Pen Portraits - Cairngorms Local Outdoor Access Forum members
Dick Balharry
Dick has had had a lifelong career and personal interest in accessing the countryside, managing National Nature Reserves and contributing voluntarily to NGO’s promoting the outdoors to the wider benefit of the public and the natural heritage.
Simon Blackett
Simon has been factor at Invercauld for the past 12 years. He is a Board member of Dee District Salmon Fisheries Board and Crathie Opportunity Holidays (disabled holiday charity). He is Chairman of NE Region of the Royal Scottish Forestry Society and Braemar Tourism Group and treasurer of Braemar Community Council. He walks 4 dogs every day, has 4 teenage children and skis when the conditions allow.
Rachel Bromby
Rachel has been a qualified Chartered Surveyor for over 10 years. She has spent the majority off her working life in Yorkshire but moved to Scotland in 2006 where she has been factor for the Crown Commissioner on the Glenlivet Estate, as well as representing other private clients’ interests in the Cairngorms National Park. She specialises in land management and is a member of the Royal Forestry Society. She is a qualified Jog Scotland leader and is a keen road and fell runner, taking particular enjoyment from the opportunities to exercise her hobby in the National Park.
Nic Bullivant
Nic from Insh, is a past chairman of Kincraig and Vicinity Community Council, and member of the Association of Community Councils. He works as Head Ranger for the Highlands & Island Enterprise Cairngorm estate, employed by CairnGorm Mountain Limited. He is an active mountaineer and walker, founder of the Scottish Midweek Mountaineering Club. Nic coordinates the Country Diary for the local paper, and is a published short story author. Nic and his young family are active naturalists and recreationalists on land and water.
Hebe Carus
Hebe has been the Access & Conservation Officer of the Mountaineering Council of Scotland since January 2007. She has lived and worked all over Scotland, and brings an enthusiasm for, and experience of, everything from wild land to urban environments. Through previous varied experience as a Countryside Ranger, she brings a land management perspective. Her main interests are mountaineering (hill walking, summer climbing and skiing); she is also a keen mountain biker and occasional canoeist and sailor.
Paul Corrigan MBE
Before moving to Aviemore in 2001, Paul had completed 30 years service as an engineer in the Royal Navy (mostly based in Scotland) where his passion for outdoor activities and events (both as a participant and organiser) was allowed to flourish. A committed hill-walker, runner and biker he has completed the Munros and taken part in several mountain marathon and other adventure events. As the Events Coordinator for the Badaguish Centre (providing activity holidays for people with special needs) he was responsible for the creation of the Aviemore Highland Half Marathon as well as coordinator of the Corrieyairack Challenge and numerous other fundraising events. He is currently working with Cairngorm Mountain Ltd.
Nonie Coulthard
Nonie has worked in nature conservation and rural development (in Africa and Scotland) for 20 years. She is a keen outdoor sports person - particularly kayaking, horse-riding, hill walking and running (slowly!), cross-country skiing and adventure racing. She lives in the Angus Glens, just outside the Park boundary, with her husband and two young children who also enjoy making the most of all the outdoor opportunities offered by the Cairngorms.
Dave Craig
A native of Stonehaven, Dave spent much of his childhood in and around the sea and sailing boats. Then in his teens he began exploring the hills and glens of Deeside, was taught to ski at the Lecht and introduced to kayaking on the River Dee. Following 24 years of teaching a wide range of outdoor and environmental activities at Lagganlia Outdoor Education Centre, Dave become self employed in 2000 and continues to facilitate outdoor experiences, specialising in open canoe descents of the River Spey. Dave has been liaising with land managers, outdoor providers and local authorities since 1981 as the River Spey adviser for the Scottish Canoe Association.
Jo Durno
As a member of a farming family in Glenlivet Jo has played an active part over 16 years in the activities of the National Farmers Union Scotland. Her current areas of interest include Environment and Land Use, National Parks and Highland and Islands matters. She is involved in tourism and is a committee member of her local Community Association.
Helen Geddes
Formerly an environment professional in the paper industry, Helen is now an environmental consultant. Her home has been within the park for over 20 years. During this time she has been Vice-President – Access and Conservation, for the Mountaineering Council of Scotland; Convenor of the Cairngorms Campaign and has served on the Cairngorms Partnership Board and the Access Forum. A keen hill walker and ski-tourer, she “just loves paddling about in canoes!”
Fred Gordon
Fred is Head Ranger for Aberdeenshire Council and lives within the Park in Strathdon. He is an enthusiastic naturalist and mountaineer and ran his own guided walking holiday company operating in the Cairngorms area. For 10 years he was a member of Aberdeen Mountain Rescue Team. He also lectures in Countryside Management for Scottish Agricultural College, with a particular interest in Environmental Interpretation, and is chairman of the Lonach Hall Community Association in Strathdon.
Debbie Greene
Debbie is SNH's Cairngorms Operations Manager, based in Aviemore, and coordinating the organisation's inputs to the National Park. Previously she has worked for SNH as an Area Officer covering Ben Nevis and Glen Coe, and also in the organisation's Recreation and Access Group, where she was Minutes secretary for the National Access Forum, established the Hillphones scheme and managed recreation surveys in the Cairngorms.
John Grierson
A retired Northern Constabulary Police Inspector, John was a Police Wildlife Liaison Officer (WLO) for over 15 years with 6 of them as Force WLO. He has lived in Aviemore for 18 years. He is a Community Councillor and Company Secretary of the Aviemore and Cambusmore Enhancement Co. Ltd. His main interests are wildlife watching, hill walking, fishing and shooting.
Peter Holden
For the past 12 years, Peter has been the Senior Ranger / Naturalist at the National Trust for Scotland’s Mar Lodge Estate – having previously worked in National Parks as distant as Northumberland, Dartmoor, Yorkshire Dales and the Peak District. Much of this time has involved him providing access opportunities - leading guided walks, nature holidays, interpretation and upland path repair. Currently Secretary of Braemar Community Council, and a director of the Cairngorms Campaign, he has a lifelong interest in the outdoors and wild places.
Thomas MacDonnell
Details to follow
Malcolm MacIntyre
Malcolm takes part in a range of outdoor pursuits including hill walking, climbing, mountain biking, paragliding and ski touring. He is a member of Braemar Mountain Rescue Team and is involved in a variety of community projects as a director of Braemar Community Ltd. Malcolm is a depute head teacher at Aboyne Academy.
Catriona Rowan
As a smallholder, Catriona has a great interest in managing land for biodiversity and conservation. An enthusiastic horse rider, she has participated in and organised many endurance rides around Scotland so is very aware of the complexities of the rights and responsibilities involved in accessing the countryside. Catriona is a keen skier and this is the sporting activity which all the family enjoy most. She lives in Glenisla with her husband and has four children (26-16yrs), dogs, horses and little trees!
Roger Searle
An enthusiastic horse-rider with a particular interest in long distance routes, Roger is on the Scottish Access and the Grampian Committees of the British Horse Society (BHS). He is the BHS affiliate member of the Upper Deeside Access Trust, and an access officer for the Grampian Branch of the Scottish Endurance Riding Club. His Upper Deeside connections go back 50 years.
Tim Walker
Tim is Principal of Glenmore Lodge, sportscotland’s National Outdoor Training Centre. He is an internationally qualified Mountain Guide and Ski Instructor and has been based in Boat of Garten for the last 30 years. Apart from his professional commitments to Glenmore Lodge he is involved with a number of other trusts and charitable organisations.
Richard Wallace
Richard is the Policy and Technical Support Officer for the Forestry Commission based in Highland Conservancy, Dingwall since 1992. His responsibility covers Highland Region plus the Islands. Access and recreation has been an increasing part of Scottish forestry and more so now. An occasional hill-walker, these days he has an increasing interest in skiing. He has served on Strathpeffer Community Council for past three years, with last two as Chair
Bryan Wright
Bryan has lived and worked in the Cairngorms National Park area for nearly 30 years. As a director of Ballater Royal Deeside Ltd., a community company, he is in charge of the Ballater Community Woodland Project and has been centrally involved in Ballater Walking Week for the past four years. He has had a long involvement in community activities, and is a keen hill walker. He is now semi-retired from working as a farmer/chartered civil engineer.
