Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Tartan Compass Tours collects, uses and protects personal information when you visit the website, make an enquiry, request business credentials, arrange a private guiding service, or contact Ross McDowell directly.

Tartan Compass Tours is a founder-led private guiding business based in Scotland. The information collected is intended to help Ross understand your enquiry, respond properly, shape a suitable private day, manage bookings and meet legal, accounting and safety responsibilities.

Who is responsible for your information?

Tartan Compass Tours is responsible for the personal information it collects and uses.

• Controller: Tartan Compass Tours
• Contact: info@tartan-compass.tours

What information may be collected?

Tartan Compass Tours may collect personal information when you complete an enquiry form, request credentials, email Ross, make a booking or communicate about a private guiding day. This may include:

• your name, email address, and phone number
• country or location, hotel, city or meeting location details
• preferred dates and times, and number of people in your party
• interests, preferences and practical requirements
• accessibility, mobility, comfort or medical information you choose to share
• business or agency details, where relevant
• payment and booking information
• correspondence with Ross or Tartan Compass Tours
• website usage information, depending on the cookies and analytics tools in use

You should only share sensitive health, mobility or personal information where it is useful for planning the day safely and comfortably.

How information is used

Tartan Compass Tours may use your information to:

• respond to your enquiry and understand what kind of private day you are asking about
• check availability and shape a suitable guiding proposal
• manage a booking, including payment by bank transfer or card
• send essential information about your tour or enquiry
• keep appropriate business, tax and accounting records
• respond to business credential requests
• manage safety, accessibility, comfort and route-planning considerations
• handle feedback, questions or complaints
• maintain website security and basic website operation

Tartan Compass Tours will not sell your personal information.

Lawful basis for using information

The likely lawful bases are:

• Contract: to respond to your request, prepare a proposal, arrange or deliver a guiding service, and manage booking-related communications.
• Legitimate interests: to run the business, respond to enquiries, improve services, keep appropriate records and protect the website and business.
• Consent: where consent is needed for non-essential cookies.
• Legal obligation: where records must be kept for tax, accounting, legal or regulatory reasons.
• Vital interests or safety-related necessity: only in unusual circumstances where information is needed to protect someone’s safety.

Payment information

Tartan Compass Tours accepts payment by bank transfer or online card payment via secure links (e.g. Square) unless Ross confirms otherwise in writing. If you pay by bank transfer, the relevant banks process transaction details. For card payments, the payment provider processes payment information under its own privacy terms. Tartan Compass Tours does not need to store full card details.

Sharing information

Tartan Compass Tours may share limited information only where necessary. This may include payment providers, banks, accountants, website/email providers, trusted delivery partners, or legal/insurance bodies where required.

How long information is kept

Tartan Compass Tours will keep personal information only for as long as it is needed. General enquiries are normally kept up to 24 months from the initial enquiry, reflecting two summer seasons. Booking and payment records are normally kept up to 6 years for tax and accounting reasons.

Marketing

Tartan Compass Tours does not operate an active marketing newsletter at launch. We will only send marketing updates if there is a lawful basis to do so, and you will always have the option to unsubscribe. Essential service messages are different from marketing.

Cookies and website information

Tartan Compass Tours may use essential cookies for website operation, security and basic functionality. If analytics, advertising pixels, embedded media or non-essential cookies are added, the website will explain what they do and ask for consent where required.

Your rights

You may have rights under UK data protection law, including the right to ask for a copy of your personal information, ask for inaccurate information to be corrected, ask for information to be deleted, restrict use, or object to certain uses. To make a request, contact info@tartan-compass.tours. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Children and young people

Where a private guiding enquiry includes children or young people, the enquiry should normally be made by a parent, guardian or responsible adult. Tartan Compass Tours does not knowingly collect personal information from children for marketing purposes.

Security

Tartan Compass Tours will take reasonable steps to keep personal information secure. Because no email or website transmission is completely secure, please avoid sending unnecessary sensitive information.