Who’s Who

(Picture: Loch Achray, Trossachs)

The Friends - 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

  • 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.

  • 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

  • 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.

Trustees

  • 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.

  • 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.

    Tom is Operations Manager at Sir Walter Scott Steamship at Loch Katrine.

  • Elizabeth joined the Board of Trustees in 2021. She is an active Community Councillor in Lochgoilhead and a Trustee at Ardroy Outdoor Education Centre in Lochgoilhead. Elizabeth is also a former stalwart of the Community Partnership.

  • 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.

  • Sheila Winstone has always had an interest in the natural world and followed a degree in ecology with a career in environmental publishing and communications.

    She retired as Communication Manager with the National Park Authority in 2012 and since then has worked with Callander Community Development Trust as Town Coordinator and more recently as part-time manager of Callander's community-led visitor information centre.

    She has been a trustee for 10 years and recently helped to produce the content for a website and leaflet as part of a revival of the Trossachs Trail.

  • Dr Roddy Yarr is responsible for the University of Strathclyde's operational sustainability commitments, delivering large scale climate change and social responsibility initiatives that address the University’s response to net zero and sustainability issues across all of its operational assets in west central Scotland.

    Roddy advises and works with a wide range of sustainability groups across the city and region. He leads the Sustainable Glasgow Partnership green infrastructure and transport hub and he is the convenor of Climate Ready Clyde a multi agency partnership in the City Region working on adaptation. Roddy leads the Clyde Mission Net Zero Group that is seeking to decarbonise the Clyde Corridor. Roddy is a board member of the Clyde Climate Forest Programme Group and an external advisor and board member of the West Dunbartonshire Energy Company LLP which operates the award winning Queens Quay Heat Pump and Energy Centre. He is an external advisor to the Scottish Parliament’s Sustainability Board and to the Glasgow Metro Project. Roddy is also a member and sustainability advisor for the Monklands Hospital Replacement Committee. Roddy is the deputy chair of the AUDE Sustainability Group and he is an EAUC Fellow and a Fellow of IEMA.

  • In Stewart’s working life he held senior posts in the local authority and housing association sector in England and Scotland. He has had a long standing commitment to improving access to supported living services for people with additional needs.

    He has spent many years walking Scotland's mountains and moorlands and is now looking forward to working with the Friends to the betterment of the National Park.

    Stewart has been a resident of Helensburgh for 10 years.

Staff Member

Jennifer Plunkett (Project Support Officer)

Jennifer's working background has predominantly been in the professional indemnity field, providing cover to doctors and dentists and other healthcare professionals for over 19 years.  Prior to this, she worked in banking and retail.

As a resident of the Rosneath Peninsula, Jennifer enjoys the outdoors, walking, exploring new places, and is learning to sail.