“How long have you lived in the Highlands?”
“Over seven years now, my youngest child was born up here and all the eldest has ever known is going scrambling and climbing after school. I was climbing up here a LOT before we moved, so I’m saving a fortune in fuel!
“This must be risky work and you have a family?”
“My job is to manage that risk, people think climbers and mountaineers have no fear. A sensible amount of fear helps me to make effective decisions. People don’t hire a guide to reach a summit or do a particular route, they hire a guide to make good decisions and get them up the route if it is the right decision.”
“Errr we can’t help but notice you never smile in photos?”
“OK I’ll take that one. I am normally the other side of the lens so maybe I need to get some more photos of me laughing!”
“Do you have lots of outdoor qualifications then?”
Yes lots, in climbing, mountaineering, canoeing, kayaking, mountain biking and canyoning. Plus lots of training qualifications. My first degree is in History and Archaeology, so I am fascinated by the archaeology of the Highlands and how the landscape has been affected by humans. Highland history is not what most films and books portray, it’s a whole lot stranger!