Our team

Diane Baum, Biologist

Diane has been at the Trust since April 2008 and holds a PhD from the University of Glasgow where she researched maturation and growth rates in salmon parr across the country.

Much of Diane’s PhD fieldwork was done in collaboration with Fisheries Trust biologists and the Fisheries Research Service, giving her an insight into fisheries management and research structures in Scotland.

She has also worked for Scottish Natural Heritage in Sutherland. Diane is an experienced fish surveyor and a qualified electro-fishing team leader. She co-ordinates the Trust’s research and monitoring work as well donning her waders and getting out into the field to catch fish.

Diane is also a keen hill runner and competes regularly in events across the highlands and islands of Scotland.

Lucy Ballantyne, Biologist

Lucy joined the Lochaber Fisheries Trust in September 2007 having previously worked as an aerial surveyor for the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust looking at the effect of offshore wind farms on the environment.

Lucy studied marine biology at university and has a strong interest in education, and leads our Salmon in the Classroom project, working with primary schools pupils to raise salmon from eggs to alevins, and release them into local burns. She is also involved in fundraising, extensive fieldwork programme and GIS work.

Lucy has recently taken up fly-fishing, with much very gratefully received help from local fishermen.

Viv de Fresnes, Chairman

Viv has been fishing since childhood and is Superintendent of the Morar catchment. He has a very wide range of experience in fisheries management, including running a hatchery and stocking programme, supervising smolt trapping and fish counter projects, electro-fishing and habitat surveys and fisheries protection. Viv has been at Morar for 18 years, and knows the area intimately.

Grace Henderson, Vice Chairwoman

Grace has fished since childhood when she would accompany her father fishing in West Highland lochs, including Loch Morar. Grace has been involved with Lochaber Fisheries Trust for the past 12 years, taking over the mantle of a trustee from her late husband Bill WS Henderson. Together with Viv, Grace was involved in the first attempt at fish rearing for the Morar, setting up a tank in the garage at Morar Lodge.

Sandy Grierson, Treasurer

Sandy is a retired farmer from Perthshire and became a director of the Trust in 2004. He caught his first sea trout aged 6, in 1946 and is very aware of how the environment has changed since then. Sandy firmly believes in the Trust’s role working at a local level and feeding into national and international policy. As a keen fisherman he is happy to support the Trust in its work on native freshwater fish species.

Barbara Collins, Secretary

Barbara’s skills in accountancy and management are valued at the Trust and at the Lochaber District Salmon Fishery Board, which Barbara helped to establish. A keen angler, Barbara has fished many rivers in Scotland and abroad.

Donnie MacBeth

Donnie is a retired local Hotelier. In his earlier years he was game keeper at Lochailort and fished the river Ailort for over 50 years. In retirement he is highly involved in the Lochaber Trout fishing clubs. He is the chairman of the Kilmallie Angling club and runs all their competitions. Donnie fishes extensively all over Scotland and gathers information and ideas on fish and the freshwater environment from a broad range of anglers.

Simon Boult

Simon has been fishing since the age of five and has been employed as a deerstalker, gamekeeper and river manager for 23 years. He has experience in riparian restoration work, river bank maintenance, predator control, stocking, poacher prevention measures and managing fishing tenants. Simon works on an estate with salmon, sea trout and brown trout fishing.

Iain Donnelly

Iain is a passionate fly-fisher and fly-tyer who has fished extensively across the Highlands & Islands of Scotland. His main passion is fishing for sea trout, though he has caught plenty of trout and salmon too! Following his passion for fishing, Iain gained qualifications in Fishery Management from the IFM. He is keen to see all stakeholders working together to oversee the recovery of wild migratory fish in our rivers.