Our Story

Following a short career as an international rower, Lauren swapped life on the water for the wilderness of the Scottish mountains and never looked back. She has walked, run, and climbed extensively across Scotland in both summer and winter and is always on the lookout for a new challenge. As well as being a qualified Summer and Winter Mountain Leader, Lauren has a PhD in Geology - so if you ask her about the rocks while out in the hills, be prepared for a story!

George is Perthshire based, and has a lifelong interest in the outdoors . He has been mountaineering for over 20 years, and after training as a Mountain Leader with the Royal Marines, has gained over a decade of experience teaching various aspects of mountaineering, navigating, climbing, ice climbing and cold weather survival skills. George has been fortunate to have had the opportunity to instruct in a variety of inspiring environments, including the Swiss Alps, Albanian Mountains, American Rockies, The United Arab Emirates, Arctic Norway, Cornish sea cliffs, Welsh mountains, and in numerous locations throughout Scotland. Since leaving the Royal Marines George is now working as a mountain guide both in the UK and overseas working in places such as Nepal, Greenland and Sweden.

To pursue a passion for adventure and the outdoors, Edd decided to move to Scotland from an office-based career south of the border, and has never looked back.

He’s always loved the outdoors and travel, spending every waking hour growing up exploring his local area in South East England, this then expanded to hillwalking in the Lake District and Snowdonia and subsequently mountaineering and rock climbing in Scotland and around the world.

He’s a qualified Summer and Winter Mountain Leader, DofE Supervisor/Assessor and NNAS Tutor. He’s led groups as far afield as Borneo, Ecuador, and Nepal although he believes that a day out up his beloved Lochnagar rivals any of these adventures!

James has recently retired from teaching after 34 years and now devotes much of his time to helping people young and older enjoy the benefits of the Scottish hills and the outdoors in general, something he has enjoyed doing since the Army in 1979. He is a Mountain Leader, a DofE Assessor and a National Navigation Award Scheme Course Provider. He has taken part in and led on expeditions in South America, Indonesia and South Africa as well as Europe and the British Isles. He has a particular fascination with Gaelic and Welsh mountain names. It helps with navigation!

Naomi lives in Aberdeenshire and loves spending time running, mountaineering, skiing, biking and drinking hot chocolate in the Scottish hills. She is a Summer, Winter and International Mountain Leader, Duke of Edinburgh Assessor, and National Navigation Award Scheme Tutor. She has been lucky enough to travel the globe leading expeditions over the past 12 years, with the remote arctic mountains of Norway, Greenland and Alaska being her favourite destinations. She is an active member of her local mountain rescue team and a qualified doctor.

Graham has been spending time in the outdoors most of his life and comes from a traditional Scottish mountaineering background. Starting the Munros aged 9 he completed them aged 24 on Skye’s Blaven. He’s rock and ice climbed extensively in Scotland as well as on multiple trips to the Alps, Norway and the Karakorum including fast and light ascents of Mont Blanc, The Matterhorn and Spantik. He also served in the RAF Regiment and left the oil and gas industry after 8 years to pursue a career in Scotland's mountains.

John is a qualified Summer and Winter Mountain Leader, passionate about passing on his knowledge and skills, and sharing his enthusiasm for the hills with others. He first developed his love of the outdoors in the Scottish Highlands and has explored many of the wilder and more remote corners of the Highlands, in all seasons. He has built up an intimate knowledge of the Scottish hills and glens as well as a keen interest in the ecology, geology and history of the natural environment. He also enjoys getting his hands on rock and has completed many of the UK’s classic scrambles and is a keen rock climber.

Bill is a fully qualified mountain leader and volunteer with Scottish Mountain Rescue and has over 30 years mountaineering experience. Bill has lived in the NE of Scotland since leaving the army but spends as much time in the mountains of Scotland as he does at home. He is a Munro completist and has skied, climbed and walked in many of the high ranges across the globe with multiple visits to the Himalayas and Alps. Bill has a passion for the outdoors and enjoys sharing this with others.

Gillian is an English and Drama teacher, but her first love is for outdoor activities. As a Summer Mountain Leader, DofE Assessor/Supervisor, NNAS tutor, and Mountain Bike Leader, she particularly enjoys sharing her outdoor experience with people of all ages. Currently, Gillian is a trainer for the International DofE Award, and coordinated the Award at the British School of Paris for 6 years. Whilst there, she had the privilege of leading DofE expeditions to areas of France including the Alps and Les Ecrins National Park. However, she is happy to be back in the Scottish hills!

Ronnie is a fully qualified Mountain Leader and has a passion for travel, adventure and the outdoors. With both juvenile and adult groups he has led over 25 expeditions all over the world, from 8,000m Himalayan peaks, other mountain ranges, jungles, deserts, cities and islands. Ronnie's other profession and his previous 'proper job' was as Senior HR Manager of a global energy company specialising in Leadership/organisational development, facilitation, diversity and change management. He has over 40 years experience of the Scottish hills and is knowledgeable on their history, culture and flora/fauna. When not on some long distance cycle adventure in some remote corner of the globe he can be found enjoying the hills on his Deeside doorstep.

The great outdoors has always been special to me, ever since I was a child. I am really lucky to be able to spend time in beautiful wild places for both work and leisure - I am a fully qualified Summer Mountain Leader and also a research scientist specialising in upland ecology in my ‘day job’! I have walked/scrambled up many mountains in summer and winter and also walked (cycled/sea-kayaked/canadian-canoed) in lots of coastal areas and islands. I have travelled to around 40 different countries, for short and longer visits, including expeditions and multi-year research projects, e.g. in Western Australia; the Eastern Cape; Hindu-Kush Karakorum region; Chilean Andes. I am also a trained facilitator, presenter and supervisor and I love the joy of outdoor teaching and learning – nothing beats it!

I've been a keen hillwalker and backpacker for over 20 years and enjoy sharing my enthusiasm for the outdoors with other people. I've worked in conservation land management for over 15 years so am able to interpret the landscape through my experience.

Although I've walked all over Scotland, having lived in Braemar since 2008 the Cairngorms are a special place for me and the one I get the most joy from exploring

Alan is a qualified mountain leader, rock climbing instructor and mountain biking leader.

He has over 25 years experience of hiking, climbing and biking the mountains of Scotland and beyond. He has completed all 282 of Scotland's Munro mountains as well as scaling Mont Blanc and the Dent du Geant in the Alps.

Alan lives in Inverness with his young family and he is a Gaelic speaker.

When not guiding you may spot Alan hiking or biking up a Scottish mountain or going on a family walk in the beautiful Highlands and Islands.

Andrew grew up in Glasgow, although has been living in Aberdeenshire for 30+ years, so knows Scotland well. Although working in the offshore energy industry and traveling the world for most of his working life, he’s spent a lot of time in the hills, on foot and on bikes. He is a Mountain Leader, Mountain Bike Leader, DofE Assessor and NNAS Tutor. Still competing nationally in orienteering, his navigation skills and teaching are well honed, whilst having a passion for all things maps – he studied the making of them at university. He compleated his Munros and is currently ticking the odd Corbett, whilst having experience in walking in the Alps and the High Atlas Mountains more recently.

Maggie began her career as a seasonal countryside ranger at Balmoral. She then went on to be an Area Officer for Scottish Natural Heritage (now NatureScot) with a particular interest in bats, before retraining to become a primary school teacher. She took the classroom outdoors to inspire the kids with the natural environment. She loves being outdoors, walking all over the UK and abroad, running, mountain biking, and hill walking.

Jim is a resident of Braemar where he has lived and worked since the late 1980’s. Jim is a winter mountain leader who has been involved in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award for over 30 years, training, leading and assessing groups. Jim is an NNAS Tutor and Course Provider. A keen skier both on and off piste, he is fortunate enough to combine his passion for skiing with his current role as head of ski patrol for Glenshee.

I have been a teacher of Biology and Chemistry for 36 years and during this time I have hugely enjoyed introducing young people to the mountains of Scotland and further afield. It has been great to see students develop their rock climbing and hillwalking skills, building lasting memories and experiences. I hold the Mountain Leader (Summer) and Single Pitch Award(SPA).

I am a keen mountaineer, climbing in summer and winter throughout the UK and in the European Alps. I love the Scottish mountains; easy access to wild country with rich diversity of fauna and flora and landforms makes this country special. Scotland’s north east sea cliffs add an extra dimension to living in this part of the world; they are a fabulous , if not well known, rock climbing venue offering a lifetime of climbing.

Retiring from teaching will allow me more time to spend with my family, enjoying the hills and hopefully also giving me more time to improve my guitar playing!

Based in Aberdeenshire and originally from France, Helene’s outdoor career has taken her from underwater to the mountains. Having worked as a scuba diving guide and Countryside Ranger, she has developed a deep connection with wild places and a love for helping others enjoy them. Now a qualified Summer Mountain Leader and active Mountain Rescue volunteer, Helene loves hillwalking, trail running, mountain biking, ski mountaineering and climbing, embracing the Scottish hills in all seasons.

When she’s not outdoors, she brings her passion for connecting people and places to her work as a Heritage Tourism Consultant.

Ross grew up in Aberdeenshire and has always enjoyed Scotland’s outdoors. He is a fully qualified Summer Mountain Leader and has spent a lot of time in the hills either walking, climbing, biking or skiing. Ross also likes to make frequent trips to Europe where he has completed numerous rock climbs and mountaineering routes.

 Previously, Ross spent over 24 years in the oil industry but recently decided to swap the office for the mountains which enabled him to become a guide as well as a member of the Braemar Mountain Rescue Team. 

 He feels that the scenery, wildlife, open access and rich history makes Scotland a unique destination that is perfect for exploring and enjoying.

Originally from Ireland, Seán moved to Scotland for more adventures in the hills- and for the better weather! Seán has hiked and climbed extensively throughout Scotland and Ireland, as well as on the mountains and sea cliffs of Wales, the French Alps, Italian Dolomites, and the gorges of Southern Spain. With a love for adventures big and small, Seán has a particular passion for helping people to connect to the landscape that they're in- both for the mental health benefits that come from being in the mountains, and encouraging sustainability through increased environmental awareness. Seán is a qualified Summer Mountain Leader, and is currently training to become a Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor and a Winter Mountain Leader.

I am an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys a wide variety of activities in every season and terrain, from seashore to mountain top. Whether hiking the wilds, camping under the stars, carving backcountry powder, kayaking the coast, or quietly watching wildlife, I am always looking for ways to enjoy the outdoors. I am a keen forager of wild food with a passion to learn more.

I coached rugby and football for many years, before becoming a Duke of Edinburgh leader 10 years ago. I get a great deal of satisfaction in supporting the development of others in outdoor sports and pursuits.

Kat grew up in Aberdeenshire before moving to the Granite city to study textiles. After graduating she had a career working her way up in the hospitality industry for a few years before feeling the need for a change of scenery. She settled on the outdoors where she had been working for the last 4 years, freelancing and training on the Instructor Development Scheme at Glenmorelodge. Kat is a qualified Leader, Rock Climbing Instructor and NNAS Tutor.

In the recent years, Kat co-founded the Wavy Quines (previously the Wavy Wahines) a female surf group and have been heavily involved with the Granite Girls, a women’s climbing group, both based in Aberdeen. Kat is really passionate about showing other women that they have a place within the outdoors. The main reason Kat instructs is because she gets to show people how beautiful, full of history, interesting and accessible the outdoors can be. 

Michael is originally from Northern Ireland, where he grew up hiking in the Mournes and exploring hills across Ireland. After moving to Scotland in 2016, he discovered mountaineering and climbing - experiences that deepened his connection to Scotland’s landscapes and sparked a strong interest in wildlife and conservation. A qualified Mountain Leader, Michael is passionate about helping others connect with Scotland’s wild places and fostering a sense of stewardship so they can be enjoyed by future generations.

I grew up in Somerset, but I was quickly pulled towards the mountains of Scotland and moved here as soon as I could, I haven't looked back since.

Now I live in Aviemore and I am qualified Summer Mountain Leader and NNAS Tutor. I love to share my enthusiam and knowledge of our mountain environment with as many folks possible. In my free time I am exploring as much of Scotland as possible, either on the coast in a sea kayak, out on my bike or climbing and walking in our mountains.

Lucy is a keen climber and mountaineer who lives and works on the beautiful Isle of Skye.  She spends summers leading walks around the island and guiding in the Cuillin. Lucy loves sharing her passion for the outdoors with others and, with an emphasis on encouragement, she can tailor adventures for all ages and abilities.  Lucy is also a qualified primary teacher and during the winter months, she is to be found teaching in schools on Skye, the Small Isles and as far afield as Fair Isle.   

Luna comes with us on some walks. She's multilingual speaking most languages. She can also smell out a sandwich lost on a hill from quite a distance, a unique ability, even in poor visibility she can lead a group to food.

We generally request that dogs do not attend our walks for a variety of reasons such as disturbance to ground nesting birds, fear or allergies from other walkers and potential for issues of the dog gets cold, tired or injured.