What made you become a member of RSFS?
My father had been a lifelong member and he encouraged me to join when I left university.
Where did your interest in forestry begin?
My interest began at a very early age. I remember going with my father to work in the woods when I was at primary school. We would brash young trees and mark thinnings.
What’s your involvement with forestry now?
I spent most of my working life working as a Chartered Surveyor. I undertook management and valuation work, but now I am retired from professional work, and manage my own family's woodlands. I was lucky enough to inherit 150 hectares of mixed woodland and have now expanded this to nearly 500 hectares by planting poor hill land, and a purchase from the Forestry Commission. It is satisfactory to have felled and replanted some of our woods twice in my lifetime.
Where is a great place in Scotland that not everyone knows about?
Capenoch estate, where I live and work. I live in beautiful unspoilt countryside,
Do you have a favourite tree and why?
European Larch. At Capenoch, we have lost all our larch due to Phytophera Ramorum. They formed part of my childhood memories. Larch was well suited to our stony sloping ground. Thinning a larch wood gives me great pleasure.
Can you give us a book, film, TV show or podcast recommendation? It doesn’t have to be forestry related!
The Waverley Novels by Walter Scott.
What do you think is an important issue in forestry today?
Tree pests and diseases.
Outside of forestry, what is a hobby or activity you enjoy?
I enjoy walking, and being with my sprocker spaniel, preferably as a beater on a shoot.
What was your first job?
Working on a farm in Australia, before university.
What do you love most about forests or forestry?
Converting poor farmland to productive forestry.