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During the season Aigas employs up to 22 people who work closely together to ensure the place runs to the high standards we expect. Everyone helps everyone else and there is a strong team spirit here.
Overseeing it all, our two directors:
Sir John Lister-Kaye
Lady Lucy Lister-Kaye
Working tirelessly in the office:
Sheila Kerr - Field Centre Secretary
Frankie Macleman - Programme Assistant.
(Frankie is the one most likely to answer the phone.)
The field staff team consists of:
Warwick Lister-Kaye - Programme Manager
Elspeth Ingleby - Field Officer
Alicia Leow-Dyke – Staff Naturalist
Jenny Campbell - Seasonal Ranger
Brenna Boyle - Head Ranger
Philip Taylor - Seasonal Ranger
Edward McHugh - Seasonal Ranger
The education staff of our charitable arm - Naturedays - are:
Faith Hillier - Education Officer
Rebekah West - Education Officer
Sue Hodgson - Part-time Education Officer
Amy Bartlett - Fundraising Officer
Guest lecturers:
Robin Noble - Guest Group Leader
Jonathan Willet - Guest Group Leader
Laurie Campbell - Guest Photography Group Leader
Dr David Dixon - Guest Group Leader
Philip Knott - Guest Group Leader
Donald Shields - Guest Group Leader
Estate maintenance
Providing all the firewood, mowing the lawns and keeping the whole ship afloat:
Hugh Bethune - Estate Maintenance Officer
Maciej - Hugh's Right Hand Guy
Monika - Lucy's Right Hand Girl
Sir John Lister-Kaye
Sir John Lister-Kaye is one of Scotland’s best-known naturalists and writers on wildlife and nature conservation. He is a Times columnist and the author of eight books on his work with wildlife. His best-selling non-fiction ‘Song of the Rolling Earth’, was published in March 2003, and his latest, At the Water's Edge in February 2010.
In a 30 year nature conservation career he is an honorary Vice President of RSPB, was for seven years the Chairman of Scottish Natural Heritage for the Highlands & Islands, is a former President of the Scottish Wildlife Trust and Chairman of the government’s Environmental Training Organisation. In 1986 he won the World Wilderness Foundation’s gold award for environmental education; he has received honorary doctorates from St Andrew’s and Stirling Universities and in 2003 he was awarded the OBE for services to nature conservation.
He has lectured on conservation and environmental politics on three continents; has led exciting expeditions to wilderness areas like the Kalahari Desert, the Ecuadorian Amazon and the Atlas mountains. In March 2003 he took his wife, Lucy, and his daughters Hermione and Amelia to Svalbard to follow the polar bear migration across the pack ice, only 350 miles from the North Pole. He has recently returned from a four month expedition up the Great Rift Valley.
Lady Lister-Kaye
Lucy is a local girl. Her mother was a Mackintosh of Balvraid and a close cousin to the chiefs of Clan Mackintosh at Moy. The Mackintoshes played a prominent role in the Jacobite uprising which culminated in the defeat of Gaeldom at Culloden in 1746. A square of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s plaid has been handed down to Lucy and is on display at Aigas.
Lucy runs the household at Aigas, master-minding the cooking and preparing (and publishing!) the menus - all covered in the food page. She somehow also finds time to bake cakes and supervise her domestic staff, as well as being matriarch to a large extended family!
In between times she is a JP for the Highlands and is very active in fundraising for the Highland Hospice. But her passion is the garden. She has created the Aigas gardens single-handed (with engineering support from John and the family) and continues to extend them year on year.
Sheila Kerr - The Indispensable Field Centre Secretary
Sheila has worked at Aigas since February 2003, as Book-Keeper/Secretary.
Sheila's career path demonstrates her multi-talents. Originally she trained in catering, but decided to make a career change, working her way up to PA with the National Trust for Scotland in Edinburgh. Later she developed her expertise in book keeping by running her own businesses; first a filling station, then a hotel in the Inverness area.
While Sheila's daughter (Mhairi) was at school she worked part time painting pewter miniatures and doing secretarial work from home.
Sheila has a particular interest in traditional Scottish music – she plays the accordion in a local Ceilidh Band (cnocciuil). Sheila also enjoys walking and gardening.
Frankie Macleman - Programme Assistant
Frances handles bookings, enquiries, marketing and programme logistics.
Born in Edinburgh, she was raised in Sheildaig on the west coast of Scotland and grew up with the sea as her front garden. Frankie re-joined us in August 2008 as Programme Assistant after a twelve year absence. She spent time in Canada and the Channel Islands but decided that the Highlands was where her heart really belongs.
She enjoys boats with or without an outboard, travelling, crosswords, photography, reading, history, politics and is learning how to fly fish.
Warwick Lister-Kaye - Programme Manager
Warwick has loved travel since the time that he climbed into a helicopter aged six and was flown once around the local fairground. He was brought up in the Highlands of Scotland by parents that lived and breathed the tourism industry and for whom quality and service were daily aspirations.
Aged nineteen he mustered sheep and cattle in Western Australia and The Northern Territory for a year before returning to Britain and starting a career as an Officer in the British Army. He served for six years with The Highlanders during which time he negotiated sensitive disarmament agreements with bands of militia in the hills of Kosovo, patrolled Northern Ireland before the ceasefire and trained hundreds of recruits.
During his military career he found time to travel all over Europe, South & East Africa, East Asia and the United States. Retiring as a Captain, he set off to South America and travelled through Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia and Peru - during this time he fell in love with the continent, its diversity and peoples.
Apart from helping his father's tourism business on and off for years, Warwick has also worked for tour operators in Egypt, Jordan and Israel.
Elspeth Ingleby - Field Officer
Hailing from rural Cheshire, Elspeth has always been fascinated in wildlife, but hadn’t really considered a career in conservation until she studied Natural Sciences at Cambridge University.
After spending a summer in the cloud forest of Honduras and specialising her degree in Zoology, she had found her vocation.
Since graduating in 2007, Elspeth gained experience of practical habitat management by volunteering full time on Flat Holm Island before moving up to Glencoe to become a volunteer ranger for the National Trust for Scotland.
Working in the Highlands was a dream come true and she became fascinated with the special ecology and wildlife of this spectacular area. After a stint of rhododendron bashing on the Isle of Arran and a promotion, Elspeth is overjoyed to return to northern Scotland for another season. In her spare time, Elspeth enjoys orienteering and hill walking, so hopes to exploit the wonderful local areas. More relaxing hobbies include baking, singing and attempting to learn how to use her camera.
Alicia Leow-Dyke - Staff Naturalist
Alicia is originally from Stratford-upon-Avon and has been interested in natural history from a young age. She graduated from Cardiff University with a BSc (Hons) in Zoology, followed by an MSc in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation at Imperial College London, where she was based at the Silwood Park campus and was constantly surrounded by wildlife.
Her studies have allowed Alicia to combine her interests in ecology and conservation with travelling, where she investigated the habitat requirements of endemic and threatened bird species in the jungles of Indonesia. This not only involved conducting bird censuses, but also eating ants for breakfast! The subject of her next thesis was on the biodiversity of fig wasps in Australia.
Since university Alicia has volunteered with the Wildlife Trust and worked for an ecological consultancy surveying and rescuing great crested newts and reptiles. In her spare time Alicia enjoys walking, reading, photography and she is currently learning to play the guitar.
Alicia has been promoted again from Head Ranger to Staff Naturalist!
Jenny Campbell - Seasonal Ranger
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Jenny was lucky enough to grow up on the Isle of Arran and had always known she would have a career in something to do with nature and conservation. After completing a BSc (Hons) in Zoology at University of Dundee she moved to Plymouth to complete an MSc in Zoo Conservation Biology.
She then embarked on a year's voluntary work. Firstly, with BTCV in Munlochy, leading groups of other volunteers in practical conservation, mainly footpath construction and then as an assistant ranger for Scottish Wildlife Trust at Loch of the Lowes. Her voluntary position with Scottish Wildlife Trust led to a full time position within the trust at their Loch of the Lowes visitor centre giving talks to visitors about ospreys and other native wildlife.
In her spare time she loves birding, reading, films, playing bass, watching football and has just started a spot of wildlife photography.
Brenna Boyle - Head Ranger
Brenna is originally from Derbyshire and grew up exploring the Peak District. She developed a passion for natural history from a young age; one of her first memories is hunting through the compost heap looking for worms.
She graduated from Durham University with a B.Sc (Hons) in Zoology and later gained an M.Sc qualification in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation from Imperial College. Her thesis was on human wildlife conflict, looking specifically at crocodiles and river side communities in Namibia.
After spending over a year working in conservation and behavioural research in Southern Africa, Brenna wished to return to work with UK wildlife. She then spent eight months surveying for reptiles and great crested newts in Essex.
Brenna has previously worked as a freelance environmental teacher and as volunteer coordinator for Groundwork London. She is passionate about working with people and sharing her enthusiasm for nature.
In her spare time Brenna enjoys walking, reading, listening to music, attempting to learn guitar and figuring out how to use all the buttons on her new camera!
Brenna has been promoted to Head Ranger at the end of the 2010 season. Well done Brenna!
Philip Taylor - Seasonal Ranger
Philip has held a keen interest in wildlife from an early age, and only discovered he wasn't alone in this passion when he studied Ecology with Biology at the University of East Anglia.
Feeling completely at home in the student Conservation and Wildlife Society, he eventually became president and spent weekends leading teams in scrub clearance and searching East Anglia for interesting wildlife. A highlight included the rare Silver-studded blue butterfly.
After graduation he took a year out to do voluntary work, undertaking placements with the RSPB. He looked after the friendly highland cattle at Fairburn Ings, West Yorkshire, and enjoyed extensive survey work on anything that flapped, buzzed and fluttered at Vane Farm, Kinross. He hopes to one day see his holy grail of British bumblebees, the Great Yellow.
In his spare time he enjoys cycling, watching films and creative writing.
Edward McHugh - Seasonal Ranger
Although he grew up in Glasgow, Edward's love for the outdoors stemmed from long summers spent on his grandfathers farm in Ireland. Then, while completing his Duke of Edinburgh he volunteered at Mugdock Country Park where he developed a strong interest in nature and conservation.
Before university, Edward pursued voluntary conservation projects abroad and worked with Leatherback turtles in Costa Rica. He then went on to study BSc (Hons) in Ecological Science at Edinburgh University finishing with a study in natural methods of flood defence.
After university Edward gained a full time residential volunteer placement with Scottish Wildlife Trust at Loch of the Lowes. He assisted the Ranger in different practical conservation tasks and survey work which included his favourite, butterfly transects. He also assisted in the running of the visitor centre which included acting as an interpretation officer for the public.
In his spare time Edward enjoys swimming, snowboarding and hillwalking. He also enjoys films, playing cards and music.
Faith Hillier - Education Officer
Faith helps deliver environmental education to our school groups and leads adult groups in the field. Faith enjoys music and completed a Music Degree at Cardiff University in 2002. She went on to be a Music Practice Supervisor at Wells Cathedral School before completing a Primary PGCE at Gloucestershire University in 2005.
With a lifetime interest in wildlife, Faith volunteered at Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetland Trust in the environmental education. In 2007 she moved to Scotland for six months to work for the RSPB as an Osprey Information Assistant at Loch Garten Osprey Centre. This was followed by three months of residential volunteering at RSPB Leighton Moss Reserve in Lancashire.
She enjoys hiking and photography in her spare time.
Bex West - Education Officer
Rebekah was brought up in the countryside around Hampshire and Wiltshire and as a result, developed a keen interest in nature and conservation.
She completed a B.A.Hons. in Contemporary Decorative Crafts in Lincoln. However, it wasn't until after this, whilst traveling that she realized that her calling was to work in nature conservation.
On return to the UK, she knuckled down to another degree in Bristol and graduated with a B.SC. in Conservation Biology in 2009. Whilst studying Rebekah worked with ecological consultants translocating reptiles. In addition, she helped to set up an afterschool nature club and worked with the Avon Wildlife Trust taking out volunteers completing land management tasks and co-ordinating the North Somerset Otter Group.
Rebekah is extremely excited about being able to pass on her passion of wildlife to a younger generation in Scotland. When not involved in all things conservation, she loves being outdoors and active, which usually involves rock climbing, running or hill walking.
Sue Hodgson - Part-time Education Officer
Sue joined the Aigas team last year. She moved up to the Highlands in 2007 from Cheshire, with her husband and two young boys, and now lives locally in Struy.
She has previously worked as a classroom assistant with infants, been a Cub Leader, loves landscape gardening and also sells children’s books.
The family hobbies are hill walking, local wildlife and looking after their dogs, cats and hens. She is also an extremely good cook!
Amy Bartlett - Fundraising Officer
Amy moved to Strathglass in January 2005 from Yorkshire and lives locally in the village of Tomich. She has a background in the voluntary sector including development, funding and volunteer support.
As our Fundraising Officer, Amy is tasked with securing long and short term funding to ensure the sustainability of the environmental education work we deliver at Aigas. In her free time Amy will be found walking in the surrounding glens with her trusted sidekick Jake (dog).
Robin Noble - Guest Group Leader
Robin’s Highland credentials are pretty good; his mother’s family came from Cawdor and Orkney, he has known the Highlands and Islands all his life, and has lived in Assynt, Orkney, Strathglass, Skye, and, once again, is resident in the inspirational Parish of Assynt.
His book, North and West, is a very readable introduction to these various aspects of the landscape about which he is so enthusiastic. His in-depth studies of ancient woodland in the Highlands have made him into an acknowledged expert in this field.
Artist, singer and hill-walker, Robin asks nothing better than to introduce other people to his beloved Highlands.
Laurie Campbell - Guest Group Leader
Laurie is one of Scotland's most accomplished and well known nature photographers. We owe him an enormous debt of gratitude for the images he has furnished us with; not only for this website but in all of our marketing material and presentations.
He leads our two photography weeks and they are always the first weeks to fill - so book early to take advantage of Laurie's patient and generous teaching style and limitless knowledge on all things photography.
Dr David Dixon - Guest Group Leader
After an exciting research career studying the bizarre organisms that live around deep-sea hydrothermal vents (which took him to the bottom of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in a small submersible, and into the pages of National Geographic), David has now turned his attention to more accessible, but no less fascinating, creatures which inhabit the hills, glens, lochs and coastal waters of the Scottish Highlands and Islands.
An Aigas Guest Lecturer for the past 5 years, he has built up a reputation for covering a wide range of fascinating (and sometimes offbeat) topics, extending from ice ages to astronomy, via badgers, fossils and haggis, all presented in a friendly and unchallenging way.
David is a regular consultant (and presenter) for BBC television, most recently Autumnwatch, and is an occasional contributor to BBC Wildlife Magazine, plus Council member of the Zoological Society of London.
For a hobby, David keeps bees (although he confesses to not being that fond of honey!) and builds dry stone walls – an excellent wildlife habitat.
Jonathan Willet - Guest Group Leader
His first job, in 1995, was as a Ranger at Aigas Field Centre. It was there he says that he became the avid naturalist he is now, through a combination of his enthusiasm, the location and the expertise and support of all the staff there. He has never been the same since!
After Aigas he worked as a Countryside Ranger, Environmental Education Officer and for the last 7 years a Local Authority Biodiversity Officer. These jobs took him on a 10 year lap of Scotland, with two detours to Africa. He returned to the Highlands in 2005 to become the job-share Highland Biodiversity Officer. To occupy and fund the rest of his time he is a freelance wildlife guide.
Though he is interested in all of nature, dragonflies are his favourites.
Philip Knott - Guest Group Leader
Phil will be a familiar face to previous Aigas guests as he was employed as the Staff Naturalist between 2006 and 2009. Still affected with a deep love of the Highlands and Islands, he is the guest leader on some of our islands programmes. He is currently employed as the Ranger of Handa Island over on the West Coast, where he keeps a close eye on the Puffins and Otters.
Phil is an enthusiastic and patient all round naturalist, with a passion for travel, wild places and exciting wildlife encounters. Despite wildlife adventures all over the world, Phil still rates his encounter with Killer Whales on the 2008 Shetland programme as his personal highlight.
Donald Shields - Guest Group Leader
Donald returns this year as a guest leader, to lead our Spring birds and hebrides programmes.
Having grown up in the Highlands, Donald was always naturally drawn to the natural world, and counts himself very fortunate to be able to work in the conservation sector. His experience also includes helping out on a family croft on the Isle of Skye.
After his three years with us (2006-2009) Donald took off to New Zealand for 6 months, mixing travelling with conservation work. This has given him a real appreciation of conservation issues and how they are dealt with on an international level.
The wonders of New Zealand, (from species such as the kokako to the massive wandering albatross,) have not lessened his enthusiasm for Scottish wildlife, and he is still searching for an elusive glimpse of a Scottish wildcat.
Hugh Bethune - Estate Maintenance
Hugh is a native Highlander living on the Black Isle. He is a proud parent and grand-parent married to Karen who is a kilt maker by profession.
Hugh has worked at Aigas for the past twelve years. Duties include maintenance of cabins and other property, upkeep of grounds round the house – grass cutting, fencing, tree felling and other jobs connected to estate work. Any spare time Hugh has he enjoys walking, cycling, reading, war films and especially westerns, and a good malt whisky.
Maciej & Monika
Monika and Maciej (pronounced Magic) are from Eastern Poland and have worked with us on a seasonal basis for some years. From 2010 we are delighted to have them on board full time!
Monika assists Lucy in the kitchen and leads the other domestic staff in all their various vital tasks; a role that she performs with a ready smile and a steady unflapability.
Maciej is Hugh's right hand man around the grounds; maintaining properties and infrastructure, chopping and bringing in the firewood, mowing the lawns - he's a busy man. Hugh is teaching him a curious dialect of Highland English with some fascinating results!