Who are Walkabout Scotland?

Jonathan Haber - Director
Jonathan Haber
Jon moved to Edinburgh to start Walkabout in 1999 after spending a couple of years in Norway, hanging around Hallingdal in an attempt to master the dark arts of telemark skiing. He grew up in a small village in Staffordshire which gave him a taste for the outdoors from a very early age and is completely ashamed that it took until 1989 to set foot in Scotland, although he seems to have made amends for this grave error ever since - and the very first trip to Loch Lomond was an adventure in itself.

He was very active in the Scouts, UEA Fell and Cave Club as a student and has been president of SDMCC BMC affiliated outdoors club since founding it in 1995. In 1993, he met John-Paul Mason, whilst walking the Canneddau range in Snowdonia (at night when he should have been recovering from a skiing injury, but that's another story) - this friendship was the basis for the company's inception in 1999.

He loves wandering about in the Scottish Hills, especially telemark and ski touring during the winter, mountain biking, going caving once or twice a year, and is always willing to try out new things like windsurfing, rafting and sailing. He also confesses to being one of the world's laziest and least efficient munro baggers (140 new tops in 20 years).

Before Walkabout Scotland, Jon had been a translator (Norwegian to English), geological field assistant, book-keeper, restaurant pianist, call-centre worker, painter, stop-go man, vinyard worker, boatyard worker, goat herder and barman as well as "proper careers" such as bilingual IT helpdesk and Network Administrator - these jobs were usually spent recovering from and then looking forward to the next weekend's adventures in the hills.

Jon say's, "The biggest buzz about Walkabout is the great feedback from the customers, especially when it feels like you have been to the hills for a week with a bunch of old mates".

Freelance Guides

Ian Stephenson - lives on Skye, has been a guide/instructor for 20 years, working in the Lake District, South America and the Alps as well as Scotland. Speaks Spanish and French. Working for Walkabout since 2005.

Peter Buck - lives in West Lothian, had a previous career as Environmental Engineer before becoming a full time guide after completing all the Munros. Speaks French. Working for Walkabout since 2004.

Peter Khambatta - lives in Glasgow and is a full time outdoor instructor/guide, working for Walkabout since 2004.

Richard Kermode - lives "somewhere in the Highlands" - first worked for Walkabout in 2002 a few days after graduating from Edinburgh University - is now a full time freelance guide

Geordie Henderson - lived in Perthshire since retiring from the Army, working for Walkabout since 2003

Gary Hodgson - lives in Fort William, has been a guide for Walkabout since 2001- mostly Winter Skills, Ben Nevis weekends and the Highland Railways and Hills

Niall Harris - lives in the Borders and is our youngest guide - is a MIA Instructor who has also worked at the EICC indoor climbing centre at Ratho

John Orr - lives in Elgin and has been a full time outdoor instructor/guide since 2002 - working for Walkabout since 2010

Other Freelance Guides - Pamela Millar, Helen Ridley, Fran Sheridan, Martin Holland, Martin Lawson, Shaun Hibberd, Joe Davis, Andy McNaughton

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