Close
Articles by Year

<<     >>

Articles by Category
Close
Book a Call
Flag

Activities

Selected Trips

    Locations

    Selected Trips

      Themed Travel

      FAQs

      Fran Pothecary

      Fran Pothecary

      Curious | Irreverent | Resilient

      Mini Bio

      Born in the flatlands of East Anglia, somehow I found my way to the Highlands, which has been the base of a wonderful outdoor career. Bike, ski, hike, sea kayak, horse-ride, climb – it all floats my boat!

      A decade and a half of working in the European Alps, the Arctic, and Antarctica has seen me slowly coming back to where it all started, and I’m rediscovering Scotland anew with Wilderness Scotland.

      Favourite Place to Play

      It’s hard to beat the machair of the Western Isles, the flowers in late spring and summer, and the most comfortable campsites. Oh, and it’s windy, so fewer midges!

      Not a lot of People Know This

      I have had some close encounters with ‘wild’ wildlife! A sea otter climbed onto my kayak when I was paddling in British Columbia.

      I’ve ‘weighed and measured’ penguins and fur seal pups as part of long-term monitoring projects and, maybe as payback for the latter, I was bitten by a fur seal in South Georgia! A sore leg and a dented ego were the result.

      “A decade and a half of working in the European Alps, the Arctic, and Antarctica has seen me slowly coming back to where it all started, and I'm rediscovering Scotland anew with Wilderness Scotland.”
      Expand All
      Experience Read More
      • Not-quite-there Munroist
      • Excellent knowledge of Scotland’s hills and coast
      • Active biker, skier, walker, climber and sea kayaker (since the last century)
      Biggest Adventure Read More

      I embarked on a sea kayaking journey from Vancouver to Juneau with a mixed team of able-bodied and differently-abled paddlers, along with a garden gnome.

      Specialist Subject Read More
      • Natural history of Scotland
      • Access legislation and land ownership in Scotland

      What Fellow Travellers Say About Fran

      Fran is the best! Sorry didn't catch our sea kayaking guide's name, but he was also cool.

      (Cameron)Molly Saunders
      18WSTM Tailor Made trips
      Reviewed on 04/06/2018

      Fran A. was so wonderful. She is such a special lady - someone we call a friend now! She was very well-versed about the places she took us hiking, did a wonderful job taking us all over Skye, and even made special accommodations to let us see a bit of Inverness on the final day she took us to meet our train. She was truly lovely, and I will miss her!

      Brandi Schreiber
      17WSTM Tailor Made trips
      Reviewed on 06/06/2017

      Show More Reviews

      Book a trip with Fran

      Trip / Departure Availability Status Price Book
      Wilderness Walking – Outer Hebrides: Uists, Barra & Mingulay
      8th Aug - 14th Aug 2026 Women only departure       		8 place(s) left Available 2,695 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.

      mail

      Want more Wilderness in your life?

      Be the first to hear about new trips, locations and activities with our monthly newsletter

      We’re Not Online Just Now

      Our Highland-based team is here to help—schedule a call at a time that suits you.

      Book a Call