Members of the Mountaineering Scotland board work on a voluntary basis to support the Mountaineering Scotland staff and CEO. They are required to stand for election annually at the Annual General Meeting. Each director may serve for a four year term of office, plus an additional two years if agreed.
Elected as President in 2023
I am London born but have spent most of my adult life in Plymouth and Aviemore. I grew up walking on the South Downs, Dartmoor and Exmoor and following a move to Devon in 1987, spent a great deal of time exploring Dartmoor on foot and on horseback.
Before my retirement I was a Clinical Nurse Manager in the NHS, I also hold a Masters Degree in Management. I have been a member of The Munro Society since 2005, holding the posts of Secretary and President. I am also a Trustee of the Mill Cottage Fund (SCIO).
I fell in love with the mountains during a trip to Scotland in 1998 and I had no idea then, how hillwalking would shape my life over the next 25 years. My appreciation for the hills blossomed in my mid 30s and I discovered a passion for the mountains which has since taken me to some extremely remote and challenging places. Following a move to Aviemore in 2008, hillwalking has kept me physically and mentally strong and I have developed a deep connection with the landscape and the natural environment. I have completed five rounds of Munros and in September 2023 I became the first woman to complete two SMC Full Houses (the completion of two rounds of Munros, Munro Tops, Corbetts, Grahams, Donalds and Furths).
Using my own personal experience, I would like to show that women of any age and athletic ability should not be deterred from accessing the hills. I am keen to encourage women of all ages to safely explore and enjoy the Scottish mountains by advocating that the hills are a place to be shared by all. I look at the days spent on the hills as time well spent; time that has improved my confidence and wellbeing. I am at my happiest when out in the wilds and immersing myself in the freedom of the landscape.
I believe that my passion and enthusiasm for the Scottish hills and my extensive hill walking experience will be beneficial to Mountaineering Scotland.
Co-opted to Board March 2026 subject to election at the 2026 AGM in November
I grew up in Highland Perthshire (with a few years as a child on Iona, where I learned to embrace the Scottish rain!), and consider myself very lucky to have a family that inspired me to explore and enjoy the outdoors. Although I was a reluctant walker in my teens, I always relished being outside through Guides, Venture Scouts and DOE. After University and working in London for a decade, I returned to Scotland in 2017 and really began to properly explore the Scottish mountains under my own steam, and that's when I decided to tackle a munro round. I am halfway through and truly love nothing more than exploring Scotland's hills and mountains, and doing so takes me to places I would be unlikely to go otherwise. In 2025 I became a Mum, and while that means my own time out exploring is a bit more limited for now, I'm excited to show my little boy the wild parts of Scotland in the same way my parents did for me.
The majority of my professional life has been spent working in the sports events industry. I have led teams to develop and deliver mass and major sporting events for both the commercial and third sector, and have loved focussing on creating experiences for participants which encourage them to be active and explore the outdoors. Prior to holding the role of Chair, I was Director of Clubs for Mountaineering Scotland. I've been involved in developing our last two strategies. Working alongside the board and staff team, I hope my skills and expertise can help to shape our future for generations to come, and inspire more people to enjoy our landscapes safely. I am honoured to hold the role of Chair and very proud to be a member of Mountaineering Scotland. I'm continually impressed by the breadth and depth of work we cover for our members, and am looking forward to watching the organisation continue to grow in the coming years.
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Born in Scotland but spending much of my youth in South America I was introduced to Scotland’s mountains by my father and they have been a live long passion. I compleated the Munros in 2007 and am probably on my way to a second round now but am not admitting that to my family. My hill walking has introduced me to scrambling, winter climbs and a love of all forms of mountain sport including now cross country mountain biking which takes up a lot of my time mainly cycling the paths of the Scottish lowlands but I have cycled to a number of Munro summits.
My introduction to climbing started abruptly when my five year old son showed an adept ability at it climbing all parts our house. He was quickly taken to EICA to take this passion in a more structured format and has never looked back. Through his involvement we initially climbed inside and then joined the Quickdraw Club and so moved to climb outside and learn its various forms and pleasures. Climbing has taken us to Crags UK wide and in France and Spain. Whilst my son does competes indoors at the various competitions (and I accordingly volunteer as a judge) my main interest aligns to the outdoor and mountains. In that capacity I am currently the Chair of the Quickdraw Club, which seeks to provide a platform for young climbers in the East of Scotland to climb together outdoors.
Professionally, I am a property lawyer qualified in England and Scotland, mainly practicing in Edinburgh for last 28 years.
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Co-opted to Board March 2026 subject to election at the 2026 AGM in November.
Chairs the Finance Advisory Group
Born and bred in South London, I was lucky to be introduced to outdoor pursuits through school, the Scouts and Duke of Edinburgh Award.
When I graduated, I moved to Edinburgh in part to be nearer to the hills. This enabled me to begin winter mountaineering as well as rock-climbing and hill-walking. In 2003, I joined the Scottish Lemon Mountains Expedition to Greenland and have also climbed in Europe and beyond.
Professionally, I am a Chartered Actuary and have spent most of the last 20+ years working in senior leadership roles for multinational life and health insurers in Asia. Whilst holidays were used to explore such as trekking in the Karakoram and Himalaya, cycling through Bhutan and Myanmar and hiking in Indonesia and Australia.
In summer 2025, I returned to Scotland to reconnect and I am keen to give back to the community through enabling Mountaineering Scotland to grow and help more people to love the mountains.
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Elected 2022, proposed for re-election at 2026 AGM
Exploring the Scottish countryside enlivens me, be it kayaking, skiing, cycling or climbing and re-climbing our beautiful mountains.
Professionally, I graduated with a degree in Forestry and worked in forest management in Inverness before 'seeing the light' and retraining on a post graduate course in Outdoor Education in Edinburgh.
Sharing adventure activities with 'youth at risk' in the city followed, leading on to Fife and managing Lochore Meadows Country Park. Then from Country to National Park, joining the Cairngorms National Park Authority at designation, managing the Visitor Services Team until my retirement in 2022. Along the way I've been on the Board of Scottish Canoe Association and Sustrans Scotland Advisory Board.
I'm keen to try and encourage and support more of us to safely and responsibly enjoy our stunning mountains and, if we can, leave our wild uplands a little better place than we found them.
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Brendan has been an individual member of Mountaineering Scotland since 1999.
He started hillwalking and climbing when a student at the University of Glasgow and has been lucky enough to explore many of the Scottish hills and bothies over the years.
A career in the diplomatic service offered opportunities to climb further-afield with expeditions in the Karakorum, Hindu Kush and Himalaya in between postings.
Brendan was the Inverness Backcountry Snowsports Club (IBSC) Mountain Safety and Training officer from 2020-2023, before taking up the role of IBSC President in June 2023. He holds a Winter Mountain Leader qualification and has a strong interest in all aspects of mountain safety and training.
Now firmly settled back in the Scottish Highlands, Brendan is working toward compleating his Munros and enjoying as much ski-touring as the snow conditions permit!
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Proposed for election at the 2026 AGM in November
Alison has a long outdoor pedigree having been brought up in Deeside by active parents. She was fortunate enough to be introduced to skiing at the age of two, first on the slopes of her local golf course followed by a more conventional approach at The Lecht. As a child, Alison competed in ski races, winning national titles and representing the Scottish Ski Team internationally. Following this, she turned her attentions to study, gaining a First Class BSc (Hons) in Outdoor Studies.
Alison then extended her experience beyond the piste, undertaking classic ski tours in the Alps, and on wilderness peaks in Patagonia and Chile. She continues to explore Arctic Norway as a regular visitor to Tromsø. After a period living and working in the French Alps, Alison returned to Scotland and her native hills in 2018 where she continues to be an active ski tourer and climber, has dabbled in some ‘Skimo’ races and recently compleated a Munro round.
Professionally she runs her own ski instruction and guiding business ‘Off Piste Performance’ sharing her passion with others. She is also a Forecaster with Scottish Avalanche Information Service (SAIS). Throughout the summer months her work extends to helping young people complete their DofE Expeditions.
Alison’s focus as Director of Snowsports touring, builds on the work of her predecessor, continuing the development of touring in Scotland, particularly in participation and performance pathways. She recognises that Scottish ski touring is on the front line of accelerating climate change and economic volatility, combined with growth in participation numbers. This she approaches with enthusiasm and empathy.
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I have a deep passion for the outdoors, engaging in activities such as hill walking, climbing, scrambling, winter climbing, wild camping, and bike-packing. Living in Glasgow, I have been a dedicated member of Mountaineering Scotland for the past seven years and have served on the committee of my local club.
As a club member, I am continually inspired by the dedication and expertise of our fellow members. The wealth of knowledge within our clubs is invaluable to the development of climbing in Scotland, and it is something we should take great pride in. Clubs provide an excellent avenue for people to get involved in outdoor activities. Through events with my own club, I have had incredible adventures and wish for others to have similar opportunities to explore the hills.
My focus is on ensuring that Mountaineering Scotland remains relevant to our club members, making sure they recognise the efforts being made on their behalf to support the environments they love to explore. Effective communication with the clubs is crucial, and I am keen to explore the best ways to ensure all members feel part of the wider organisation, especially university clubs and smaller groups affiliated with Mountaineering Scotland.
Having recently completed climbing all the Munros, I am now eager to dedicate my time to a new challenge as the Director for Clubs for Mountaineering Scotland.
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I have
compleated the Munros but have climbed many hills besides in the UK, the
Bavarian Alps, East Africa and have trekked in the Himalaya. More recently I
have taken to outdoor swimming, usually in mountain lochs, tarns and rivers. I
have attended a number of courses at Glenmore Lodge including Avalanche Awareness
training in the very first year the course was run.
I am a
chartered town planner but my first degree was in countryside management. I
have worked for three UK National Parks including the first ten years with the
Cairngorms National Park dealing with a range of proposals including remote
path works and bothy upgrades. I also dealt with the wind farm consultations
around the boundary of the Park. I have also worked for Friends of the Lake
District where I covered recreation and access, managed several of their
properties and drafted their response to the Glover Review of England's
National Parks. I have also worked for Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere
as Lead Land Use and Biodiversity Officer. My current working role is as a
Senior Conservation Planner (largely marine) with the RSPB.
I have been a member of Mountaineering Scotland
for over 20 years. While my range of experience appears quite random I believe
it is a combination that will benefit Mountaineering Scotland at a time when so
much about our mountain environment appears to be changing.
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Proposed for election at the 2026 AGM in November
As a proud Scot raised in Fife, I was first introduced to the outdoors through the Scouts and have been happiest in the hills ever since. Having recently moved from Glasgow to Perth, I’m enjoying being closer to wild spaces. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to enjoy hill walking and trekking across Scotland, Morocco, Tanzania, and Nepal. I am also passionate about wildlife and conservation, and being married to an ornithologist, I can often be found out on the moors with a pair of binoculars in hand.
Sport and the outdoors have always been a major part of my life, and I care deeply about ensuring that opportunities to enjoy Scotland's mountains and outdoor spaces are accessible, inclusive and well supported. The chance to contribute to an organisation whose purpose aligns so closely with my own interests and values is particularly exciting.
Professionally, my career spans senior leadership roles across sport development, the third sector, and the private sector. Currently Business Operations Manager at Bowls Scotland, I lead operational, people, and governance functions within the national governing body. I hold a particular interest in organisational governance and embedding equality and inclusion across sport, and look forward to using this expertise to support Mountaineering Scotland's continued growth and impact.
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Andrew has worked in media and public communications roles for more than 30 years. He joined Mountaineering Scotland's Board in 2022.
He spent a decade working as a newspaper reporter for local and national titles, before he moved into public sector communications, taking up leadership roles in the police service. Since May 2017 he has worked with Scottish Water and is currently Head of Corporate Affairs. He has led mountaineering fundraising challenges for WaterAid encouraging people in the water sector and beyond to climb Scotland's Munros to help bring clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene to communities in Malawi.
He discovered a love of hillwalking in 2017 and has climbed more than 100 Munros as well as exploring smaller hills particularly around the Trossachs, Ochils and Borders.
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Proposed for election at the 2026 AGM in November
Calum has always loved the mountains, and after living throughout the UK and working overseas, he decided to make Stirling his home. Whether it's climbing, scrambling, mountain biking or, more recently, simply heading into the hills with his dog to sleep under the stars, he's a firm believer in the value of some mountain air in our often busy lives!
Calum began his career with a degree in Event and Festival Management, later adding a master's in Commercial Management and various professional qualifications along the way. Since then, he's spent 15+ years working in events, sponsorship and partnerships, with complex operational delivery across Europe and worldwide. Most recently, he's been Commercial Director for a leading supplier to major sporting events and venues. Seeing the bigger picture for his clients, setting the strategy and agreeing a deal that's actually deliverable is the name of the game!
In his words: "Joining Mountaineering Scotland gives me a chance to channel that experience into something I genuinely care about. The mountains have given me a lot, and I want to help make sure they keep giving to everyone else."
Any member interested in volunteering to work with Mountaineering Scotland
is encouraged to check the Vacancies or Get Involved pages.
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Mountaineering Scotland is a registered trademark of the Mountaineering Council of Scotland Limited
