Marjo McLaren

I'm based in

Edinburgh

Available for new enquiries

It's Nice To Meet You

Hello,

Thank you for visiting my website. My name is Marjo and I welcome you to my world of Travel Counsellors, where you come first!

I joined the travel industry 37 years ago. The decision to join was that I enjoy dealing with people and I love travel. I have worked in various different roles within the travel industry.

Travelling to many destinations has been a joy and privilege. I have visited many destinations around the world spanning the continents of North America, South America, Africa, Asia and Europe. Experiencing the diverse cultures this world has to offer, meeting people from different nations and my adventurous nature are some of the reasons I love travel.

As a professional Travel Counsellor working from home and building my own business I am supported by an award winning company who supports approx 1000 independent Travel Counsellors in the UK. I now have access to the best travel deals, great technology, and dynamic package system and also with fantastic support from the Travel Counsellors team in the UK.

At Travel Counsellors I have the knowledge, experience and technology to assist you with travel arrangements.

Services that I offer:
• Flights
• Package Holidays
• Tailor-Made Holidays
• Accommodation
• Car hire
• City Breaks
• UK Holidays
• Skiing Holidays
• Cruises
• Adventure Holidays

Please e-mail or phone me on the above number. I am looking forward to hearing from you.

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Explore my guides and blogs

Four Nights in Palermo: Mafia Stories & Seaside Moments

Four Nights in Palermo: Mafia Stories & Seaside Moments

I spent four nights in Palermo and quickly discovered a city full of contrasts: gritty and grand, intense and welcoming, with stories at every turn.

19 Aug 2026 1   min read

19 days tour around Vietnam and Cambodia

19 days tour around Vietnam and Cambodia

A journey through Vietnam and Cambodia

06 Apr 2026 6   min read

Oman delights

Oman delights

Who ever thought of going to Oman ? I had looked at you tube videos and read a guide book it sounded fantastic and it did not disappoint. This is the real authentic middle east . It is really nice , super nice people the Omanis, a lot of history , culture beautiful scenery with a grand canyon . It is a very safe country also going in our winter time is great average temperature was 24degrees. Al

14 Feb 2025 3   min read

3 nights in Budapest

3 nights in Budapest

we travelled for 3 nights for a city break to Budapest . What a beautiful city it exceeded our expectations. We booked the tour bus as this is always a good way of getting your bearings in a city . When we were there in January we had beautiful sunny weather with snow on the ground. The city is made up out of two areas divided by the river Danube . Buda were you will find a magnificent castle wit

11 Nov 2024 2   min read

A tour through , Doha Sri Lanka and finishing with Beautiful Maldives

A tour through , Doha Sri Lanka and finishing with Beautiful Maldives

What a trip... We left from Edinburgh to fly directly to Doha , stayed two nights in Doha . Doha is an interesting city and growing all the time . The must see in Doha is the National museum of Qatar. It is a beautiful building and telling you the whole history of Qatar. It was extremely hot in Doha but everything has air-conditioning. The main souq Waqif is well worth a visit. Doha is good place

16 Oct 2024 3   min read

River Cruise on the Rhine from Basel to Rudesheim

River Cruise on the Rhine from Basel to Rudesheim

I was lucky enough to be invited by Amadeus River cruises to join them to sample a 3 night Rhine Cruise from Basel to Rudesheim, Germany; although this Cruise does sail on to Amsterdam. River cruising is a great way to see a lot of different places. We visited the city of Basel where the cruise started. It has a nice old city centre. We sailed overnight and when we arrived the next day the

25 Jul 2017 2   min read

Stunning Barbados

Stunning Barbados

I was very lucky to be sent to Barbados with another 25 Travel Counsellors courtesy of British Airways and Elegant Hotels. We flew with BA direct to Barbados. This journey takes about eight hours from London Gatwick. I was upgraded to Club World which was a great experience. We had great service from BA in Business Class with flat beds, great food and fantastic service. On arrival in Barbados w

05 Dec 2016 5   min read

Crete a fantastic destination

Crete a fantastic destination

I have visited the Island of Crete on an educational trip with work. It is a beautiful island with many unspoilt places. The flight from London Gatwick to Heraklion (the main airport, there is another airport called Chania) took around three hours. Heraklion is almost in the middle of Crete and very accessible to many resorts on the Island. When we arrived we had fantastic lunch in Cretan Rest

24 Oct 2016 5   min read

Ibiza an island with lots of different things to do

Ibiza an island with lots of different things to do

Spending a short break in Ibiza I was not too sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. We stayed in Ibiza Town which has a beautiful old town, surrounded by an ancient great wall. It has many bar bars and great restaurants. The evenings in Ibiza town are very lively with plenty nightclubs & bars with the most famous nightclub called Pacha. We stayed in the Royal Plaza hotel in Ibiza t

20 Oct 2015 1   min read

Gran Canaria

Gran Canaria

Gran Canaria Educational: 20 June -24 June I was very lucky to travel to Gran Canaria with 11 other Travel Counsellors on an educational trip. We flew from London Gatwick with Norwegian which is a low cost airline. They were excellent and you even get free WiFi in the air! We stayed for the four nights in the Seaside Palm Beach, in Maspalomas. The service and the food is fantastic. The vi

06 Jul 2015 2   min read

The Paradise of Mauritius

The Paradise of Mauritius

Me and my husband travelled to Mauritius in November 2014. The flights were with Emirates. They are a great airline, fantastic service, very good inflight entertainment. The journey from the UK to Mauritius takes approx. 12 hours if you fly via Dubai. Direct flights take around 10 hours. We stayed in the Outriggers Resort in the Bel Ombre area of Mauritius which is the South of the Island. It i

04 Dec 2014 2   min read

Toronto in 3 days

Toronto in 3 days

I just had a fantastic trip to Toronto courtesy of Air Canada & Shangri-La hotels. We flew from London Heathrow, had a visit to the Air Canada lounge this is very nice and also very near for the flight departures to Canada. I flew Economy class to Toronto and business class back. I can highly recommend both economy (good leg room) and of course business class with flat beds. We stayed at the 5* S

11 Nov 2014 2   min read

Dominican Republic - so much to offer…..

Dominican Republic - so much to offer…..

I have just been on a fantastic educational trip to the Dominican Republic organised by the tourist board in conjunction with British Airways. On arrival at London Gatwick airport we were told that the whole group would be travelling in business class which was fantastic. I had a short stay in the Club World Lounge of BA and the flight to Punta Cana took 10 hours. We were met at Punta Cana air

07 Oct 2013 3   min read

Australia visit with fantastic wildlife on Kangaroo Island.

Australia visit with fantastic wildlife on Kangaroo Island.

I was lucky enough to be chosen to go to visit parts of Australia. We flew out with Qantas Airlines from London to Sydney and then up to Cairns. The flight had a short stop in Dubai. I had the opportunity to experience the Airbus A380 which is fantastic. The first part of my trip was a big conference with nearly all the suppliers that had something to offer in Australia. It was very interestin

03 Jun 2013 3   min read

A Cuban experience

A Cuban experience

I recently visited the fascinating country of Cuba, travelling with Virgin Atlantic directly from London Gatwick to Havana. For the first 3 nights we stayed in the Parc Central Hotelin Havana, which is part of the Iberostar group. It was a very good hotel with a fantastic breakfast and a in a great location for exploring the city. While in Havana, we went on a walking tour taking in the rum mus

05 Oct 2012 2   min read

Skiing in Andorra

Skiing in Andorra

Our family with a group of friend went on a skiing holiday to Andorra in February 2012.. We stayed in the resort of Soldeu which is right in the middle of Andorra. Which means you have access to a huge ski area around 190km with around 110 runs for all abilities. We flew into Barcelona it takes around 3 hours to get to Andorra on very good roads. We hired a car to get there. There are also trans

14 Aug 2012 2   min read

Qatar visit

Qatar visit

I visited Qatar in October 2011. It is very much an up and coming tourist destination. Not a lot tourism just yet but I can see this changing in the next 10 years. There is a lot building work going on. This will also be for the forthcoming world cup football in the 2022. The capital city Doha has got some interesting places to visit for example the Museum of Islamic art which is a very interesti

14 Aug 2012 2   min read

By Train & Boat to Kefalonia

By Train & Boat to Kefalonia

By train to Kefalonia in Greece. This summer I travelled with my family to Kefalonia. You can find this Island between Corfu and Zante. You may know this Island from the film Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. We travelled overland to Kefalonia by train and boat. We bought an Interrail pass travelling five days in a ten day period this was great value for money much cheaper than individual tickets.

15 Nov 2011 3   min read

Beautiful Kalkan

Beautiful Kalkan

I was lucky to travel to Kalkan with a group of other Travel Counsellors to see what this Turkish holiday destination has to offer. We stayed at the lovely Oasis hotel, which is within walking distance of the harbour and boasts fantastic service with glorious food. During our stay we visited several hotels in Kalkan to see what the resort has to offer for our customers. Our first visit was to

05 May 2011 2   min read

What my customers say

"Marjo McLaren organised an amazing Round the World Trip for our Silver Wedding Anniversary. She used her expert knowledge of the market to obtain business class flights and accommdation options for our trip that completely met our brief and budget. Every interaction with Marjo was characterised by stand-out customer care; specialist expertise; and Marjo providing us with a range of options for our consideration and decision. We were referred to Marjo by close friends and we are already referring her to others." - Andrew & Emma Morrison, East Lothian, April 2026

Andrew Morrison

North Berwick

Marjos knowledge and understanding of the area I wanted to travel to , was evident in the full package she tailored for me. I will definitely book future trips through Marjo.

Adam Motherwell

Bathgate

Very good service I have been using for years.

Gordon Campion

SOUTH QUEENSFERRY

Marjo is always very helpful and efficient. Always prepared to make changes to find the right arrangements which fit our interests. He approach is very friendly.

Alexander Cameron

St boswells

Marjo has always been a good help in organising my holidays. Sometimes I need reassurance as I travel solo on some occasions and I greatly rely on her help and expertise.

Angela Mcgennity

South Queensferry

Marjo is an absolute star - so helpful and efficient in arranging our travel requirements - we couldn't do without her!

John Macdonald

Gullane

Marjo was very pleasant and helpful. She found accommodation at very short notice for two people over the Christmas period. Excellent service.

Janet anderson

aberdeenshire

Marjo was extremely helpful in arranging a very special trip to Tanzania and Zanzibar for 2026. Her guidance, knowledge and excellent communication was very much appreciated.

Rhona Elder

Peebles

Marjo was very knowledgeable and professional and listened to what we wanted. She made us feel at ease and provided lots of good advice and suggestions. I would recommend Marjo to family and friends as I feel you get a more a more personal touch than other travel agents I’ve dealt with.

Gail Comerford

EDINBURGH

Prompt excellent service from Marjo as always supply all the information we needed. Many thanks

Gillian Hansen

EDINBURGH

Just one email and Marjo takes care of all requests without the hassle of trolling through lots of websites. I have been using Travel Counsellors for about 20 years

Gordon Campion

SOUTH QUEENSFERRY

Marjo could not have been more helpful and I know that she will offer prompt assistance, should I need it, during my trip, as she has done so during previous trips. I am a returning customer, which speaks volumes.

Isabel Anderson

NORTH BERWICK

Marjo is always ready to help & goes out of her way to assist you with anything! She replies quickly & is always friendly & considerate.

Sheila Partridge

EDINBURGH

Once again Marjo has guided and booked us with a wonderful holiday, this time to Montenegro and Croatia. Her experience, knowledge and attention to detail means we always feel in safe hands with all the travel arrangements. Everything is ready for us to just show up at the airport! The value of having someone who knows exactly the type of holiday, the accommodation we’re looking for, and can make it work within budget is why I always use Marjo rather than book it myself.

Dawn Stafford

EDINBURGH

Revisions to the itinerary were welcomed and accommodated to our complete satisfaction.

Samuel mccall

EDINBURGH

Marjo Mclaren is an exceptionally pleasant person to deal with. She works incredibly hard preparing quotes and information's very quickly and efficiently.

Mary Fairweather

GULLANE

Marjo is very personable and professional.

Louise Wilson

EDINBURGH

Marjo is the best, even with small issues

Michael Davidson

melrose

Very friendly and reliable!

Hester Machin

EDINBURGH

Marjo is very helpful and the past holidays she has organised for me have been very good.

Angela Mcgennity

South Queensferry

Marjo always deals with our regular travel requirements very efficiently and quickly and provides a superb service

John Macdonald

Gullane

First time of using Marjo and will certainly use her again. Gave very good service and understood what we were looking for.

Alexander cameron

MELROSE

I've been entrusting my booking of air tickets to Marjo for years and wouldn't do it any other way. Thank you, Marjo!

SUSAN OLIVER

DREM

Marjo has been fantastic to work with, showing both patience and flexibility as I gathered information from the class for the group booking. Many thanks! Hx

Hester Machin

EDINBURGH

Marjo is very patient and helpful in getting the holiday I'm looking for. She has organized 2 holidays for me so far and both have been successful. I like to be given a few options (ie hotels and facilities) when looking for my holiday and I think Marjo has taken that on board for future holiday experiences. I would definitely recommend Marjo to my family and friends 100%.

angela Mcgennity

edinburgh

I have used one other TC in the past, and wasn't very happy - so went on the hunt for another. Marjo has been perfect in every way! Not only is she personable and thorough, when I received the documentation/tags ahead of my flight I was so pleasantly surprised - the previous TC didn't do anything like that. Then she followed up to see how my trip was. I have already recommended her to friends - she gives a 5* service!

Joette Thomas

Edinburgh

Marjo was, as always professional & informative. A great help in our decision making. I have recommended her to friends & have no qualms about doing so again.

Sharon Mcintyre

Glasgow

What excellent service -first class and always helpful and flexible.

sandra cassels

edinburgh

We had no idea where we wanted to go on holiday and we're probably slightly overwhelmed with the choices and options available. Marjo made this not only easier but a much more enjoyable process and I'm looking forward to booking further trips with her.

Elaine Mcleod

edinburgh

Delighted with our experience of booking a short city break with Marjo - her local knowledge and advice was valuable to us in making choices of hotels and where to visit. Thank you...

Gillian Cooper

edinburgh

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Tailor-made for you

Your holiday isn’t just a trip away. It’s a longed-for escape, time to reconnect with loved ones, or a dream adventure you never thought possible. That’s why I take the time to truly get to know you and understand your hopes and expectations, then use my experience, connections and passion for the destination to create a trip that makes those dreams a reality.

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Personalised service. Always

When you plan a holiday with me, you’ll be given my personal mobile number from the very first call. I’ll listen to your thoughts and ideas like I would a friend and arrange accommodation, activities, and flights that are all personalised to you. And I’ll share my personal tips and recommendations, so you can experience the true beauty of each destination.

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Stress-free travel, and more time
for what matters most

I believe your time away should be stress-free, easy, and seamless from start to finish. So, I take care of all the details for you - from ATOL protection, insurance, and flexible payments to access to the myTC app, which keeps everything in one place.

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Support when it matters most

If the unexpected happens, you can rest easy, knowing that I’ll handle any last-minute changes, flight cancellations, or disruptions before you even pick up the phone. So you always feel happy, carefree, and ready to make the most of every moment.

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07969 008465

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Finding your match...

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