I am a transdisciplinary researcher with expertise in rural policy, environmental governance and community resilience. I have undertaken a range of theoretical and applied research and consultancy projects, frequently working with land managers, community representatives and other stakeholders, and focussing on:

• land reform, land ownership and land use policy;
• community and stakeholder engagement, social learning and deliberative processes;
• community resilience and capacity building;
• rural poverty and social exclusion; and
• sustainable rural development.

I am an Honorary Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh. I teach 'Participation in Policy and Planning', a postgraduate module on the SRUC/University of Edinburgh MSc Ecological Economics programme. I am an experienced trainer and IAP2 accredited facilitator.

I supervise Masters dissertations on a range of topics and deliver guest lectures on several SRUC and University of Edinburgh courses. 

I was a Researcher at the Centre for Mountain Studies at Perth College, University of the Highlands and Islands (2010-2019).

• 2019-2022: Scottish Government Strategic Research Programme Work Package 3.4: Communities and wellbeing.
• 2020: Children and young people and rural poverty and social exclusion: A review of evidence. Funded by Childrens' Neighbourhoods Scotland: Project Lead.
• 2019-2021: On the Margins? Understanding financial hardship in rural areas. Funded by Standard Life Foundation: Co-investigator. Project Lead: Mark Shucksmith, Newcastle University.
• 2019-2020: Review of International Experience of Community, Communal and Municipal Ownership of Land. Funded by Scottish Land Commission: Co-investigator. Project Lead: Rob Mc Morran, SRUC.
• 2019-2020: Socio-economic impacts of moorland activities in Scotland: Part 1 of Research to assess socioeconomic and biodiversity impacts of driven grouse moors and to understand the rights of gamekeepers. Funded by Scottish Government: Co-investigator. Project Lead: Steven Thomson, SRUC.
• 2019-2020: The Employment Rights of Gamekeepers - Part 2 of Research to assess socioeconomic and biodiversity impacts of driven grouse moors and to understand the rights of gamekeepers. Funded by Scottish Government: Co-investigator. Project Lead: Steven Thomson, SRUC.
• 2019-2020: The role of the LEADER approach post-Brexit. Funded by Scottish Government: Co-investigator. Project Lead: Jane Atterton, SRUC.
• 2017-2019: The Management of Wild Deer in Scotland - independent Deer Working Group. Reporting to Scottish Government: Member.
• 2018: Socio-economic and biodiversity impacts of driven grouse moors in Scotland: Part 1 - Socio-economic impacts of driven grouse moors in Scotland. Funded by Scottish Government: Co-investigator. Project Lead: Steven Thomson, SRUC.
• 2018: The effects associated with concentrated and large-scale land ownership in Scotland: a review of evidence. Funded by Scottish Land Commission (£8k): Project Lead.
• 2018: Loch Arkaig baseline socio-economic study. Funded by Woodland Trust (£11k): Co-investigator. Project Lead: Ros Bryce, UHI.
• 2018: Review of the effectiveness of current community ownership mechanisms and of options for supporting the expansion of community ownership in Scotland. Funded by Scottish Land Commission (£40k): Co-investigator. Project Lead: Rob Mc Morran, SRUC.
• 2017-2018: Research on interventions to manage land markets and limit the concentration of land ownership elsewhere in the world. Funded by Scottish Land Commission (£30k): Project Lead.
• 2016: Meeting the challenge of wild deer research to support delivery of sustainable deer management in Scotland. Funded by Scottish Natural Heritage (£70k): Co-investigator. Project Lead: John Holland, SRUC.
• 2015-2016: The impact of diversity of ownership on social, economic and environmental outcomes. Funded by Scottish Government (CR/2014/19; £65k): Co-investigator. Project Lead: Steven Thomson, SRUC.
• 2015: A review of the social, economic and environmental benefits of wild land in Scotland. Funded by Scottish Natural Heritage (£20k): Co-investigator. Project Lead: Alistair McVittie, SRUC.
• 2014-2015: Socio-economic study of grouse shooting in the Angus Glens and Monadhliath. Funded by group of grouse estates (£16k): Co-investigator. Project Lead: Rob Mc Morran, SRUC.
• 2012-2013: The socio-economic benefits of the ownership and management of land by environmental non­governmental organisations. Funded by consortium of NGOs (£12.4k): Co-investigator.
• 2012-2013: Tools - Application Benefits and Linkages for Ecosystems (TABLES). Funded by Defra UK National Ecosystem Follow-on Project (£7.5k): Co-investigator.
• 2012: Cairngorms Knowledge Transfer Project – research web portal. Funded by Cairngorms National Park Authority (£8.5k): Project Lead.
• 2011-2012: Sustainable Estates Knowledge Exchange phase. Funded by ESRC and Scottish Land and Estates (£16.6k): Co-investigator.
• 2011: Sustainability assessment of community estates. Funded by Scottish Funding Council (£5k): Project Lead.

• PhD student (2017-2021): 'The potential for the refurbishment of historic hydro power generation for the benefit of local communities in the Highlands & Islands region', Alasdair Bachell, joint with Perth College, University of the Highlands and Islands.
• PhD student (2013-2016): 'The deconstruction of volcanic risk. Case study - Galeras, Colombia', Dr Jessica Roberts, joint with University of York.