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.
The composition of the board following the 2022 AGM is:
Board chair. Elected as President in 2019
The hills of Scotland were introduced to me early whilst growing up in Aberdeen. Hill walking in the Cairngorms and skiing at Glenshee laid the foundation for a passion which I still hold today over 50 years later. My interests have included summer rock climbing, winter climbing and ski mountaineering, starting in Scotland and then extending this to the Alps and further afield to the Arctic, Antarctic and the Himalaya.
I have been a member of the Ferranti Mountaineering Club most of my time in Edinburgh, serving as secretary and president on two occasions. I joined the Scottish Mountaineering Club in 1987 and served a term as vice-president and more recently as the SMC representative to Mountaineering Scotland. I have also been a trustee with the Scottish Mountaineering Trust which has had a long association with MCofS /Mountaineering Scotland.
My working life was spent in the aerospace industry in project and business management, delivering complex technical programmes which could often span several years and which required dealing with national or international funding agencies.
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Elected 2020
I am London-born, grew up in Australia and have lived in Scotland since 2010. I did a lot of bush-walking and camping with my family and friends in Australia and I have also hiked in New Zealand, Guatemala, Switzerland and Iceland. Moving to Scotland allowed me to exchange bush-walking for Munro-bagging and hill walking which has taken me to all parts of Scotland. I also have particular personal interests in mental health and equality issues.
I am a qualified lawyer and company secretary. I also have a Masters degree in Ethics and Professional Conduct. The skills I use in my professional life hopefully enable me to fulfil the role of Director of Governance, HR and Equalities for Mountaineering Scotland. However, my work life does not give me the pure joy that being in the outdoors does. Standing on a hill, freezing in a burn, reading an OS map, books about Scotland/hiking or simply discussing the Scottish hills and outdoors is what really fires my passion. I am delighted to be part of an organisation where protecting and encouraging access to the outdoors is its reason for being.
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Chairs the Finance Advisory Group
Professionally I have spent recent years in senior management roles in large international oil and gas contractors. I hold an MBA and accreditation to the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and have a solid background in management, leadership and strategic decision making.
I have been an active member of Mountaineering Scotland for many years. I spend my leisure time hiking, scrambling, climbing and ski touring in the Scottish mountains as well as further afield in Europe. I am a qualified Summer Mountain Leader and aspiring Winter ML. In particular I’m interested in the topics of physical and mental wellbeing, mountain access and safety. I also hold a certificate in Mental Health First Aid.
I am a volunteer committee member for my local mountaineering club, Aberdeen Mountaineering Club (AMC). I have been treasurer for the club for two years and contribute significantly to the running and promotion of the club.
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Chairs the Mountain Safety Group, represents Mountaineering Scotland on the Board of Mountain Training Scotland and Mountain Training UK
I was brought up in the Lake District where I stood on top of Scafell Pike at the age of 8 and started rock-climbing aged 10 and was hooked on what is now called “trad” climbing. I discovered climbing, skiing and walking in the expanses of Scotland in my early teens. I was fortunate to work as a rock-climbing instructor and be a member of the Keswick Mountain Rescue Team for some time in my youth, which helped develop a keen sense of safety awareness.
My working career as a geologist gave me the opportunity to travel the world for many years.
Whilst abroad I was fortunate to be able to enjoy the thrill of high altitude expeditions in North and South America, Africa and the Himalaya as well as trips to the European Alps, New Zealand and even sport climbing in Thailand. However, I have now settled in Scotland and live in the West Highlands, near Glencoe.
I have recently passed my Summer ML and intend to take the Winter ML assessment shortly. My aspiration to complete the Munros should be satisfied soon having completed 260 of them so far. I am also now a proud member of the Oban Mountain Rescue Team.
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Elected 2022
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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Since my first experience at a parent learn to climb course, climbing has become a passion for me and my family. I now climb with my children three times per week and have been a regular volunteer with ClimbScotland since January 2017. My eldest daughter is a successful youth competition climber, whilst I enjoy climbing as a social sport.
My enjoyment of indoor climbing is balanced with a lifelong love of the outdoors. I grew up walking, cycling and sailing and moved to Scotland in 2003, partly to spend more time having outdoor adventures. I am a member of the Glasgow Gorillas and Borestone Climbing Club.
I have spent my adult life volunteering, including eight years as a Director and Company Secretary of Bannockburn Riding for the Disabled. As a parent and volunteer, I am impressed by ClimbScotland’s work and realise much of this is only possible through the support of many dedicated and talented volunteers; I am proud to be part of this team.
My professional background is as an IT consultant, and I have a Masters degree in Engineering from Cambridge University.
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I live in Glasgow and have two young children. I fell in love with the outdoors and mountains with a week-long walking trip across the Lakes at the age of 18. Throughout University I walked and climbed regularly, particularly up in Scotland.
Over the next ten years I was lucky enough to balance a job which allowed me to live, walk and climb in the Lake District whilst heading overseas for regular expeditions – primarily in the tropics but also taking me to countries such as Oman, Slovakia, Norway and Ladakh. In 2015 I was able to get a job which brought me to Scotland. I love running in the hills close to Glasgow, getting the kids out into Loch Lomond and the Trossachs and love the fact that whenever I get a spare day or weekend Glen Coe is so close by and even a race to Skye is doable!
In my working life I am Assistant Operations Director at TCV – The Conservation Volunteers.
I have a strong interest in conservation, landscape and access. I returned to Uni as a mature student around eight years ago and studied for an MSc in environmental management, covering a wide range of environmental topics which included biodiversity management as well as planning and environmental law. My current role at TCV works extensively on creating access to the outdoors for people from deprived urban communities and minority groups.
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My experience spans operational delivery, team management, strategic planning and commercial development and I hope to use this experience to help achieve sustainable growth across our clubs community.
Growing up in Highland Perthshire, and spending some time in the Western Isles, sparked my love for being in the outdoors throughout my childhood. I am a keen skier, climber and more recently have added hill walking to the list.
After studying at St Andrews University, my career took me to London for almost a decade and I am delighted to have returned to Scotland, to enjoy the fresh air and adventure on offer!
I believe my skill set and previous experience will be beneficial to the organisation, and I can combine this with my enthusiasm and passion for the outdoors. Working in events, with communities, and across both the charity and commercial sector, puts me in a strong position to share ideas and collaborate on the growth and development of affiliated clubs and their members.
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A keen hill walker, he has many years’ experience in journalism and public communications roles, and is looking forward to getting closely involved in the work of Mountaineering Scotland.
He has spent nearly three decades working in media and public communications roles, firstly as a journalist in local newspapers, then a national news agency and moving on to national titles.
After a decade as a journalist, he moved into public sector communications, taking up leadership roles in the police service, working with Central Scotland Police, the National Police Reform programme and Police Scotland. Since May 2017 he has been Head of Communication with Scottish Water, working on a range of corporate and service issues and campaigns.
Andrew took up hill walking in 2017, in the Arrochar Alps, and since then has climbed over 60 3000ft+
summits and enjoyed exploring some smaller hills too, particularly around the
Trossachs and Ochils.
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After a school field trip ascent of Cul Mor in 1976, Alistair has spent much of his subsequent leisure time walking, scrambling, climbing and skiing throughout Scotland’s mountain areas as well as in many other countries. Hill walking has taken him to the top of all but one Munro and many smaller summits, and he has completed the Cape Wrath Trail. His climbing continues to take him to the major as well as the less frequented Scottish cliffs where in addition to repeating hundreds of classic winter and summer lines he has also recorded a number of new routes throughout the Highlands.
Ski touring is his main passion and from an early experience of forest skiing around Loch Morlich he has now ski ascended almost 100 Munros, has skied the classic Nevis gullies, the Great Stone Chute in the Cuillins and has completed many long-distance day tours. Abroad he has toured extensively in the Alps, Norway and Iceland, with both hut-to-hut trips and steep technical couloir skiing featuring every winter. He currently chairs the Snowsport Touring Advisory Group (STAG) for Mountaineering Scotland and is also the President of the Inverness Backcountry Snowsports Club.
After a period in outdoor equipment retail management, Alistair has spent over 30 years in the energy sector where he has held a number of senior operational and commercial roles.
Advisory Groups may be established to inform Mountaineering Scotland strategy
development and contribute to operational plans in a specific area of activity.
Members will be drawn from the Mountaineering Scotland membership and others with appropriate
expertise.
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
