Meet the new CEO

He will take over from David Gibson, who has held the post since 2006 and is now retiring.

Stuart grew up in Moray, and inherited his love of the Scottish hills from his dad Harry, beginning when he was in primary school with regular family trips to the Cairngorms and the Lecht, where he learned to ski. He was introduced to hillwalking early in secondary school thanks to the Forres Academy Rucksack Club and started rock climbing at university, going on to obtain his Single Pitch Award.

He has a BA Honours degree in Recreation Management specialising in countryside studies and is passionate about promoting the health benefits of an active lifestyle, alongside his personal interest in the outdoors. Stuart managed the Sports Development and Outdoor Education Services for Perth and Kinross council for eight years, working closely with volunteers, local clubs and schools. For the last six years he has been a voluntary director of the Scottish Sports Association and was appointed Vice-Chair in 2017.

Stuart moves to the post of CEO from Live Active Leisure where he is Business Development and Programming Manager. He brings a wide range of senior management experience to Mountaineering Scotland including strategic planning, business development and operational delivery.

Stuart has been a member of Mountaineering Scotland for many years and as well as his love of the hills he also enjoys fly fishing, mountain biking and trail running. He lives in Kinross with his wife and three young sons.