Rob Pitkin
Trust Director
Rob joined the Trust in early 2025 and has worked in fisheries management since moving to the West Highlands in 2022. Prior to this he was employed for a number of years by the Environment Agency (EA), working in fisheries and biodiversity related roles in the East of England and East Midlands. Before joining the EA, he had returned to full time education gaining a BSc (hons) degree, and he has also completed the Institute of Fisheries Management diploma course. Being a lifelong and keen angler, Rob has always had a strong interest in fisheries and aquatic habitat management.
Charlotte Eadie
Assistant Biologist
Charlotte grew up on Skye and attended High School in Portree. She has always had a love for marine and freshwater environments, which drove her to complete a Bachelor’s Degree at the Scottish Association for Marine Science, where her dissertation focused on the many uses of macroalgae in the modern world.
Trustees
Our Trustees contribute a wide range of knowledge, experience and expertise with backgrounds that include conservation, academia, project management, statutory bodies, angling clubs together with river managers, owners and tenants.
Richard Hendry
Chair
Richard spent 20 years teaching chemistry and science, before moving on to teach Additional Support Needs in mainstream Scottish education. He is also a founding member of the Additional Support Needs Tribunal, was a member of the General Teaching Council Scotland Appointments Committee, as well as working with the NHS during the Covid-19 pandemic. Richard moved to Skye in 2012 and is a keen environmentalist, fisherman and musician.
Richard spent 20 years teaching chemistry and science, before moving on to teach Additional Support Needs in mainstream Scottish education. He is also a founding member of the Additional Support Needs Tribunal, was a member of the General Teaching Council Scotland Appointments Committee, as well as working with the NHS during the Covid-19 pandemic. Richard moved to Skye in 2012 and is a keen environmentalist, fisherman and musician.
Nigel Pearson
Vice Chair
A keen angler, Nigel has had an association with West Coast since childhood. He is a member of the River Ling group of fishermen at Nonach and for a number of years has represented the Southern Rivers Area Management group. With a background in law, finance and farming Nigel is also an ordained minister in the parishes around Papworth and Cambridgeshire.
A keen angler, Nigel has had an association with West Coast since childhood. He is a member of the River Ling group of fishermen at Nonach and for a number of years has represented the Southern Rivers Area Management group. With a background in law, finance and farming Nigel is also an ordained minister in the parishes around Papworth and Cambridgeshire.
Bob Kindness
Trustee
Bob has been an avid angler from a very early age and has continued with his passion ever since. His desire to work with salmon led him to carry out research at university related to the early development stages of salmon after which time he became involved in rearing rainbow trout and then lecturing in fish husbandry and fisheries management. Bob has been involved in fish husbandry for over 40 years working with several species of salmonids. Over the last 25 years his main focus has been on restoring the salmon and sea trout stocks in the River Carron and then maintaining the fishery through a stocking programme. Bob has been a trustee of local fisheries organisations for many years.
Bob has been an avid angler from a very early age and has continued with his passion ever since. His desire to work with salmon led him to carry out research at university related to the early development stages of salmon after which time he became involved in rearing rainbow trout and then lecturing in fish husbandry and fisheries management. Bob has been involved in fish husbandry for over 40 years working with several species of salmonids. Over the last 25 years his main focus has been on restoring the salmon and sea trout stocks in the River Carron and then maintaining the fishery through a stocking programme. Bob has been a trustee of local fisheries organisations for many years.
Ewen Macpherson
Trustee
Ewen has a dual role of overseeing the Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate (SGRPID) team in Portree as well as factoring the Scottish Ministers’ Estate on the Island of Skye. He was raised in a crofting township on the Scorrybreac Estate, just north of Portree. Like many others of his age he left Skye following his schooling in Portree. Following an agricultural college education in Aberdeen he joined the Scottish Office Agricultural Department in Ayr as an Agricultural Officer. His career in SGRPID then took him to Caithness and Argyll before he took up his current role based in Portree in 2015. Ewen serves the crofting, rural and business communities on Skye with an aim of doing whatever he can to make them successful.
Ewen has a dual role of overseeing the Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate (SGRPID) team in Portree as well as factoring the Scottish Ministers’ Estate on the Island of Skye. He was raised in a crofting township on the Scorrybreac Estate, just north of Portree. Like many others of his age he left Skye following his schooling in Portree. Following an agricultural college education in Aberdeen he joined the Scottish Office Agricultural Department in Ayr as an Agricultural Officer. His career in SGRPID then took him to Caithness and Argyll before he took up his current role based in Portree in 2015. Ewen serves the crofting, rural and business communities on Skye with an aim of doing whatever he can to make them successful.
Dr Melanie Smith
Trustee; Director of Research and Innovation, Inverness College, UHI
Melanie is the Director of the Rivers and Lochs Institute at the University of Highlands and Islands, Inverness College and has been a member of local fisheries organisations since 2003. Her research interests focus on riverine biodiversity management, and particularly the importance of trees and forests in catchments and how these influence the abundance and diversity of the freshwater habitat. Her background includes an Honours degree in Biology and Geography and a Ph.D. (University of London) in palaeocology relating the history of the landscape and vegetation of Lairg in Sutherland, with the prehistoric people who farmed, fished and managed the natural resources of the land over thousands of years. In 2003, Melanie joined UHI, where she oversaw the formation of the Rivers and Lochs Institute, forestry research and the Centre for Remote and Sustainable Communities. She currently leads the development of research and postgraduate activity. Melanie has also been involved with the research of the River Carron restoration and conservation programme since 2003, working with Bob Kindness and the Carron owners to ensure the conservation of salmon in the river is informed by research.
Melanie is the Director of the Rivers and Lochs Institute at the University of Highlands and Islands, Inverness College and has been a member of local fisheries organisations since 2003. Her research interests focus on riverine biodiversity management, and particularly the importance of trees and forests in catchments and how these influence the abundance and diversity of the freshwater habitat. Her background includes an Honours degree in Biology and Geography and a Ph.D. (University of London) in palaeocology relating the history of the landscape and vegetation of Lairg in Sutherland, with the prehistoric people who farmed, fished and managed the natural resources of the land over thousands of years. In 2003, Melanie joined UHI, where she oversaw the formation of the Rivers and Lochs Institute, forestry research and the Centre for Remote and Sustainable Communities. She currently leads the development of research and postgraduate activity. Melanie has also been involved with the research of the River Carron restoration and conservation programme since 2003, working with Bob Kindness and the Carron owners to ensure the conservation of salmon in the river is informed by research.
Ian Lindsay
Trustee
Ian spent over 30 years with the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, retiring as its Director of Advisory and Education in 2014. During this time he led GWCT’s fishery research team, including the management of a number of large, catchment scale river and fishery restoration projects. He now works a family croft on Sleat spending as much time as possible working his pointers and fishing Skye’s lochs and rivers.
Ian spent over 30 years with the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, retiring as its Director of Advisory and Education in 2014. During this time he led GWCT’s fishery research team, including the management of a number of large, catchment scale river and fishery restoration projects. He now works a family croft on Sleat spending as much time as possible working his pointers and fishing Skye’s lochs and rivers.
Mat Bradshaw
Trustee
Mat has lived and worked on Skye for 17 years since moving up from Yorkshire. He has fished from a young age and is hugely passionate about the sport. He has been a committee member of the Portree Angling Association for a number of years, and is now the current secretary. He wants to help protect our wild fish populations, so that they will still be around for future generations.
Mat has lived and worked on Skye for 17 years since moving up from Yorkshire. He has fished from a young age and is hugely passionate about the sport. He has been a committee member of the Portree Angling Association for a number of years, and is now the current secretary. He wants to help protect our wild fish populations, so that they will still be around for future generations.
Catherine de Vries
Trustee
Catherine has lived on Skye for eight years and currently works part time as a manager of a local shop. She has always had an interest in the natural world, particularly the west coast of Scotland. This led to Catherine completing a degree in Environmental Sciences at Aberdeen University, followed by a Ph.D at Edinburgh University. She gradually moved away from research and spent time working as an environmental consultant in the private sector, before working with charities such as Keep Scotland Beautiful. After starting a family she picked up some freelance work with the Woodland Trust and the Scottish Wildlife Trust, but her main focus was spending time with her children. Catherine’s younger son is a passionate fisherman and through supporting him she has become more aware of the state of our seas, lochs and rivers and the urgent need to better understand their ecology in order to protect fish populations. In her spare time, Catherine can be found fishing with her boys at the end of the pier in all weathers, out in a canoe or being dragged to a remote lochan with a fly rod. She is also a keen cyclist, walker and runner.
Catherine has lived on Skye for eight years and currently works part time as a manager of a local shop. She has always had an interest in the natural world, particularly the west coast of Scotland. This led to Catherine completing a degree in Environmental Sciences at Aberdeen University, followed by a Ph.D at Edinburgh University. She gradually moved away from research and spent time working as an environmental consultant in the private sector, before working with charities such as Keep Scotland Beautiful. After starting a family she picked up some freelance work with the Woodland Trust and the Scottish Wildlife Trust, but her main focus was spending time with her children. Catherine’s younger son is a passionate fisherman and through supporting him she has become more aware of the state of our seas, lochs and rivers and the urgent need to better understand their ecology in order to protect fish populations. In her spare time, Catherine can be found fishing with her boys at the end of the pier in all weathers, out in a canoe or being dragged to a remote lochan with a fly rod. She is also a keen cyclist, walker and runner.
Seasonal Staff
SLRT relies heavily on seasonal staff and volunteers during the fieldwork season (April – September). If you are interested in volunteering or learning more about your local freshwater systems in the Skye and Lochalsh area, please contact us.
