Myles Farnbank, Senior Guide
Myles is an experienced outdoor leader with many years of sea kayaking, canoeing and hillwalking in Scotland as well as some of the worlds wildest places. He has more than a passing interest in wild food which means that meals on Myles' trips may well have some very fresh ingredients! If he had to choose a favourite trip, it would be our sea-kayaking expedition through the Summer Isles.
Paul Easto, Director & Guide
Paul is one of the Directors of Wilderness Scotland but stills find time to guide one or two of our trips each year. Most at home on his trusty steed, Paul has pioneered our mountain bike holidays in Scotland, as well as our overseas trips to Bhutan and Peru. As a fanatical ski tourer he works in close partnership with our UIAGM guides on the alpine programme. Paul's favourite trip is The Magnificent Seven mountain biking holiday.
Tim Francis, Senior Guide
A passionate biker and hill-walker, Tim is a former business development manager who spent 4 years working in South America before returning to the Highlands to live and become a mountain biking and walking guide. He is now much happier, and is also one of the most respected guides in Scotland. Tim's favourite trip is the epic Coast to Coast - one of the best mountain biking holidays you can have in Scotland, or anywhere else!
Robbie Nicol, Senior Guide
Robbie guides many of our sea-kayaking journeys but is equally at home in the mountains, especially the Cairngorms where he lives. Robbie has an excellent knowledge of natural history and also likes to introduce clients to traditional Highland culture when leading trips - something that lives with clients long after their trip with Robbie. Robbie's favourite trip is our sea-kayaking trip to the Sound of Arisaig.
Gordon Birnie, Head Guide UK
As our Head Guide, Gordon has been leading groups in the mountains of Scotland for over 30 years. A biologist by profession, Gordon is especially knowledgeable when it comes to the natural heritage. If you are lucky enough to have Gordon lead you on a trip, you will come away enlightened by his facts and tales of the Scottish Highlands. Gordon's favourite trip is our Wilderness Walking holiday to the Outer Hebrides and Skye.
Graham Uney, Senior Guide
One of our key walking guides, Graham is very much at home in the mountains. His passion for the hills, glens and wild placesis complemented by his encyclopedic knowledge of the flora and fauna of Scotland. As well as guiding our trips, Graham also writes for several outdoor and wildlife magazines, and has authored some hill-walking guide books. Graham particularly enjoys guiding on any trip that combines mountains, wildlife and a sense of remoteness. It is no surprise then, that his favourite trip is our Wilderness Walking holiday which explores Knoydart.
Mark Chadwick, Guide
Mark's laidback character and easy-going manner make him great company on any trip. Despite his tender years, Mark is a highly experienced sea-kayer with many expeditions and journeys under his belt (or spray deck!). Mark also leads many of our winter and summer wilderness walking trips. His favourite sea-kayaking trip is our Skye Cuillin expedition, while on land he enjoys leading walking holidays on his home turf, the Cairngorms.
Colin Prior, Photography Coach
Colin Prior is one of Britain's leading landscape photographers. His spectacular panoramic images capture the beauty and eternal quality of the world's wild places, especially those of his own native Scotland.
He brings to his work a strong personal vision combined with supreme technical mastery of his chosen medium. Shooting at the 'magic hours' of dawn or dusk, he is able to catch those rare moments when composition, fine light and colour combine to create a remarkable image. Each photograph uniquely captures fleeting moments of nature that will never repeat themselves exactly.
Colin's work has received considerable critical acclaim. His four calendar commissions for British Airways have won him numerous awards. He has had two major solo exhibitions, The Scottish Visual Experience and Lands' End. This collection is a tribute to one man's skill, dedication and love of nature.
Steve Willis, Guide
A former wildlife ranger, Steve now spends his time guiding clients on walking trips, or on trips which combine sailing and walking, where he can share his incredible knowledge of wildlife with our clients. Cheerful and friendly, Steve is great fun to have on a trip and seems to like the rain as much as he does good weather! Steve often guides on private group trips with a wildlife focus to them, such as bird-watching in the Outer Hebrides or mammal spotting in the Cairngorms. His favourite trip, however, is our combined sailing and walking trip, Island Odyssey, which explores the Inner and Outer Hebrides and, if the conditions are right, ventures out to St Kilda.
Lorraine McCall, Guide
Lorraine is a remarkable lady who has undertaken some incredible adventures in the great outdoors. She completed all of the Munros in a single, mostly solo, journey so knows Scotland's mountains better than most. At our last staff gathering in the Cairngorms, she offered to walk to the house where we were staying from where she was in Glencoe - a 50 mile journey through some of the most remote and wild country in Scotland! Lorraine also assists on some of our sea-kayaking trips. Her favourite trip, however, is probably our wilderness walking holiday which explores Cape Wrath and the North West Highlands.
Biscuit, Guide
So why is he called Biscuit and does he have a real name? Ask him if you are lucky enough to be guided by our most laid back guide. Biscuit's incredible enthusiasm for the outdoors is matched by his skill not just in a canoe but also on the hills or on a mountain bike. Great with kids, Biscuit also leads many of our family adventure holidays based in Perthshire.
Stuart Hood, Guide
Born and brought up on the coastline of Arisaig, Stuart has been sea-kayaking in these waters for many years and is an aspirant grade 4 instructor, as well as a qualified walking guide. Stuart leads many of our family-orientated trips, beginner’s courses and expeditions in the Sound of Arisaig. His relaxed demeanour and local knowledge of the Arisaig area makes Stuart a great choice for trips in this area.
Ben Dodman, Guide
Ben lives near Fort William and enjoys kayaking in his home patch - the Sound of Arisaig. Ben is an aspirant grade 4 sea-kayaking instructor and leads many of our family-orientated trips, beginner’s courses and expeditions in the Sound of Arisaig. Ben is very patient and an excellent coach, so leads many of our family adventure holidays based at Loch Morar.
Jamie Robinson, Skipper
Jamie's life has been the sea since he moved to the Knoydart Peninsula in 1982. He skippered his first boat at 16 and has not looked back - there are few skippers on the West Coast with such a depth of knowledge and experience. A great entertainer, Jamie was the UK Sea Shanty Writing Champion for 2 years running.
Bob Hunter, Skipper
An experienced skipper, Bob leads many of our private yacht charters which explore the West Coast and Islands. Having lived and sailed in that region formany years, Bob knows the islands very well and will introduce you to some wonderful spots which you've probably never heard of before! Bob loves the feeling of being at sea and, if the mood is right, might treat you to some of his sonnets on deck in the evenings!
Kirk Watson, Guide
Kirk is one of those guys you instantly trust! He has a massive amount of experience in the outdoors, including spending almost 2 years living and working in Antarctica - so you know that he can handle the very worst that the Scottish weather can throw at him! Kirk enjoys expeditions and exploring some of Scotland's wildest regions. His favourite trip typifies this - it is our canoeing and hiking expeditions in the North West Highlands.
Brian Morrison, Guide
Brian is a guide of many talents and qualifications! He often leads our winter walking and ski mountaineering trips, and spends much of the summer skippering private yacht charters on Scotland's west coast or leading our Wilderness Walking trips. An experienced coach as well as guide, Brian is excellent at working on skill development on our winter trips. A native of Fort William, his favourite trips are our ski touring courses in the Cairngorms.
Stevie Christie, Director & Guide
Stevie loves escaping from the office to lead and assist on trips in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. Having been with Wilderness Scotland since 2003, Stevie has led most trips that we offer. As he also creates many of the itineraries, he knows them better than most!
Stevie enjoys assisting on sea-kayaking and winter walking trips but is most often found guiding our Wilderness Walking holidays. Pushed for a favourite, he recommends Wester Ross and the Cairngorms for fit walkers, as the peaks climbed during the week are superb and the contrast between the two areas is striking.
Euan Wilson
Euan is avid outdoor enthusiast but his main passion lies in mountain biking, and he is one of the most experienced mountain bike guides in the Highlands. Euan leads our expedition-style trips in the Cairngorms and is never happier than when he is in the backcountry with all he needs in his bike trailer. His laidback outlook on life is perfectly suited to these wilderness mountain biking adventures.
