Meet The Team

I have lived in Glen Urquhart almost all of my life with a real enthusiasm and passion for the area.

I was self employed for 20 years as both a massage therapist and owner of Shinty Shop. 

 I have volunteered on various committees, most notably in recent times as a Soirbheas Director, Glen Urquhart Shinty Club Chairman, and currently, Glen Urquhart Highland Gathering & Games, Chairman. 

My aim is to implement a dynamic approach in making Loch Ness Hub a leading example in community ownership of a 1st class Tourism and Community facility. 

CONTACT - info@lochnesshub.com

After graduating in 1979 I joined the British Railways graduate management programme, and worked in the industry for over 20 years. I held a number of senior management positions, and spent several years involved with the negotiation and management of high value contracts. When I left the industry to pursue life in the highlands, I was the Commercial Director for the London and North Eastern zone of Railtrack.

Since leaving work, I have been involved in a range of community groups as a volunteer. Currently, I am the coordinator of the Drumnadrochit Community First Responders, a director of the Glen Urquhart Care Project and its subsidiary, Glen Urquhart Care (Developments) and a Trustee of the Glen Urquhart Rural Community Association.

Over the years I have lived and worked all over world setting up and managing creative business operations for multinational companies in design, marketing, packaging and global events. I am now the Group Data Privacy Officer for an International Events Company.

In my early childhood my parents regularly bought me to Scotland and we motor sailed the Great Glen and the west coast. It was during these times that I fell in love with Scotland, the Highlands and Loch Ness and carried a dream to live here from that time forwards. 

Some 40 years later and by pure fate (and another boat) I happened to be in Drumnadrochit visiting and found my perfect little home overlooking the Loch waiting for me and up for sale, it was an opportunity I could not miss and within 3 months I had packed everything up and moved from London to a better life in the Highlands. 

Since moving here in late 2018 I have joined the Loch Ness RNLI as volunteer crew (another lifelong ambition) and I am now excited to become more involved with this fantastic community via the Loch Ness Hub and help promote everything we have to offer.

1974-76 - 2 years as a Management Trainee with Marks & Spencer.

1976-2006 Joined Lloyds Bank on their Management Development Programme within the Retail Banking (High Street) Sector. Worked in 10 different branches and an Area Directors Office developing finance related skills in the Personal and Business Sectors whilst gaining related passes in the Chartered Institute of Bankers exams. Having run branches, new customer service and marketing initiatives and developed and taken related training courses, I began a specialisation in Business Banking in the up to £2M turnover range which continued until I left the Bank.

2007-13 Run small ‘Bed and Breakfast’ with my wife, Carol

2007-12 Part-time Lifeguard at Inverness Leisure

2009-16 Part-time Steward at Urquhart Castle, including guided tours. 

Voluntary activities

Chairman, Secretary, Teacher, Coach, Competition Official for Wootton Bassett Swimming Club 1992-2002

Leonard Cheshire Volunteer Kington Langley 2004-6

Glen Urquhart Greenspace Community Company, Director Secretary 2009- 2013

Craigmonie Woodland Association Volunteer 2018 onwards

I have worked in various corporate roles for over 30 years with a variety of companies from banking, education, nuclear and housing.

 In 2019, Chris & I decided to escape the rate race of North West England and move with our family to Drumnadrochit. We purchased Morlea Bed and Breakfast on the green and set about creating a memorable experience for all our guests. One of the elements that was important to me when we took over Morlea B&B was ensuring our guests did not just come to stay the night, but that they came to experience the area, the community and other businesses. Our reviews are a testament to the work we have put into to achieving that in the few short months we have been open.

I am passionate about the area and tourism in general and have also recently been appointed as a Director on the board of Visit Inverness Loch Ness. For me it is often the little things that make the biggest impression and I will endeavour to use my drive and enthusiasm to really play an important part in the vision of Loch Ness Hub over the years to come.

I was employed for over 20 years in a number of operational roles with companies involved in leading edge chemical manufacturing and processing, most recently with FTSE 100 company Johnson Matthey. I joined as part of the team tasked with the design and built a new £25m greenfield manufacturing facility in Swindon to produce Fuel Cell components for this developing technology, before taking on the role of Operations Director leading a team of 120 people with responsibility for manufacturing, supply chain and quality.

I retired from Johnson Matthey in 2016 and am now self-employed running a Bed and Breakfast business with my wife in the popular village of Drumnadrochit in the Highlands of Scotland. I became a GURCA member in 2017 and trustee in 2018.

Between 2008 and 2010 during a planned career break I undertook a 2-year voluntary placement with Voluntary Services Overseas living and working in Kathmandu, Nepal. The placement was with the Government of Nepal in the Ministry of Women Children and Social Welfare and involved working with colleagues in the Ministry on strategy and policy development, policy implementation, capacity building and awareness raising for the disability sector.

I was brought up in Inverness, where I attended Millburn Academy. On leaving school, I had a short spell working in a local garage before enlisting with the Royal Air Force. I then spent 25 years living and working in the UK and overseas initially as an aircraft propulsion mechanic, advancing to technician status then moving into instructional duties. I finally took a commission as an officer in the Engineering (Aerosystems) branch. I enjoyed a number of interesting and diverse roles during my tenure with the Royal Air Force including being a gas turbine engine ground tester, a trade training instructor, Flight Commander on a fighter squadron, an aircraft crash investigator and managing aircraft modifications for supporting Special Forces. 

After retiring from the Royal Air Force in 2009, I was contracted by the MOD for a couple of years to manage the safe disposal/reassignment of the Nimrod Maritime Reconnaissance Aircraft fleet that were based at RAF Kinloss. On completion of that contract, I then joined NHS Highland as a Clinical IT systems Projects Manager, where I am still employed. As well as being a keen gardener and allotment holder, I am currently the Chair of the Blackthorn Allotments Association in Inverness and have been so for over 5 years. 

 I am an enthusiastic cyclist, both on road and off. My engineering background and interest also enables me to do my own cycle repair and maintenance. I also enjoy open canoeing in lochs and rivers around the Highlands, camping, hill walking, body-boarding, swimming and golf. 

 I am so grateful to be living in the Highlands and am honoured to support the Loch Ness Hub in its mission of promoting Drumnadrochit and all of Glen Urquhart as a sustainable destination of choice for those seeking to experience the beauty and diversity of activities this wonderful locality has to offer. 

Judi is a native of the Drumnadrochit area and has always had an interest in the wellbeing of the community, from an early age being involved with the pupil council and youth parliament.    

 Currently, she runs a family business with her brother, in the civil engineering sector, so is well accustomed to the challenges facing small businesses.     

Judi feels that she now possesses the skills and enthusiasm to be able to support the further development of the hub as a sustainable business, as well as the benefits it could deliver to the wider community.”