Field notes
I plan and route multi-use trails across upland terrain, mostly in the north of Scotland. Over 12 years I have set out roughly 340 km of new path and reworked another 90 km of eroded line. I care about drainage first and gradient second, and I keep a soft spot for a well-placed switchback.
▲ Route surveyed
Lead Trail Designer
Summit
2019–present
Cairn & Cleft Trails Ltd
N 57.48 · W 4.22 · elev. 892 m
- Designed the 61 km Glen Aird loop, now handling about 24,000 visits a year with a 0.4% path failure rate after two winters.
- Cut survey-to-build time from 14 weeks to 9 by standardising a 6-stage field checklist across 4 crews.
- Led drainage redesign on 22 km of blanket bog, dropping annual repair spend by £38,000.
Trail Surveyor
2015–2019
North Ridge Access Co-op
N 57.12 · W 5.01 · elev. 640 m
- Marked and graded 130 km of walking and cycling routes across 3 estates.
- Introduced a GPS logging method that trimmed field survey error to under 1.5 m.
Path Construction Officer
2012–2015
Braemount Countryside Board
N 56.98 · W 4.55 · elev. 410 m
- Supervised build of 47 km of stone-pitched path with a 9-person seasonal crew.
- Ran a volunteer scheme that logged 3,100 work hours across 2 seasons.
▲ Terrain skills
Trail alignment
Drainage design
GIS / QGIS
GPS survey
Erosion control
Gradient grading
Access law (Scotland)
Crew planning
CAD site plans
▲ Markers logged
340km of new trail set out since 2012
18bridges and boardwalks specified
6estates surveyed end to end
▲ Base camp
BSc Countryside Management
Loch Fyne College · 2008–2012
Diploma, Upland Path Repair
Highland Skills Trust · 2013
▲ Certificates
Mountain Leader (Summer)
Assessed 2016
First Aid at Work
Renewed 2025
Contour interval 10 m
Grid ref NH 667 452
Surveyed by J. Cooper