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      Tristan Southall

      Tristan Southall

      Out | of | Office

      Mini Bio

      My first proper job after studying marine biology at university took me from the south of England to the Scottish Highlands. A quarter of a century later, I’m still here. My outdoor passions are playing in Scotland’s hills, whether hill-walking or running, back-country skiing, scrambling, wild camping, or climbing (especially the classic mountain lines of the early hobnail-booted pioneers). Those years of adventure and enjoyment have led me to a qualification that I can now use to escape the desk and computer screen (where I’m still to be found a lot of the time) in order to share with others the magic powers of Scotland’s outdoors to amaze, renew and refresh.

      Favourite Place to Play

      I’m lucky to live close to the hills, and there’s fun and adventure to be had right on my doorstep – Kintail.

      Not a lot of People Know This

      I once spent a night on a temporary bamboo fishing platform several miles off the coast of Java. Also, did you know that there are more species of fish than mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians put together?

      “Those years of adventure and enjoyment have led me to a qualification that I can now use to escape the desk and computer screen in order to share with others the magic powers of the UK's outdoors to amaze, renew, and refresh.”
      Expand All
      Qualifications Read More

      General: Summer Mountain Leader
      Mountaineering: Summer Mountain Leader

      Experience Read More

      25 years in Scotland’s hills and coastal waters.

      Biggest Adventure Read More

      Hard to choose – probably spending three months horse riding across Patagonia. I was a long way out of my comfort zone!

      Specialist Subject Read More

      If you ask my friends and family, they’d probably say it’s fish!

      What Fellow Travellers Say About Tristan

      Tristan did a great job of guiding us but in a relaxed manner - I appreciated his letting some of us split off so that we could walk the higher route along the edge of the Whin Sill while others took the lower route. He had done plenty of research on the local history as well.

      Hilary Jordan
      Walking - Hadrian's Wall Path
      Reviewed on 20/06/2026

      Tristan was top notch. He looked out for everyone and helped folks who were struggling at various times.

      Barbara Douglas
      Walking - Hadrian's Wall Path
      Reviewed on 18/06/2026

      Tristan had the perfect disposition and patience for an eclectic group of people.

      Trina Bartlett
      Walking - Hadrian's Wall Path
      Reviewed on 18/06/2026

      Already called out how good Tristan was...a delight and very helpful to all of us, especially those needing a bit of extra help on occasion. Much appreciated.

      Barbara Lindheim
      Walking - Hadrian's Wall Path
      Reviewed on 18/06/2026

      Tristan showed excellent leadership by convincing one of our fellow walkers to not take the more difficult option during some very challenging weather conditions. This took some diplomatic skill.

      Bruce Mooney
      Walking - Hadrian's Wall Path
      Reviewed on 15/06/2026

      Tristan was helpful, kind, and patient with those of us at the back of the pack. He was easy to talk with and answered questions fully. I felt safe travelling with his leadership.

      Ellen Rabun
      Wilderness Walking - The West Highland Way
      Reviewed on 25/09/2025

      Show More Reviews

      Book a trip with Tristan

      Trip / Departure Availability Status Price Book
      The West Highland Way
      26th May - 2nd Jun 2027       		16 place(s) left Available 2,895 Book Now
      The West Highland Way
      8th Sep - 15th Sep 2027       		8 place(s) left Guaranteed 2,895 Book Now

      Make Trip Private

      Sometimes it's nice to get family and friends together and travel privately for some quality time. This means you benefit from all the features of the group departure, including hand-picked accommodation and expert local guides and we'll take care of it all. Then you can make your choice of departures dates and we'll get back to you to finalise the details.

      We work together with our team of guides to decide which departures they lead each year. As part of that, guides provide available dates that they are free to be booked. This means that any of the dates you see in the first field of the form below, could be perfect for your private departure or customised tour.

      Tristan's Stories

      Scottish History: Corrimony Chambered Cairn

      More By This Author
      Published: May 09, 2022

      Guest Blog: Astronomical Events to Look Out for This December

      More By This Author
      Published: Dec 10, 2020

      One Woman’s Coast to Coast Mountain Biking Adventure

      More By This Author
      Published: Sep 13, 2019

      View all of Tristan's stories
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