- Guiding life
- Background
- Highlights
- And another thing...
Guiding life
With numerous qualifications in guiding guests through our amazing landscape, I love diving down metaphorical rabbit holes into the history and traditions that have shaped our country.
I have worked in the global travel sector for over 30 years with some incredible experiences, all in the name of “work”, including paddling past icebergs in Greenland, hiking in the Himalaya, welcoming guests to one of the world’s top safari lodges in South Africa and, closer to home, running operations for some of Scotland’s top tour companies.
Above all though, it is a total pleasure and a great privilege to host and guide visitors to Scotland each year. My job is to help them connect with all the wonders we have here so that they may return home as ambassadors for this wonderful country I am lucky enough to call my home.
Background
Hails from
Born and brought up in Scotland, I am originally from Glasgow and can frequently be heard exclaiming “west is best!”
In my previous life...
I have also spent many happy years living in our beautiful capital city of Edinburgh though, and now call the Highlands my home. It is a perfect place to be, with a vibrant community, endless miles of trails to explore, castles, pre-historic forts and stone circles to discover, and (yes) whisky and gin distilleries too!
Having travelled, worked and enjoyed adventures in much of the world, for me, there is nowhere more beautiful, dramatic and captivating than my home in Scotland. Travel has made me realise just how lucky I am to live in a country with so much history, tradition, scenic beauty, and incredible accessibility.
Highlights
Top 3 Scottish sights or experiences
Walking the Fife Coastal Path from historic St Monan’s with its 14th Century church overlooking the North Sea, through picture-postcard Pittenweem before stopping off for fish and chips on the harbour wall in Anstruther, then ending in Crail with its cobbled winding streets and weathered, stone houses. Guests love a browse through the famous local pottery shop before we head on up to St Andrews for some of the best ice cream in Scotland!
Paddling in my sea kayak through the skerries off Arisaig. Turquoise waters, bright white beaches, delicate pink sea thrift flowers clinging to the rocks and brave seals popping up to say hello. The best thing is that it is usually so calm and sheltered that we can take even the most novice paddlers out there to experience the true peace, tranquillity and beauty of our Scottish west coast – something they will truly never forget.
Much closer to home – sipping a glass of smooth Aberfeldy 15 year old malt whisky in my kitchen! We live at the bottom of the hill that was the home of the Dewar family, a name that is now famous around the world, so there is something special about drinking whisky from their original distillery that is still going strong, just along the road.
And another thing...
Memorable childhood moments
Family holidays in the east coast town of Elie – all that freedom, playing on the wide expanse of beach, scrambling over the rocks and climbing along the Elie Chain Walk, running across the dunes and the golf course – and only coming back to the house for dinner! Any time I hear a skylark sing, it takes me right back to those long summer days.
