Who's Who
The Friends of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs is governed by a Board of Trustees who oversee the policy direction and operation of the charity, including compliance with appropriate legislation. Trustees are all volunteers who give their time freely and have a strong interest in, and passion for, the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park area. They get directly involved in fundraising, organising events, project development and in many other ‘hands on ‘ ways to further the aims of the Friends to ensure the charity continues to make a real difference in helping to protect, promote and provide for area covered by the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. We are also fortunate in having some eminent public figures in honorary positions to act as ambassadors and champions for the Friends. The role of Trustees is set out more fully in the attached note - click here.
Honorary President and Vice-Presidents
Sir Malcolm Colquhoun
Honorary President
Sir Malcolm Colquhoun - Honorary President
Since time immemorial Loch Lomond and the lands around it have been home to the Colquhouns, a clan small in size but rich in Scottish history and tradition. These lands, centred on the heritage village of Luss on the western shores of the Loch, now form the Luss Estate, one of Scotland's great landed estates.
Today the Luss Estate is a thriving, commercially managed estate, operating a number of different enterprises in such traditional areas as farming and forestry as well as tourist and leisure ventures including holiday rental cottages, a holiday park and a hotel. A newly-opened 1 MW hydro-electric scheme in Glen Douglas is set to make a significant contribution to renewable energy, with none of the visual pollution associated with wind farms. The estate is also home to two championship golf courses, including the world famous Loch Lomond Golf Club.
Luss Estate extends to around 45,000 acres and is in the custodianship of the present baronet, Sir Malcolm Colquhoun of Luss, and his son Patrick. Together, their mission is to ensure that these ancient clan lands are preserved and enhanced for the enjoyment of future generations.
Lord John McFall of Alcluith
Honorary Vice-President
Lord John McFall of Alcluith - Honorary Vice-President
John McFall, Baron McFall of Alcluith was a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1987 to 2010, first for Dumbarton and then from 2005 for West Dunbartonshire. He was best known for being the chairman of the House of Commons Treasury Committee. On 17 June 2010, he was created a life peer as Baron McFall of Alcluith, of Dumbarton in the County of Dunbartonshire.
Before entering Parliament he was a chemistry and maths teacher from 1974-87 in Dumbarton, Kirkintilloch and Glasgow, becoming a deputy-head in Glasgow and Secretary of his Constituency Labour Party. In 1994, he became a Visiting Professor at Strathclyde University Business School, and now is a member of the Strategic Advisory Board at the University of Glasgow Business School.
He was a whip and junior minister (for Education, Training and Employment, Health and Community Relations, then in 1999 for Economy and Education) at the Northern Ireland Office from 1998-9. In 2001 he was appointed Chair of the Treasury Select Committee, and reappointed for a second term in this position in 2005. The committee conducted inquiries into the banking crisis, producing evidence of the bonus culture, the lack of banking qualifications among many top bankers and poor oversight of the industry by the Financial Services Authority.
He is currently the Vice-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Overseas Development. He is Chair of the Scotch Whisky and Spirits APPG and of the Royal Navy APPG. He is Chairman of Strathleven Regeneration Company (which he helped to set up) and of Clydebank re-built, two development companies based in his constituency.
Lord McFall was a passionate supporter of the campaign to secure National Park status for Loch Lomond and in the 1990’s when there was a danger of the campaign faltering he organised a series of conferences to keep the campaign momentum to the fore in the press and with key politicians. He also worked in the background with the late Donald Dewar and others to ensure National Park status was secured early in the life of the new Scottish Parliament.
Billy Petrie DL. OBE JP
Honorary Vice-President
Billy Petrie DL. OBE JP - Honorary Vice-President
Billy Petrie is described as the most popular local politician in Great Britain in an authoratative review of who’s who in British politics. He served as a Councillor for the communities around the western flanks of Loch Lomond and the Clyde Sea Lochs area for a period of 45 years until he stepped down in May, 2012. During that time he has been Provost or Convener of three Councils and Chairman of four tourist bodies and he also served on the Park Authority Board and its predecessor bodies. This is a truly remarkable track record of public service and he has made an outstanding contribution to enriching the lives of so many and ensuring the National Park is a better place to live, work and visit.
In retirement Billy continues to take an active interest in the National Park and he is Vice-Chairman of the Steamship Sir Walter Scott Trust at Loch Katrine.
George Boyd
Honorary Vice-President
George Boyd - Vice-President & Treasurer
George enjoyed a career in senior management positions with cargo liner shipping in Glasgow and Liverpool, thereafter in the travel Industry and finally in a family textile firm in Glasgow. Since retirement he has been active in numerous voluntary organisations including Rotary International.
He is a past Treasurer of the Friends, past Chairman, now Vice President and interim Treasurer. For many years he was the Treasurer of the Scottish Campaign for National Parks and Helensburgh & District Access Trust. He is one of the Friends longest serving Trustees and has taken a particular interest in the work of the Park Authority and helping to make a real difference in the Park.
Trustees
James Fraser
Chairman
James Fraser, MA DipTP. MTS. - Chairman
James is a qualified planner and a tourism specialist with a lifetime’s experience in tourism having held senior positions with tourist boards for almost 30 years. He was Chief Executive of Tourist Boards and VisitScotland Regional Director, covering the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park and a wider area from 1983 to 2006, after spending spells with tourist bodies covering the Thames & Chilterns and Grampian Region.
He owns and manages a self-catering holiday business with his wife in the Cairngorms National Park, runs a successful tourism consultancy business and is a member or adviser on several bodies including the Scottish Campaign for National Parks and Love Loch Lomond Destination Organisation.
John Urquhart
Vice-Chairman
John Urquhart
With a lifelong interest in the countryside and outdoor pursuits and having retired in 2003 from a career teaching Geography, John is now involved in a number of countryside voluntary bodies. He is a member of both the National Park and Argyll and Bute Access Forums, the latter of which he serves as Chairman. John is a Director of the Helensburgh & District Access Trust where he has been very active in developing their Three Lochs Way long distance footpath. He is the Chairman of the Love Loch Lomond tourism destination organisation and is also a partner in two small tourism businesses, Balmillig House B&B and Lomond Guides, which are active members of the Friends Our Park Visitor Giving Scheme.
Bill Dalrymple
Bill Dalrymple
Bill is a geographer and planner by profession and his career goal was to see the establishment of National Parks in Scotland, and to realise the benefits such a designation can help to deliver.
He was Chief Executive of Scotland's first National Park 2002 - 2007; Chief Officer to Loch Lomond and the Trossachs Interim Committee 1999 - 2002;and Loch Lomond [Regional] Park Officer 1996 - 1999. Prior to this he was a senior planner with Dumbarton District Council.
Bill has a keen interest in the National Parks movement in Scotland and is an active Board member of the Scottish Campaign for National Parks.
Dr Joyce Deans
Joyce Deans, CBE D Univ. PPRIAS.
A lover of the countryside. An Architect specialising in the conservation of and new uses for older buildings. Joyce was elected President of the Glasgow Institute of Architects (first woman), the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (first woman) and elected Vice President of the Royal Institute of British Architects. She was Vice Chairman of the Board of Glasgow School of Art. She was also elected the first Vice Convenor of the Court of the University of Strathclyde which she combined with the Depute Convenor Estates where she became deeply involved with Ross Priory, Gartocharn, the University’s Staff Educational Centre on the Banks of Loch Lomond. Joyce chairs the Friends Membership Goup.
Iain Stuart
Iain Stuart
Born in Alexandria, Iain studied history, politics and education at the Glasgow and McGill Universities. He spent his working life in regeneration initially as a District Commissioner in Africa, then with the World Bank in the Caribbean and latterly with Strathclyde Regional Council as Depute Chief Executive for social strategy.
Iain was a founder member and Chairman of the Scottish Urban Regeneration Forum and a former Director of the Tullochan Trust and the West Dumbartonshire Environment Trust. He currently serves on the National Park Local Access Forum. He and his wife run an equestrian business at Tullochan Farm, Gartocharn. He is a lover of the outdoors, a keen hillwalker and skier.
Duncan MacLachlan
Duncan MacLachlan
Almost a lifelong resident in Tarbet, raised as son of a hydro electric board worker, employed in the construction and latterly operation within the Loch Sloy scheme.
A career in Shipbuilding & Engineering progressed into training, lecturing in Further Education, and to Curriculum Head in Design & Construction, before retiring to take up a role in an Engineering Consultancy.
An interest in outdoor activities led to instructional positions, in local outdoor education centres and membership of Arrochar Mountain Rescue team, retiring after 25 years into an honorary position. Duncan is also currently a Director of the Arrochar & Tarbet Community Development Trust.
Fergus Wood
Fergus Wood
Fergus Wood is a farmer, tourist operator and professional musician based at Ledard Farm, Kinlochard in the Trossachs part of the National Park. He is a former Provost of Stirling (2008 – 2012) and was a Board Member of the National Park for 10 years. He represented the National Farmers Union during the formative period of the National Park.
Paul Saunders
Paul Saunders
Paul Saunders runs a small marketing and photography business in the National Park. Based in Drymen he works with many business in Loch Lomond & The Trossachs, he also photographs weddings and family gatherings in the National Park.
Paul became a trustee in 2018, he loves photographing the park and has a website See Loch Lomond full of pictures, guides and videos, some of which are used by the Friends on their website and in Voice Magazine
Tom Wallace
Treasurer
Tom Wallace
Tom studied Countryside Management at Scottish Agricultural College before moving around the UK working for a range of private and third sector organisations linked to conservation, recreation and community development. He moved on to work as a Project Manager for Forestry Commission Scotland before taking on a lead role with the Loch Lomond & Trossachs Community Partnership and thereafter working across both of Scotland’s National Parks, supporting the delivery of The Mountains & The People Project.
These days, as an active resident of Drymen and chair of Drymen Community Development Trust, his full time role is Managing Director of Raploch URC & Stirling Community.
Staff
Carol Lloyd
Support Officer
Carol Lloyd
Carol’s career has predominantly been within the banking sector as a senior manager before moving into project management and then the leadership, training and development arena. More recently she took a role in public sector as Head of Leadership and Talent for Police Scotland.
As a resident of Croftamie, Carol has a passion for the countryside and spends most weekends walking, camping and exploring beauty spots across the National Park.