Profile of Speakers

Main Speakers

Willie CameronMr William M Cameron – MC

Willie Cameron, Highland Ambassador of the Year 2005, has a passion for collaborative working which has led to the development of many successful initiatives.  He is presently Director of Highland Feast, the annual Food and Drink Festival, a project which continues to secure significant PR for the area as a destination rich in Culture and Heritage with locally produced Food and Drink at its heart. 

Willie is well renowned for his front of house presence and an innovative and creative approach – generally known as an ‘ideas-man.’ He has achieved many industry awards for his commitment to delivering Highland Hospitality.

Professor John LennonProfessor John Lennon

Professor John Lennon (MPhil, BSC, Fellow of Tourism Society) is director of the Moffat Centre for Travel and Tourism Business development at Glasgow Caledonian University, the UK’s largest university based tourism consultancy.  Part of the Moffat Centre’s raison d’etre as a not-for-profit consultancy is to foster the careers of students in the tourism industry and, since formation in 1998, it has provided scholarships worth £600,000 to students from all over the world.

Professor Lennon’s earlier industry career was primarily in the accommodation sector, while as a consultant he has provided business advice to more than 100 businesses across all sectors of the tourism industry and worked in over 22 countries on more that 300 tourism projects. He is an Independent Advisor to VisitScotland (Chief Executive’s Office) and has conducted a range of research analysis for Board and Senior Management within VisitScotland. He is frequently used to address industry and politicians, as well as providing expert commentary to the media on tourism issues of the day.  Professor Lennon is also a Board Member of the Canadian Tourism Commission European Marketing Board, and a founding member of the Scottish Tourism Innovation Group.  Professor Lennon is also a non Executive Director of Historic Scotland.

You may download Professor Lennon’s presentation in PDF format here. (1MB)

Colin MacggregorMr Colin MacGregor

Colin McGregor is the Director of Operations for the Highlands branch of Tartan Silk Public Relations.  With offices in Edinburgh and Inverness, Tartan Silk specialises in luxury brands and iconic Scottish products. 

Prior to this, Colin spent 18 as a Tornado GR4 pilot in the Royal Air Force where he saw active service in Iraq and traveled extensively to all corners of the globe.  He spent 10 years stationed at RAF Lossiemouth reaching the rank of Squadron Leader, and in 2002 as Tornado GR4 Display pilot; he joined forces with the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival and helped to successfully promote Moray and the Spey valley to a European audience.  He retired from the RAF in February 2007, keen to apply his management and leadership skills in the civilian market place and is thoroughly enjoying keeping his feet firmly on the ground. 

Colin is passionate about the Highlands and recently coordinated the Scottish leg of his brother Ewan’s and Charley Boorman’s epic motorcycle adventure, Long Way Down.  One of his favourite pursuits is to motorcycle his way around the deserted roads of the North, enjoying the breathtaking scenery.  He lives in Elgin with his wife Sarah and two children.

B&B My Guest

Lorraine FreelMs Lorraine Freel – Trafford Bank Guest House

Having been made redundant in 2002 from her web design job, Lorraine and her partner decided to buy a property in Inverness to start their new business. Her family had lived in the city for many years, so it was like coming home.

They bought Trafford Bank in Nov 2002 and invested time and money transforming this Victorian House, once home to the Bishop of Moray and Rosshire, to the wonderful Guest House it is today. Lorraine’s hobby is Interior design and this can be seen throughout the house where she mixes antique furniture with contemporary pieces, some designed by Lorraine herself. The house is also full of wonderful original Scottish art.

Lorraine and Koshal support local businesses and breakfast is served with all local produce on Anta pottery, and bedroom toiletries are from Strathpeffer and Ness soaps, (made by locals with learning disabilities)

Trafford Bank has won many awards over the years the most prestigious being Guest Accommodation for Scotland from the AA for 2007-8.

 

Joan CampbellMs Joan Campbell – Formerly proprietor of The Sheiling

Joan started in Bed & Breakfast 40 years ago with one bedroom and developed this to five letting rooms offering Taste of Scotland dinners before settling back to run three ensuite rooms achieving 5 Star status.

Many years ago, seeing the need to support B&B as a worthy career, she delivered seminars and ran an advisory service with 30 clients on behalf of her local enterprise company in Caithness and Sutherland.  She sat on many boards including the Highlands of Scotland Tourist Board, People 1st, Caithness & Sutherland Enterprise and North Highland College UHI, chairing the Sutherland Partnership Tourism Forum.  For three years she chaired Scotland’s Best B&Bs and worked on many other committees as well as on VisitScotland’s Quality & Standards Overseeing Committee. 

Joan recently stood down from most of these duties including her position on North Highland Tourism under the Prince Charles Initiative but is still a director on Highlands & Islands Tourism Awards as well as representing Caithness & Sutherland on the FSB Highland Regional Committee.

In October 2007 Joan closed The Sheiling for Bed & Breakfast and in late November her first novel, The Land Beyond The Green Fields was published.  She has now signed up with an Edinburgh publisher to have a series of books on the bed and breakfast industry published, the first due to come out in September.  She continues to write a monthly column Tourism Matters for the Northern Times weekly newspaper and says, “Of all the work I did in tourism, networking with my colleagues gave the most pleasure and exceeding the needs of visitors, the greatest satisfaction.  Being awarded the Scottish Silver Thistle just had to be the highlight of that career though there are still times I can’t believe I actually won that award!”

 

Rumblie Bed and BreakfastSimon and Fiona Dodds, The Rumblie B&B Newtonmore.

Simon and Fiona both left their office jobs in the north of England the live our dream and run a business in Scotland. Simon is originally from Caithness and Fiona family has their roots in Aberdeen.  They took over a B&B in the village of Laggan in 2005 and have developed it to very specific market sectors, providing not only B&B but 3 and 4 course evening meals. The business focus is on high quality food and accommodation with a very high organic, fairtrade and home grown content. This coupled with an Eco outlook on minimising the impact on the environment, but always ensuring the customers are provided with the highest level of service.