Alan Hardwick

Initially trained as a biologist Alan spent several years after university working in fish farming and learnt to dive, naturally enough, in a fish tank on the West coast of Scotland. Fascinated by the underwater world he spent much of the next 25 years exploring the seas around the Scottish Islands, leading expeditions to places such as St Kilda and further afield in the Faroe Islands. He considers himself lucky to have been able to travel to Africa and to have worked on a research project in Costa Rica studying the seasonal dynamics of a tropical dry forest. He also coaches cricket and badminton greatly enjoying working with youngsters and people with special needs, including a gold medalist at the Special Olympics, Leicester 2009. He normally leads a quiet life living in a log cabin, which he physically built, in the Monadhliath Mountains near Inverness, working on repairing moorland fences and grouse butts plus running a picture framing business with his artist wife. He does, however, share with many others the love of travel and exploration and has been fortunate in working as a zodiac driver on cruises to Antarctica, Spitsbergen, Norway, Ireland and, especially, the Scottish Islands.