancellations;
land access restrictions;
accommodation or supplier changes;
participant safety;
the mobility or needs of the group; or
other circumstances beyond our reasonable control.
Where possible, we will replace an unavailable stop or service with a suitable alternative of a comparable standard or geological interest.
Minor itinerary changes do not normally entitle you to cancel or receive a refund.
If we must make a significant change to an essential part of your package before departure, we will tell you promptly and explain your available options. Depending on the circumstances and your statutory rights, these may include:
accepting the change;
accepting a suitable alternative package, where offered; or
cancelling and receiving a full refund.
If a significant part of the contracted services cannot be provided after the tour begins, we will make suitable alternative arrangements at no additional cost where reasonably possible.
12. Weather and Outdoor Conditions
Tours operate in the Scottish outdoors, where weather and ground conditions can change quickly.
Rain, wind, cold, heat, midges, reduced visibility or generally poor weather will not by themselves result in cancellation. We may adapt the route or itinerary to provide a safe and worthwhile experience.
You must bring the clothing, footwear and equipment specified in the joining information. This will normally include:
waterproof jacket and trousers;
warm layers;
sturdy walking boots or suitable outdoor footwear;
food and water where these are not provided; and
any personal medication.
We may prevent a participant from joining an activity where their clothing or equipment is clearly unsuitable and creates a safety risk. This will be treated as cancellation by the participant unless otherwise required by law.
13. Fitness, Mobility and Medical Information
Our excursions may involve uneven paths, rocky shorelines, beaches, slopes, steps, wet or boggy ground and getting in and out of a vehicle.
The individual tour description will provide general information about expected activity levels. You are responsible for deciding whether the tour is suitable for you.
You must tell us at time of booking, or as soon as reasonably possible afterwards, about any:
medical condition;
mobility requirement;
allergy;
disability;
pregnancy;
dietary requirement; or
other circumstance that could affect your participation or require reasonable adjustments.
We will treat this information sensitively and consider reasonable adjustments wherever practicable. However, some remote geological locations may not be accessible to everyone.
Please contact us before booking if you are unsure about suitability. We will provide honest information about the expected terrain but cannot offer individual medical advice.
You are responsible for carrying necessary medication and following the advice of your doctor or healthcare professional.
14. Food, Allergies and Dietary Requirements
Where meals are included, this will be stated in the tour description.
Please provide details of allergies and dietary requirements when booking. We will pass relevant information to accommodation and catering providers and make reasonable efforts to accommodate your needs.
However, we cannot guarantee a completely allergen-free environment. Participants with serious allergies remain responsible for carrying appropriate medication and taking reasonable precautions.
15. Participant Conduct
Everyone must behave responsibly and follow reasonable safety instructions given by the guide, driver, accommodation provider, landowner or activity provider.
You must not:
behave in a threatening, abusive or disruptive way;
endanger yourself or another person;
damage property or the natural environment;
enter restricted or unsafe areas;
remove rocks, fossils or minerals without permission;
interfere with protected geological or archaeological sites;
travel while excessively affected by alcohol or drugs; or
repeatedly disregard instructions.
We may remove a participant from the tour where their behaviour creates a safety risk, causes serious disruption or affects the enjoyment or wellbeing of others.
In these circumstances, the participant will be responsible for arranging and paying for their onward transport and accommodation. No refund will normally be provided for services missed as a result, subject to applicable law.
Participants are responsible for damage they deliberately or negligently cause to vehicles, accommodation, equipment or other property.
16. Geological Collecting and the Environment
We follow responsible geological fieldwork and Scottish Outdoor Access Code principles.
Rock, mineral or fossil collecting is not automatically permitted. Participants must not hammer exposures, remove specimens or disturb protected sites without the express permission of the guide and, where required, the landowner.
We ask all participants to:
leave sites as they find them;
avoid unnecessary disturbance;
take litter away;
respect wildlife, livestock and local communities; and
follow biosecurity and access instructions.
17. Transport
Where tour transport is included, participants must:
arrive at the meeting point by the stated time;
wear seat belts where provided;
remain seated while the vehicle is moving;
follow the driver’s instructions; and
avoid bringing items that are unsafe, unlawful or too large to carry.
Reasonable luggage limits may apply and will be included in the joining information.
We cannot delay the group significantly for a late participant. If you miss the departure, you will be responsible for reaching the next agreed location at your own expense.
Journey times are approximate and may be affected by traffic, weather, road conditions and other circumstances outside our control.
18. Accommodation
The accommodation included in your booking will be described on the tour page or booking confirmation.
Room types may vary depending on availability. If you book a shared room, you may be required to share with the person named in your booking or another participant where this has been clearly agreed in advance.
Single rooms may be subject to availability and a supplement.
You must follow the accommodation provider’s reasonable rules and will be responsible for damage or additional charges arising from your conduct.
19. Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend that every participant obtains comprehensive travel insurance immediately after booking.
Your policy should, where appropriate, cover:
cancellation and curtailment;
illness and injury;
medical and emergency expenses;
personal belongings;
travel disruption;
missed departure;
outdoor walking activities; and
the full value and duration of the trip.
If you choose to travel without adequate insurance, you accept responsibility for losses that suitable insurance would otherwise have covered.
20. Personal Belongings
You are responsible for your own belongings throughout the tour.
Please do not leave valuables unattended in vehicles, accommodation or public places. We are not responsible for loss, theft or damage unless it results directly from our failure to exercise reasonable care and skill.
21. Photography and Filming
We may take photographs or short video clips during tours for business, educational or promotional purposes.
We will seek your permission before using an identifiable image of you for marketing. You may decline to be photographed or filmed without affecting your participation.
Participants must respect the privacy of others and obtain consent before publishing identifiable or potentially sensitive images of another participant.
Commercial filming, organised content production or use of the tour to provide a paid service requires our prior written permission.
22. Our Responsibility
We will provide the services included in your booking with reasonable care and skill.
Where your booking is a package, we are responsible for the proper performance of the travel services included in the package, regardless of whether those services are performed directly by us or by another supplier.
If a service is not performed as agreed, you must tell us without undue delay so that we have a reasonable opportunity to investigate and remedy the problem.
Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability where doing so would be unlawful, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or your statutory consumer rights.
We are not responsible for loss or damage caused by:
the traveller;
an unrelated third party where the event was unforeseeable or unavoidable;
unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances; or
a failure to provide us promptly with relevant information.
Any limitation of compensation will apply only to the extent permitted by law.
23. Assistance During the Tour
If you experience difficulty during a package tour, contact us as soon as possible using the contact details supplied in your joining information.
We will provide appropriate assistance, which may include information about local services, medical assistance, transport options or alternative arrangements.
We may charge a reasonable fee if the difficulty was caused intentionally or through negligence on your part. Any fee will not exceed the actual costs we incur.
24. Complaints
If a problem arises during the tour, please tell the guide immediately. Raising the issue promptly gives us the opportunity to investigate and, where possible, resolve it during the trip.
If the matter is not resolved, submit a written complaint within 28 days of the tour ending to:
Email: info@scottishgeologist.co.uk
Please include your booking reference, departure date and a clear description of the issue.
We will acknowledge your complaint and aim to provide a substantive response within 28 days.
25. Personal Information
We process personal information to administer bookings, take payments, communicate with participants, manage safety and deliver our services.
Further information is available in our Privacy Policy at:
Health, dietary and accessibility information will only be used where reasonably necessary to manage your booking and participation, and will be handled in accordance with applicable data-protection law.
26. Events Outside Our Control
Neither party will be responsible for failing to perform an obligation where performance is prevented by unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances outside that party’s reasonable control.
These may include severe weather, natural disasters, wildfire, flooding, landslides, epidemics, government restrictions, serious transport disruption, road closures, industrial action or failure of essential infrastructure.
This clause does not remove any right to a refund, alternative arrangement, assistance or other remedy provided by applicable consumer or package-travel law.
27. Changes to These Terms
The terms applying to your booking are those provided when your booking is confirmed.
We may update these terms for future bookings. A later version will not retrospectively remove rights forming part of an existing confirmed booking.
28. Severability
If any provision of these terms is found to be unlawful, invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue to apply.
29. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
These terms and your booking contract are governed by Scots law.
The Scottish courts will have non-exclusive jurisdiction. If you live elsewhere in the United Kingdom, you may also be entitled to bring proceedings in the courts of the part of the UK where you live.
Nothing in these terms affects your statutory consumer rights.
30. Contact Us
Questions about a booking or these terms should be sent to:
Scot Rock Walks – Scottish Geology Tours Ltd
Email: info@scottishgeologist.co.uk