Steamship Sir Walter Scott Trustees

Loch Katrine’s facilities are operated by a trading arm of the Steamship Sir Walter Scott Trust. The charitable trust is responsible for the preservation of the historic Steamship Sir Walter Scott, a maritime treasure for public benefit and overseeing the operation of a range of tourist facilities at Loch Katrine. These are its trustees.

  • James is a qualified planner who has been in tourism his entire career spanning more than 40 years. He has worked in senior roles with tourist organisations in both England and Scotland and following 23 years as Chief Executive of Area Tourist Boards and briefly as VisitScotland Regional Director covering Central Scotland and Argyll, he was a tourism and planning consultant specialising in visitor attraction development and operations. James became a Steamship Trustee in 2014 and a year later was appointed part-time CEO to lead the development and operation of tourist facilities at Loch Katrine with the support of the senior management team.

    Over the past 15 years James has been Chair or President of a number of conservation and youth charities in the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park and is currently Chair of Ardroy Outdoor Education Centre in Lochgoilhead.

  • Gordon served a Royal Navy apprenticeship to become a Shipwright Artificer (Hull Technician), serving in numerous ships and shore establishments, with experience in training, administration and numerous attributes of ship structure and systems.

    He has specialist knowledge in maintenance procedures, building major work packages for ship refits and repair programmes, as well as overseeing various contractor assisted support. After retiring from the RN, he joined BAE Systems where he was involved in various ship building and maintenance practices. Gordon played an important technical role in assisting with the recent restoration of of the steamship and provides ongoing technical advice for ship maintenance. He has been a Trustee since xyzz

  • Paul is Professor of Civil Engineering Systems at Heriot Watt University. He is a Past President of the Institution of Civil Engineers and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Royal Academy of Engineering. He is a former non-executive Director of Scottish Water which used to operate the Steamship Sir Walter Scott and continues to manage water operations at Loch Katrine.

    He is the owner of a 1937 Morgan Motor Tricycle. He lives in one of Edinburgh’s last surviving mews stables properties by the Water of Leith. Since 2011 he has been the owner of a canal narrow boat – the Smeaton Stanley. Paul has a wealth of specialist engineering and heritage transport knowledge and experience. He has served as a trustee since the Trust was established in 2007.

  • James spent a 40-year career in management roles with Area Tourist Boards covering the Isle of Bute, Cowal and Loch Lomond, Argyll and Bute Council’s Leisure team, and latterly Live Argyll, the Leisure and Libraries Trust which operates facilities on behalf of the Council.

    He currently serves on a number of local organisations, including social housing provider, Fyne Homes, where he is past Chairman; as Session Clerk of the Isle of Bute Parish Church; and Bute Conservation Trust. He is also a former Director of Waverley Excursions and has a particular interest in steamship heritage ships living as he does on the waterfront in Rothesay. James has a wealth of expertise in tourist and leisure facility operations and governance issues. He has served as trustee since xyxy

  • David is a qualified electrical engineer and worked for the Hydro Electric Board before setting up his own retail business in Drymen. He then spent 21 years in a senior management role with the Area Tourist Boards, and was responsible for the development and operation of 30 tourist information centres and visitor attractions in the Loch Lomond, Trossachs, Stirling, and Argyll area. In 2005 David worked on a short assignment at Loch Katrine and this turned into 19 years of distinguished service as a Director and Company Secretary of the trading arm of the Steamship Trust.

    David retired from being an employee of the Trust in June 2024 due to ill health and in recognition of his major contribution to the successful operation of tourist facilities at Loch Katrine he was appointed as an Honorary Vice President of Steamship Sir Walter Scott Trust.

  • Initially employed in the pharmaceutical industry, Colin has worked in economic and tourism development and marketing for many years with Scottish Enterprise and the former Angus & Dundee Tourist Board. He currently manages his own successful tourism consultancy practice which specialises in feasibility studies, business plans  and economic impact assessments.

    Being brought up in the shadow of John Brown Shipyards in Clydebank, Colin is a lifelong enthusiast of passenger shipping and maritime heritage. He is a freelance author and photographer on passenger ferries and cruise ships, having written or co-written many books and magazine publications over many years.

    Colin is also a Non-Executive Director of PS Waverley, the world’s last seagoing paddle steamer. He was appointed as a Steamship Trustee in Spring 2024.