Meet the team

Dr Jeremy Leggett

  • Jeremy is a social entrepreneur, writer and climate campaigner. In June 2025, he won a Blue Planet Prize, one of the two top environmental awards in the world. Before embarking on the Bunloit project in March 2020, he founded Solarcentury (1998-2020), one of the world’s most respected solar energy companies, winner of a Queen's Award for Enterprise in Innovation. He also founded SolarAid (2006-2020), an international charity set up with a levy on annual Solarcentury profits, winner of a BITC Unilever Global Development Award. An Entrepreneur of the Year at the New Energy Awards, he was the first Hillary Laureate for International Leadership in Climate Change, has won a Gothenburg Prize, and was the first non-Dutch winner of a Royal Dutch Honorary Sustainability Award. After taking a D.Phil in Earth Science at the University of Oxford, he taught at the Imperial College of Science and Technology (1978-1989). He was scientific director of the climate campaign at Greenpeace (1990-1996), and has been an occasional lecturer on courses in business and environment at the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and St Gallen (Switzerland). He has written four books about the climate crisis, as he has experienced it on the front lines for three decades.

A woman with dark hair is smiling outdoors, wearing a black quilted jacket. The background shows grassy hills and leafless trees, under a cloudy sky.

Dr Hannah Rudman

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    Hannah’s applied research and development work focuses on the trustability of nature tech and their data for validating and proving nature-based projects' impact – digital measurement, reporting and verification (dMRV). Hannah led the Trustable AI in Mapping project which included Highlands Rewilding. She is Co-Chair of the Scottish Forum on Natural Capital – a national network of organisations focused on how to finance nature restoration, and Honorary Fellow in the School of GeoSciences at the University of Edinburgh. She is a director of the Integrating Finance and Biodiversity project, responsible for UK Nations and International co-ordination on policy. Hannah publicly serves as Board Trustee and Director for the National Galleries of Scotland. She developed tech start-up businesses, including distributed ledger technology focussed SICCAR, and Envirodigital. Recent publications include: Governing high- integrity markets for ecosystem services in Ecosystem Services, and Measuring biodiversity: research into approaches, for the Scottish Government.

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Tony Crawte

  • Tony was Finance Director and CFO at Solarcentury for 12 years as the business grew from a UK-focused operation to a £240 million group operating across 4 continents prior to its sale to Statkraft in late 2020. He is a Chartered Accountant with over 25 years’ experience in commercial finance.

Woman smiling outdoors near a lake, wearing a green jacket with "Highlands Rewilding" text, and a patterned scarf. Background shows water and forested hills.

Dr Penelope Whitehorn

  • Penelope is a research ecologist with many years’ experience of field surveys and practical conservation in the UK, Eastern Africa and the US. In her research she has specialised in bumblebee ecology and led a number projects assessing impacts of climate change, habitat fragmentation, and land management on biodiversity, including during 3 years as an Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow in Germany. Penelope is a member of NatureScot’s Scientific Advisory Committee Expert Panel, has worked as a contributing author on the IPBES regional assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services for Europe and Central Asia and has previously worked as a terrestrial ecologist for the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency. She has written or co-written 25 peer-reviewed research papers and communicated her work extensively to politicians, the public and schools.

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Cathy Atkinson

  • Cathy is a data scientist who joined Highlands Rewilding in July 2022 and works on the development of our data platform and analytical pipelines. She holds a BSc in Geography from the University of Bristol, and an MSc in Data Science for the Environment from Lancaster University. Cathy worked for 13 years in the solar photovoltaics sector, beginning at Solarcentury in the early stages of industry. She then worked for the Civil Service for 7 years, delivering data science projects relating to policy areas such as industrial strategy, Brexit and the Covid pandemic. She received an OBE for services to data science in 2020 for her work at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

A man wearing glasses and a green "Highlands Rewilding" jacket stands outdoors with trees and a lake in the background.

Dr Calum Brown

  • Calum is a land system scientist and ecologist, and a Senior Researcher in Land Use Change & Climate at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. Calum has worked in conservation in Scotland, the US and Slovakia, and has been a member of the Scottish Wild Land Group’s Steering Team, a consultant for Scottish Environment LINK and for the Scottish Agricultural College. In his academic career, he has led the development of the ‘CRAFTY’ large-scale modelling framework for land use change and ecosystem services, part of the global LandSyMM model that represents macro-economics, global trade, ecosystem processes, biodiversity and the climate system. He has published almost 90 research articles and led or participated in 13 international projects on social-ecological dynamics in the land system, many of which were funded by the EU Horizon programme. Recent publications include articles on non-native deer species in Scotland, the use of LLMs for land system modelling, the future potential for rewilding in the UK, and assessment of land-based carbon dioxide removal.

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Keir Smith

  • Keir started his career in the mid-1990s, before earning a BSc in Forestry and Conservation Management from the University of Stirling in 2001.  He has worked in private consultancy, the USDA Forest Service in Oregon, and spent 16 years at Forestry Commission Scotland/Scottish Forestry in woodland management roles.  His experience includes securing EIA and FGS consent for several large woodland creation schemes across Scotland and contributing to national forestry guidance.  At Highlands Rewilding, he oversees estate operations, including forestry, agriculture, deer management and health & safety, while working with stakeholders and ensuring compliance with regulations.  His role involves balancing land management priorities, maintaining financial oversight, and supporting estate teams in delivering long-term environmental and community objectives.

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Ewan Paterson

  • Ewan has lived and worked on Tayvallich Estate for over 14 years, and is the point of contact for residents, face of the estates for locals, outside organizations and agencies on estate matters. He has great knowledge of the land, coastline and history of the estate and his large and varied role has developed over time from Head stalker and registered game dealer - setting up a quality assured game larder which has the potential for local food production - to undertaking varied construction, maintenance and restoration work on estates properties and infrastructure, and working with NatureScot on Tayvallich’s SSSIs.

    Ewan is also a qualified dive master and HSC scuba, and has worked in most aspects of commercial scuba diving including shellfish diving, recovery, rescue, moorings, filming with BBC and national geographic. In his spare time he enjoys snowboarding, fly and sea fishing, kayaking, diving and snorkeling, golf, land and sea foraging, gardening.

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Alex Davies

  • Alex has worked in regenerative land management for over twenty years. After training in Horticulture, he set up a company to create productive, wildlife-friendly gardens. For the past ten years, he has facilitated land based projects with a focus on community involvement and agroecological food production. He has managed several market gardens and has worked to help people with a broad range of challenges including mental health issues and learning disabilities. Most recently he established educational programs on the Black Isle, working with schools and running workshops to demonstrate how to produce food whilst integrating space for our native wildlife.

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Dr David Smyth

  • David is a marine biologist who has been working in the field of biogenic reef restoration for over 20 years. He obtained a BSc in Marine Biology and PhD from Queen’s University Belfast. He is particularly interested in the implementation of bivalve ecosystem services as nature-based solutions to compromised marine habitats. He has extensive experience in establishing, monitoring and augmenting both subtidal and intertidal populations of native oyster, pearl oyster and horse mussels. He is a predictive population modeller of invasive bivalve species, with Magallana gigas and Pinctada radiata species of interest. He is considered a leading expert on passive restoration techniques for the European flat oyster and has managed and installed numerous native oyster nursery programs throughout the UK. David has worked in marine habitat restoration, aquaculture and research for Queen’s University Belfast, the British Antarctic Survey, Qatar University, Bangor University Wales and the Ulster Wildlife Trust. He has sat on numerous advisory groups for both the Native Oyster Restoration Alliance of Europe and the Zoological Society of London. David has written or co-written more than 50 peer-reviewed papers and has been involved in numerous research funding proposals. He is a qualified HSE 1,3 and 4 diver, who has worked in both engineering and science.

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John Faulks

  • John is a commercial lawyer with over 25 years’ experience in private practice, the not-for-profit sector and as an in-house lawyer. He qualified as a solicitor in 1990 with Clifford Chance, has a law degree from Oxford University and a Masters in Environmental Law from King’s College, London. He was Company Secretary and General Counsel at Solarcentury for 15 years and a key player in taking the business from a start-up in the UK to a £240m group active across 4 continents, whilst keeping it on course as an ethical business, which included setting up SolarAid. John also has experience in government affairs having spent 6 years with the RSPB, as an EU lobbyist, and participated in the UN negotiating sessions of the Climate Change Treaty as part of the legal team advising the Alliance of Small Island States.

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Daniel Holm

  • Daniel’s career in conservation and forestry began with an Honours degree in Environmental Biology from Napier University where his thesis focused on the freshwater fishes of Sulawesi. This was followed by a Masters in Conservation Biology with a focus on the use of riparian habitats by large mammals. Since then he has worked on a wide variety of research projects including a year supporting ecologists in the Ecuadorian Amazon and a year spent monitoring the behavior and activity patterns of Pine Martens in the Highlands of Scotland. Daniel has also worked on the front line of habitat restoration for many years, having planted close to one million native trees across the Highland area and removed acres of invasive species. Daniel has a strong interest in regenerative agriculture and in particular, agroforestry practices. He has established his own 2 acres food forest in the Highlands experimenting with over 200 species of edible and useful plants and trees suitable for this climate. He is also a keen wood carver and sculptor crafting unique pieces of art and bespoke yurts.

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Erik Riddell

  • Erik was born and raised in Tayvallich with a strong connection to the land and the community, and so jumped at the chance to return and work on the estate. Following a HND in Travel and Tourism at Stirling Uni Erik undertook a Bsc Hons with SRUC in Countryside Management with an emphasis on conservation and habitat management, discovering a passion for an integrated land use approach to wildlife conservation. Following university Erik farmed for 5 years on a conventional livestock farm with beef cattle and sheep in Argyll, growing a strong interest in persuing regenerative agricultural practices; conserving species rich habitats, sequestering carbon and minimising inputs, all the while producing highly nutritious food. He hopes to pursue at Tayvallich with Highlands Rewilding, while engaging with the community as to the reasons for our various land management approaches.

    Erik’s interests are spending time in and on the water through sailing, kayaking and recreational diving as well as hiking into the hills.

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Beth Harwood

  • Beth moved to the Highlands in 2019 to pursue her career in nature conservation. It was while growing up in the French countryside that Beth developed her love for wildlife. While still in France, she undertook a BSc in population biology followed by a MSc in ecology and ethology. After graduating Beth enhanced her practical skills by volunteering for conservation charities first in France and then in Scotland.

    Since moving to Scotland, Beth has had the opportunity to work on some of the Highlands most iconic and unique habitats while carrying out practical conservation and habitat management to maintain and enhance a variety of nature reserves.

    Beth has a particular passion for mammals. She led a study on badger population densities in Burgundy, France, and has been involved in various projects such as GPS tracking wild boar, winter bat roost counts, and helping complete a mammal atlas of the region of Normandy, France.

    More recently, Beth has taken an interest in growing and foraging her own food by developing a vegetable garden and collecting wild berries and mushrooms.

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Rowan Maclean

  • Rowan has been living and working on Tayvallich estate for 14 years, looking after the private and commercial holiday houses. Being a friendly host and point of contact making sure everyone has an enjoyable stay. Rowan has been working as a classroom assistant for 10 years. Up until recently she has been working in the local Early Learning Centre, enjoying playing and learning in the outdoors with the next generation of local nature enthusiasts and sharing her knowledge of planting and growing with the children.

    A keen gardener Rowan along with husband Ewan enjoy growing food for their family in their pollytunnel.

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Frances Gardner

  • After 5 years as Head of Operations and Marketing for an active travel company, Frances returned to studying, gaining a Master of Land Economy from Aberdeen. Diving into the fascinating world of nature recovery, she chose to write her thesis on ‘Funding Scottish Rewilding’, joining Highlands Rewilding to work with the science team amplifying research and engaging diverse audiences in nature restoration. With expertise in content strategy, creation, stakeholder engagement, and growing digital engagement by crafting compelling narratives around complex topics. She has used her experience to deliver successful multi-channel fundraising campaigns, PR and media relations and releases, and management of in-house and consultant marketing and content creation professionals. In her spare time, Frances has run and camped 2,500 miles around the English and Welsh coast, with dreams of continuing around Scotland’s rugged coastline.

Ron McCullagh

  • Ron began his career at BBC Radio, moved on to BBC TV and then in 1991 founded his own production company, Insight News TV (latterly) Insight TWI. He has produced and exec produced dozens of documentaries in challenging places and trained 100s of journalists to make their own films. His journalism and productions have won many awards including a Bafta and 2 Emmys.

Sarah Fourcheraud

  • Sarah is a professional storyteller and a teacher in the theory and practice of teaching. She is a film producer and archivist, organising clients’ filmed material for easy online access. Sarah worked in the tourism industry for ten years as a consultant and a tourism trade journalist.

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Tim Rose

  • Following 15 years in the aerospace industry, Tim switched to renewable energy in 2008, initially developing new business opportunities with a wind turbine start-up and then moving to solar where he spent seven years at Solarcentury, becoming Managing Director of the Europe and Africa business. In 2019 Tim became the project director for the Energy Superhub Oxford Project, working for EDF Renewables and focusing on innovation in large scale battery storage, EV charging infrastructure and ground source heat pumps.

    Tim’s role as Head of Energy at Highlands Rewilding includes seeking opportunities for efficiency improvements and minimizing the company’s dependence on the grid. Tim loves spending time in nature and enjoys hiking, running, cycling and most other things related to being in the mountains. He studied Chemical Engineering at the University of Edinburgh.

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Aki Maruyama-Leggett

  • Aki coordinates activities with local schools and those related to art, while managing refurbishment of properties.

    With a background of climate change and energy, she was a Programme Officer at United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) based in Paris, policy researcher at the Institute for Global Environment Strategies (IGES), Japan and consultant to the World Bank. She was on advisory board of an international charity SolarAid. Previously, she worked for Deutsche Bank. She is a qualified master of Ikebana, and a keen flautist, playing with many amateur orchestras and chamber groups. She was also involved in making and presenting a documentary on Japan's ageing society for BBC World Service. She has Msc from University of Oxford.

Meet the board

Dr Jeremy Leggett

  • Jeremy is a social entrepreneur, writer and climate campaigner. In June 2025, he won a Blue Planet Prize, one of the two top environmental awards in the world. Before embarking on the Bunloit project in March 2020, he founded Solarcentury (1998-2020), one of the world’s most respected solar energy companies, winner of a Queen's Award for Enterprise in Innovation. He also founded SolarAid (2006-2020), an international charity set up with a levy on annual Solarcentury profits, winner of a BITC Unilever Global Development Award. An Entrepreneur of the Year at the New Energy Awards, he was the first Hillary Laureate for International Leadership in Climate Change, has won a Gothenburg Prize, and was the first non-Dutch winner of a Royal Dutch Honorary Sustainability Award. After taking a D.Phil in Earth Science at the University of Oxford, he taught at the Imperial College of Science and Technology (1978-1989). He was scientific director of the climate campaign at Greenpeace (1990-1996), and has been an occasional lecturer on courses in business and environment at the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and St Gallen (Switzerland). He has written four books about the climate crisis, as he has experienced it on the front lines for three decades.

Man in black Montane jacket standing outdoors with hills and lake in background under a blue sky

Tony Crawte

  • Tony was Finance Director and CFO at Solarcentury for 12 years as the business grew from a UK-focused operation to a £240 million group operating across 4 continents prior to its sale to Statkraft in late 2020. He is a Chartered Accountant with over 25 years’ experience in commercial finance.

Woman smiling outdoors by a lake with trees and hills in the background.

Helen Avery

  • Helen leads nature programmes and GFI Hive at the Green Finance Institute, overseeing the Institute's initiatives to mobilise private capital into Nature Based Solutions and nature restoration.

    Prior to joining the Institute she was Sustainable Finance Editor at Euromoney, spearheading the magazine's global coverage of social and environmental finance, impact investing, conservation finance, inclusive finance and inclusion and corporate responsibility.

    Her passion lies in working with those bringing practical solutions to biodiversity loss, climate change and inequality.

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Archie Fraser

  • Archie has a long track record of leadership and innovation in renewable energy, in the fields of corporate finance and the development and financing of renewable energy projects. After taking an MA at Oxford, he qualified as a solicitor at Slaughter and May before moving into corporate finance at Kleinwort Benson. His journey through the early years of the renewable energy industry started in 1994 when he moved to biomass project developer Fibrowatt.

    He joined Solarcentury in 2012 as Director of Corporate Finance and he became a Vice President at Statkraft after it acquired Solarcentury in 2020. Until recently he was Chief Investment Officer at Exagen Group, a developer of utility-scale solar and storage projects.

    Archie’s father grew up in the Highlands in a large family near Beauly, and Archie has been coming to the Highlands every year since he was very young.

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Dr Hannah Rudman

  • Hannah’s applied research and development work focuses on the trustability of nature tech and their data for validating and proving nature-based projects' impact – digital measurement, reporting and verification (dMRV). Hannah led the Trustable AI in Mapping project which included Highlands Rewilding. She is Co-Chair of the Scottish Forum on Natural Capital – a national network of organisations focused on how to finance nature restoration, and Honorary Fellow in the School of GeoSciences at the University of Edinburgh. She is a director of the Integrating Finance and Biodiversity project, responsible for UK Nations and International co-ordination on policy. Hannah publicly serves as Board Trustee and Director for the National Galleries of Scotland. She developed tech start-up businesses, including distributed ledger technology focussed SICCAR, and Envirodigital. Recent publications include: Governing high- integrity markets for ecosystem services in Ecosystem Services, and Measuring biodiversity: research into approaches, for the Scottish Government.