About Us
Meet our Top Guides
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- Angela GillespieAngela is a qualified mountain leader and ski instructor. She has been mountain guiding for over 20 years. For much of that time she has lived in Ullapool. An experienced summer & winter mountaineer she has climbed and skied in the Alps, North-America and Greenland. Angela has a profound knowledge of the flora and fauna of the areas in which she guides and can provide an insight into the Highland life both past and present. Her favourite places to guide include Orkney, Shetland and the Faroe Islands.
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- Iain ThowIain is a qualified mountain leader with more than 25 years’ experience of guiding in Scotland. He has an honours degree in Geography and has climbed and hiked all over the world. Notable ascents are the Matterhorn, Mount Cook and Mount Tasman. Iain is a keen scrambler and has written two books for the Scottish Mountaineering Club. Iain’s good humour, wealth of knowledge and entertaining stories make him a popular guide. His favourite areas to guide are the far northwest Highlands and Outer Hebrides.
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- Gary MooneyGary has worked in the outdoors since 1990 and has explored the world extensively. He has a BSc honours degree in Outdoor Environmental Education and a MSc in Psychological therapies. His interests are in the psychology of hill walking and wilderness as a therapeutic environment. Gary is a qualified mountain leader, qualified mountain bike leader and canoe level 3 coach. His favourite places to explore are the northwest Highlands and Outer Hebrides.
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- Martin HindThe Outdoors has been part of Martin’s life since heading for the local Glasgow hills while at school. The Scottish Highlands, Alps and Himalaya have played their part and for the last 20 years worked as a countryside ranger in the Highlands sharing his love of wildlife and geology. Besides a qualified mountain leader Martin also worked as a professional commercial photographer. His favourite walking areas are the northwest Highlands and Outer Hebrides.
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- Andrew JohnstonAndrew has been guiding people on foot and by kayak in the Highlands for more than thirty years. He’s a qualified mountain leader and kayak coach with a passion for the wild landscapes of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. He lived in Gairloch, Wester Ross for nearly twenty years where he taught biology and outdoor education at the High School and was a long-standing volunteer with Torridon Mountain Rescue team. He’s climbed, hiked and kayaked worldwide but his favourite places are the hidden beaches and hills of the northwest Highlands.
Management & Office
Our small but professional & dedicated team is here to help you create that great adventure. Just complete the enquiry form below to get in touch. Alternatively, call us on 01997 421474 (+44 1997 421474) – we love to talk about your holiday!
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- Marco de Man - director/ownerMarco deals with the day to day running of the business and dedicates a lot of time putting together those perfect bespoke adventure packages for our clients.
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- Celia Mackenzie - B2BCelia makes sure that all trip arrangements are made and confirmed…. and checked again. It goes without saying that she is very organised and precise!
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- Gary Mooney - Trip DevelopmentArdent outdoor enthousisast, Gary knows every little corner of the Highlands. Valuable knowledge & insides we need for designing our imaginative adventures.
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- Judith van KlaverenJudith is often your first contact after you have made a booking or enquiry. Always friendly and happy to help with any questions you might have.
The history of North West Frontiers
Since 1986 North West Frontiers has been organising quality small group walking holidays to the northwest Highlands & Islands of Scotland. Thirty years on from when it all started, the jaw-dropping vistas in this beautiful part of the world still do not stop to amaze us. From those early days, our range of trips has expanded, making North West Frontiers one of the most experienced & expert walking holiday companies in Scotland.
From ‘Munro bagging’ trips and wild camping breaks to more leisurely and comfortable walking holidays and tours, we have been offering our clients some of the finest outdoor experiences. Over the years, the number of private trips – for groups of 2 to 24 – has expanded dramatically. Also, arranging trips for renowned overseas adventure tour operators has increased year on year.
In 2008 we acquired Bespoke Highland Tours, which increased our market share in the independent holiday market. Bespoke Highland Tours was one of the first companies organising self-guided walking and cycling holidays, and the then owner was at the core of developing the Great Glen Way as well as holiday opportunities along the ‘Road to the Isles’ (between Fort William and Mallaig). In 2016 the company merged with North West Frontiers to focus 100% on one brand.
Since 2009 we have added a fabulous walking holiday on the remote and dramatic Faroe Islands. Over the years, we have developed trusting relationships with our local suppliers, and our short term aim is to expand our – guided and independent – holiday program to these wild and untamed islands.
What we offer You
Passion & Country Knowledge
After 30 years of organising imaginative walking holidays, we’ve built up an in-depth knowledge about the areas we operate. We are passionate about the outdoors, and together with our experienced leaders, we carefully put together our adventures. We believe that we always have to offer something unique and to design itineraries, you would not usually come up with yourself. Both Scotland and the Faroes Islands have their well-known tourists’ spots. While some of these places are definitely worth a visit, we tend only to include these if we think they will improve your trip experience.
Service & Time
Customer service is at the heart of all we do at North West Frontiers. From the moment of your initial contact to the day you return home – we are here 24/7 to assist you. We never do the hard sell, but we will listen to what you would like to get out of your holiday. We would like to know your previous walking experiences to get you on the trip with a suitable walking grade. Suppose you are looking for a bespoke itinerary. In that case, we will take the time to learn about your interests, fitness level, and accommodation preference etc., to give you the best advice and holiday package.
The Best Leaders in the Business
We at NWF know that your guide is the key to you having a successful holiday, and we are proud & fortunate to have our dream team! Most of our leaders have been with us for many years, and their trip knowledge and commitment is truly exceptional. With them, you are in safe hands, and they will make sure that you get the very best out of your holiday, based on group interest, fitness levels and weather. We are proud that they have been commended and recognised for their outstanding work.
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Trust & Financial Protection
NWF has been successfully organising holidays since 1986, so with this track record, you can feel confident to book with us. Also, all clients booking with North West Frontiers are fully insured for the initial deposit and subsequently the balance of all monies paid to us, including repatriation if required, arising from the cancellation or curtailment of your travel arrangements due to the insolvency of the company. MGA Cover Services Limited has arranged this insurance. Please contact us if you would like to know more details.