Staff Biographies
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
Richard Clarkson- Staff Naturalist
Elspeth Ingleby - Field Officer
Alicia Leow-Dyke – Head Ranger
Jenny Campbell - Seasonal Ranger
Brenna Boyle - Seasonal Ranger
Philip Taylor - Seasonal Ranger
Robin Noble - Guest leader
Dr David Dixon - Guest leader
Jonathan Willet - Guest leader
Estate Maintenance is handled by Hugh Bethune
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 seven books on his work with wildlife. His best-selling non-fiction ‘Song of the Rolling Earth’, was published in March 2003, and his latest, Nature’s Child in April 2004.
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, Anũ Nuevo Island in the Pacific, and the Atlas mountains. In March 2003 he took Hermione, his wife, Lucy, and his daughter Amelia to Svalbard to follow the polar bear migration across the pack ice, only 350 miles from the North Pole. He has just returned from the Galapagos and the Amazon Basin.
Lady Lister-Kaye
 Lady 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 the menus, somehow finding time to bake cakes and supervise her domestic staff, as well as being mother to seven children and an extended family of eleven.
In between times she is a JP for the Highlands and is very active in fundraising for the Highland Hospice. (See Aigas Cook-book). 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
S heila 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.
Frances MacLeman - Programme Assistant
 Frances Macleman handles bookings, enquiries, marketing and programme logistics. Born in Edinburgh, a great grand daughter of the Earl of Kilmarnock, 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.
 Amy Page - 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).
Anna Lound - Education Manager
Anna recently moved to Kiltarlity from Skipton, North Yorkshire. She studied Environmental Geology at Leeds University. She has always been keen on geography and the natural environment, this interest stemmed from her upbringing in Botswana. One of Anna’s earliest memories of living in Botswana was missing school to see the rare spectacle of the local river in spate.
Anna trained as a secondary teacher and has worked at schools in Leeds and Bradford. Her last teaching post was at St Joseph’s Catholic College where she was Head of the Geography and Geology Department.
She feels that working outdoors is fundamental to learning and she has always been keen to get her students out into the field. Prior to working at Aigas, she spent five months working as a countryside ranger for the Highland Council based in Inverness. This role has fuelled her enthusiasm for working in the natural environment.
When Anna isn’t working at Aigas, you may find her walking or getting to grips with her mountain bike on the local trails!
Richard Clarkson - Staff Naturalist
Richard’s love affair with the great outdoors began during family outings to the Shropshire hills. A life changing move to the wild and windswept Caithness coast in 1990 inspired his interest in wildlife and nature conservation, and ultimately his decision to pursue a career change.
After completing a BSc (Hons) degree in Ecology, Richard went on to work and volunteer for The National Trust for Scotland and the Scottish Wildlife Trust at stunning locations like the Falls of Clyde, Grey Mare’s Tail, Culzean Castle and Kintail. Before moving to Aigas, he worked in the sensitive field of raptor protection in southern Scotland. He is also a keen natural history photographer.
Enjoying most sports, but particularly football, he played and captained Wick Academy; Scotland’s most northerly senior football club. Unfortunately as a child he had the misfortune of pledging his allegiance to Wolves; the painful suffering continues! Hill walking is another passion, and after many years of living in denial he has finally confessed to being a munro-bagger.
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.
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.
Alicia Leow-Dyke - Head Ranger
 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!
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.
Jenny Campbell - Seasonal Ranger
.jpg) 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 - Seasonal 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!
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.
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 c0-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!
Robin Noble - Guest 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. From his grandmother and parents he derived a great interest in the whole wide sweep of the Highland landscape, including the creatures and people who have lived here since the Ice Age. He has taught and lectured on basic geology, geomorphology, environmental history, archaeology, history and natural history in highland Field Centres, and universities in Stirling and Glasgow. 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.
In 2009 Robin will be leading several of our open programmes including Orkney (Jun 6th - 13th), and Castles & Gardens (Jun 20th - 27th) as well as The Travelling Naturalist's visit in October.
Jonathan Willet - Guest Leader
 Jonathan is a proud Scot from near Glasgow. His career as a naturalist started in front of the TV. He was an avid fan of exotic nature documentaries and full of all manner of animal and plants facts. After leaving school he still harboured a desire to be the next David Attenborough (the man will not retire!) but his appreciation of nature became very much first hand. He gained much knowledge and understanding of Scotland’s biodiversity through his University degrees, volunteering on Nature Reserves and finally, paid work rangering.
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.
Hugh Bethune - Estate Maintenance
 Hugh is a native Highlander living on the Black Isle (gods own country). 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.
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heila has worked at Aigas since February 2003, as Book-Keeper/Secretary.
