Charlotte Eadie
Biologist
Charlotte is a local to Skye and attended High School in Portree. She has always had a love for science and marine and freshwater environments, driving her complete a Bachelor’s Degree in Marine Science at the Scottish Association for Marine Science. Her dissertation focused on the minerals and vitamins found in macroalgae, and the many uses that this resource has in the modern world. Charlotte has been a part of SLRT since leaving university in 2021.
Professor Melanie Smith Project Development Support
Melanie is supporting the development of projects and strategy at SLRT. She has always had a fascination for nature and loves being outdoors. Learning more about the natural world led to a career in research, education and project development, focused on biodiversity restoration, landscape ecology and palaeoecology. She has worked across the U.K. in academia and environmental charities, and also on European partner forestry projects, and has experience working with academic, private and charitable organisations, including the University of Greenwich, UHI Inverness and the Atlantic Salmon Trust. She has over 20 years experience in charitable governance with environmental trusts in Scotland, working with people and nature to restore trees and biodiversity at a catchment scale. Walking with her dog at her local woods and beaches is her favourite thing to do.
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.
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.
