Pen Portraits

Rachel Bromby - Land Manager
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.

Hebe Carus - Recreation
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.

Nic Cole - Community
I have been resident in Meigle since 1997 while I was serving with Tayside Police. Prior to that I was with the Scottish Office Home and Health Department. My early background was in the Army - Royal Signals, and when I left them after 15 years I joined the Metropolitan Police. I have always had a passion for the outdoors and have since early retirement been building up a small outdoor trekking and training business and also run the Paths for All health walking group based in Blairgowrie. That provides walking opportunities from a barely able up to very serious hill bagging and long distance trails. As a Winter Mountain Leader I organise the Blairgowrie Walking Festival, and help lead on the Angus Walking Festival. I am in the Southern half of the Park every week throughout the year and enjoy showing people around the various hills, glens and other localities. I am a member of the Perth and Kinross Outdoor Access Forum, and have been its convenor since it was established. I am committed to equal opportunities which includes fair sharing of access to the outdoors. I have had extensive experience of dealing with protracted access issues in particular those relating to paddle sports and fishing in the Perthshire area.

Paul Corrigan MBE - Community (Convenor)
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 Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland as a senior fundraiser.

Dave Craig - Recreation
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.

Andrew Dunn - Community
Retired as Depute Rector after teaching for 30 years at Kingussie High School, where among his extra-curricular involvements were shinty and outdoor activities. He has continued interest in the community as a Director of Kingussie Community Development Company which is committed to promoting sustainable development of the community's renewable energy resources and also the local environment, culture and history. In KCDC he has a particular remit for access and pathways. He is Local Liaison Volunteer Ranger for Sustrans, and representative for West Cairngorms of COAT. He is a keen hill-walker.

Richard Gledson - Land Management
The resident Factor at Balmoral Estate having moved to Deeside from Norfolk in 2009, I am Chartered Surveyor and has been involved in running large rural estates for more than 20 years.

Debbie Greene - Public Agency
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.

Ian Hill - Community
I am currently employed as a Forester / Wildlife Ranger on the Invercauld Estate, where I put to use my wildlife management skills on a wide and varied range of conservation and forestry projects. These include projects from Caledonian Pine Woodland regeneration to local fauna protection and monitoring. I cover access issues for the 400Km2 of the estate ground located around the communities of Braemar and Ballater. Through my position I get to pursue my interests in hunting and fishing and photographing the local wildlife and landscape.

Peter Holden - Community
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.

Bob Kinnaird - Public Agency and CNPA Board member
Bob followed a 17-year military career specialising in mountain/outdoor training culminating in the post of Chief Instructor at the British Mountain Training Centre in Norway, between 1988-90. He was then appointed as Chief Executive of the British Association Ski Instructors in 1990. Initially responsible for the business turnaround, he led the Association through consistent growth and international success throughout the 90's. In 2000 Bob took on the challenges of running CairnGorm Mountain Limited, and throughout his tenure as Chief Executive he worked towards solutions that attempted to deliver environmentally, socially and economically. In 2008 he moved to his current post as Principal of The National Outdoor Training Centre, Glenmore Lodge. He is currently a member of the Cairngorms National Park Authority Board. He holds both an International Mountain Leader licence and international ski instructor licence and spends much of his spare time in the mountains.

David A Lyle - Recreation
A Grantown-on-Spey resident, I am a keen hill walker and enjoy cross country skiing. Presently Chair of Badenoch & Strathspey Group of Ramblers Scotland, as well as Chair of the Highland and Islands Area. I am also a member of the Am Monadh Ruadh Walking Group and Grantown U3A's Walkers. Born and bred in Edinburgh, I started out as a lawyer for East Lothian's Depute County Clerk in the early 1970s, where I finalised Scotland's first Access Agreement under the Countryside (S) Act. From there I was the first Director of Administration and Law of Dumfries & Galloway Regional Council in 1974; and then in 1979 Secretary to the Scottish Development Agency (SDA) until it amalgamated in the early 1990s with the Training Agency when I was appointed Director/Company Secretary of Scottish Enterprise. Later established as a locum lawyer, my final position was as Area Solicitor for Highland Council (Badenoch & Strathspey, and Nairnshire) until retirement in 2008.

Thomas MacDonnell - Land Manager
Thomas is a local to Kincraig and has been employed at Glenfeshie since 2001, appointed as factor in November 2003. He is responsible for the management of three Estates of some 30,000 ha, two of which include designated Natura sites and require specialist management skills. He also manages outdoor access on a daily basis including two well-used bothies with the help of the Mountain Bothies Association; and some remote paths and tracks which are popular with walkers and cyclists.

Malcolm MacIntyre - Recreation
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.

Robbie Nicol - Community
Robbie has lived in different rural Highland communities since childhood leading an active outdoor life including angling, hillwalking and canoeing. He works as a researcher and lecturer in outdoor education at the University of Edinburgh and lives in Kingussie. His research interests involve conflict resolution (e.g. between anglers and canoeists; recreational landuse and the economics of sporting estates) and community interests (e.g. the promotion of health and wellbeing through active outdoor lifestyles). He lectures in land management, conservation, recreation and community education and has an active knowledge of outdoor learning and access legislation in other countries.

Catriona Rowan - Land Manager
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!

Jeremy Usher Smith - Land Manager
Jeremy has worked in the Badenoch and Strathspey are for 20 years. He is well versed in issues of wildlife tourism and land management. He is a Board member of Wild Scotland and runs his own business supporting wildlife tourism development. He has worked on the Capercaillie Biodiversity Action Project group, and has actively supported the use of the outdoors in education. He has done this through work with estates; Forestry Commission Scotland; the John Muir Award and environmental education at the Highland Wildlife Park. He is an active low level walker and enjoys mountain biking in the area.

Richard Wallace - Public Agency
Richard is the Development and Operations Advisor 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.

Paul Webster- Recreation
Paul escaped from 10 years working in financial services by undertaking a 4,000 mile walk across Europe, before later moving to Scotland. A keen walker at all levels, he has completed the Munros and recently arrived in Grantown after several years living on the Isle of Skye. He is the author of several walking guidebooks and co-founder of the Walkhighlands website which encourages outdoor recreation and provides free route information.

Nigel Williams - Community
Time in the services set in motion a love of mountains and wild places which has taken me all over the world on over 20 expeditions. I also had the fortune to live in Norway for 4 years, a country with remarkable similarities to the Highlands and with similar access rights and responsibilities. Since 1989 I have worked in the outdoor industry in the Highlands apart from a brief spell in Fife Council in the mid 90's. The last 13 years at Glenmore Lodge as a manager has brought me into contact with a range of recreational governing bodies from mountaineers and paddlers to mountain bikers and orienteers. I also served on the Recreation Forum under the old Cairngorm Partnership that preceded the CNPA.