Meet the Team...
We started our company because we know how hard it can be to find your way around the Scottish islands. Located off the north and west coasts of the Scottish Mainland, these are some of the most beautiful islands in the world - but they are not the easiest to explore. How can you find the best places to watch golden eagles or the most likely spots for glimpsing harbour porpoises? Where are the most stunning beaches or the most evocative abandoned villages? How do you find the best coastal hikes or the most rewarding mountain ridge walks?
With our extensive local knowledge we will help you get the most from your island holiday. Whether you choose one of our specialist walking holidays or a day's customised guided walking, you will encounter spectacular island wildlife, evocative, long abandoned settlements and some of Europe's most stunning landscapes.
Our tours are friendly and relaxed, with plenty of time for sight seeing, photographs and getting a feel for a place. Rushing around, after all, is hardly the island way….
With our extensive local knowledge we will help you get the most from your island holiday. Whether you choose one of our specialist walking holidays or a day's customised guided walking, you will encounter spectacular island wildlife, evocative, long abandoned settlements and some of Europe's most stunning landscapes.
Our tours are friendly and relaxed, with plenty of time for sight seeing, photographs and getting a feel for a place. Rushing around, after all, is hardly the island way….
Mick Blunt
Hidden Hebrides is owned and run by Mick Blunt & Alayne Barton. A qualified Mountain Leader, Mick (& Alayne) lived in the Hebrides for 23 years before relocating to Fife in 2024. He has a fantastic knowledge of the islands' landscapes, wildlife and history. Mick worked as a professional environmentalist for 25 years, including spells with Scottish Natural Heritage and the National Trust for Scotland, as well as a 7 year stint as a countryside ranger in Stirling & the Trossachs. From 2005 - 2015 he was Western Isles Area Manager for the John Muir Trust, one of Scotland's highest profile conservation charities.
Mick has been leading walking groups in the Scottish highlands and islands for over 30 years - and has enjoyed every minute of it!
Mick has been leading walking groups in the Scottish highlands and islands for over 30 years - and has enjoyed every minute of it!
Alayne Barton
A keen walker for as long as she can remember, Alayne loves getting out to wild places - and living in the Outer Hebrides for 20 years provided endless opportunity for doing just that. For 12 years she ran the Islands Book Trust, a small but dynamic local charity that publishes books on Hebridean culture and heritage, organises intrepid boat trips to uninhabited off-shore islands, and runs annual conferences on various aspects of the island's history.
Alayne's infectious enthusiasm and fantastic knowledge of Scotland's island heritage make her an excellent guide to these stunning islands.
Alayne's infectious enthusiasm and fantastic knowledge of Scotland's island heritage make her an excellent guide to these stunning islands.
Aphra Blunt
As Alayne and Mick's daughter, Aphra had a true Hebridean upbringing, growing up on Rum, South Uist and Lewis. She loves the Scottish islands, being outdoors, exploring castles, travelling the world and swimming in the sea - though she is possibly more at home snorkelling in the tropics rather than braving Scotland's chillier waters! Aphra trained as an artist and and has worked as a full-time illustrator and a travel industry professional. These days she combines her passion for drawing with running the operations side of the family business.
Super friendly, with a great eye for detail and a winning way with emails, we are over the moon to have Aphra working with us!
Super friendly, with a great eye for detail and a winning way with emails, we are over the moon to have Aphra working with us!
Emma Mackenzie
Emma was brought up on Lewis and there isn’t much she doesn’t know about her home island. As well as having an infectious enthusiasm for all things Hebridean, and being a massive fan of St. Kilda, Emma is also skilled at bushcraft – ask her nicely and she may cook some mackerel for you on a wood fire! A talented and successful artist, she also loves island textiles and even spins her own wool.
Cheery, knowledgeable and unflappable, Emma is a superb guide.
Cheery, knowledgeable and unflappable, Emma is a superb guide.
Eilidh MacLeod
Eilidh MacLeod returned to live on the Isle of Lewis, where she was brought up, 14 years ago. Prior to that she lived in Glasgow, Inverness and the Isle of Skye, her mother’s place of birth, as well as in Spain, France and Vietnam. She is a Gaelic broadcaster and also runs a croft on the west side of the island. Walking is a life-long passion and she also enjoys running and Yoga with a bit of Zumba thrown in for good fun. She has a keen interest in local history and language as well as Hebridean wildlife.
Chris Fitzsimons
Chris moved the Isle of Skye in 1996 after falling in love with the Highlands and has since lived in many parts of the country until ending up in Badenoch and Strathspey, in The Cairngorms National Park. A keen walker for many years, he qualified as a Mountain Leader in 2002 and has been leading walking holidays ever since. In between tours a variety of work has ensued from dry stane dyking to driving open top buses around Glasgow! Now he also works in outdoor education and forest based activities across Scotland.
He has a love of the nature, history and folklore of Scotland, particularly of the Highlands and Islands. When inside he can usually be found in front of a fire with a good book!
He has a love of the nature, history and folklore of Scotland, particularly of the Highlands and Islands. When inside he can usually be found in front of a fire with a good book!
Richard Kermode
Richard’s love of mountains and the natural world began during childhood camping trips to Scotland and was deepened through studying Physical Geography and Geology at university. Based in the Cairngorms National Park he has been guiding for 20 years and is passionate about helping people to experience the outdoors and new places. He is a friendly guide and loves sharing his interests in wildlife, wildflowers and the rocks beneath his feet!
Keith Melton
Keith has been exploring the hills and landscapes of Scotland, and further afield, for too many years to remember!
He gave up his early career in call centres to move to Glencoe in the West Highlands where he bought and ran his own accommodation for 16 years. He has never looked back and alongside that has been guiding groups and individuals in Scotland for 10 years.
He has a particular interest in ancient archaeology and loves exploring the links to our history through Scotland’s fantastic landscapes. He also has a passion for music, reading and cycling.
He gave up his early career in call centres to move to Glencoe in the West Highlands where he bought and ran his own accommodation for 16 years. He has never looked back and alongside that has been guiding groups and individuals in Scotland for 10 years.
He has a particular interest in ancient archaeology and loves exploring the links to our history through Scotland’s fantastic landscapes. He also has a passion for music, reading and cycling.
Bryony Lewis
Bryony is an outdoor enthusiast with over 15 years of experience in Outdoor Education. Leaving the West Midlands after falling in love with the Scottish Highlands, in 2020 Bryony moved to the small crofting community of Oldshoremore in the far north of Scotland, where she immersed herself in the beauty of Highland life. In 2021, Bryony began guiding in the stunning landscapes of Scotland, sharing her passion for nature and incredible landscapes with others. Now living near Loch Ness in the Great Glen, she embraces the ways of Highland life while guiding groups through outdoor adventures and unique holiday experiences. Bryony is deeply committed to helping others connect with nature, encouraging exploration, environmental stewardship, and the creation of lasting bonds through shared experiences in wild and stunning landscapes.
Steve Leslie
A qualified mountain and ski leader, Steve has a passion for everything outdoors. With over 30 years Military service including overseas expeditions with service personnel, he has settled in Highland Perthshire. Semi retired he also instructs with Landrover experience and delivers DofE expeditions to a number of schools across Scotland.