Neil MacLean

Congratulations to Neil who has graduated BSc in Sports and Exercise Science from University of Aberdeen.

Eilidh Beaton

We have been notified that the following graduation has taken place at the University of Aberdeen. 

Eilidh Beaton, Degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery.  Well done!

Flora Donald

We have been notified that the following graduation has taken place at the University of Aberdeen.

Flora Donald, BSc Honours (First Class) in Plant Biology.  Well done!

Charmaine McGlennon

We have been notified that the following graduation has taken place at the University of Aberdeen. 

Charmaine McGlennon, BSc Honours (2/2) in Marine Biology.  Well done!

Alexander MacDonald

We have been notified that Alexander MacDonald has graduated from Heriot Watt University with a MEng Computing and Electronics.  Well done!

Sandra Urquhart

Congratulations on graduating from Strathclyde University in Hotel and Hospitality Management and Marketing.  (G&DTimes Volume 34 Issue 14 15/7/11)

Robert Marshall

Congratulations on graduating from University of Strathclyde with an Masters of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering with Aeronautics with Distinction.  This August Robert will take up a post with SHELL UK as a subsea engineer.  (G&DTimes Volume 34 Issue 13 1/7/2011)

June 2010: I have recently completed the fourth year of my degree and am now working for Shell in Aberdeen for the summer as an intern where I am working within the Subsea Engineering department.  I have been selected to take part in a departmental exchange at the Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan for 4 months beginning in September where I will complete my master thesis project before returning to Glasgow to complete my degree. Exciting times ahead, I just hope it all goes to plan!

I have fond memories from my DofE expeditions and the award is still something that comes up time and time again during interviews etc., without a doubt a worthwhile programme. Mountain biking sounds great, wish that had been available in my day!

Sandy Macdonald

Congratulations on being awarded a Masters with Distinction from Heriot Watt in Computing and Electronics.  (G&DTimes Volume 34 Issue 12 17/6/2011)

Darren Buchan

Congratulations on graduating from Glasgow Caledonian University with an Honours Degree in Mechanical Engineering.  (G&DTimes Volume 34 Issue 12 17/6/2011)

Roxanne in Uganda

Updated August 2011 – Photograph from Holyrood Presentation.

Update June 2011 – Roxanne has been invited to Holyrood Palace to receive her GOLD DofE Award.  Well done!

Click on the photo to see some more pictures…

Febrauary 2011:

Roxanne Ramsay was one of three pupils selected last year from Gairloch to work abroad with the Project Trust. She returned for Christmas and sent us the following:

I have just finished 3 months in Uganda as a primary English teacher with the charity Project Trust. I am working at a school called Hope for Youth Uganda. It is a charity school for children who are either AIDs orphans or, have ‘irresponsible parents’ (what the headmaster calls them). Despite this all the children are a great laugh and very well behaved; even if that is partly down to the amount of caning by the other teachers. Recently Isla and I taught the p3’s to sing the chorus of “I will walk 500 miles” for the school open day.

It is a bit different living in Uganda (not surprisingly) as we have to fetch water from the pond at the bottom of the hill, which is green, and boil it on a charcoal fire before drinking it. But luckily, unlike most of the other volunteers, we do have electricity, so it’s not all bad. We live in two small rooms; one for washing in a bucket, the other has the two beds under mosquito nets, and a small shelf of books which we seem to be sharing with the whole community. And don’t forget the long drop toilet near the pig sty which fills with cockroaches by night. The school has some livestock, the school pig and goat: the pig had seven piglets recently; the school has a field and is self-sufficient in food.

I have had a great time so far and done some amazing things from white water rafting at the source of the Nile to eating fried queen termites. And I can’t wait to go back for the next six months

Alex Urquhart-Taylor

Alex Urquhart-Taylor is still playing with “Or Ceilidh Band”.

Alex was Dux, and winner of the Dr Hunter Piping trophy. He studied for an MSc in Computational Physics at Edinburgh University, and currently lives in Edinburgh where he runs his own website design company, Roslin Design, as well as having a busy career as a musician.

October 2008: Popular Poolewe piper, Alex Urquhart-Taylor, is making an appearance at Poolewe Hall this Saturday (October 4), with his Edinburgh-based band Or at a family ceilidh dance organised by Poolewe Ceilidh Partnership.

Alex, a former pupil of Gairloch High School, graduated from Edinburgh University this summer with a Masters in Computational Physics. He has performed as far afield as Spain and China, and has appeared on TV and radio.

Amy French

Head Girl last year, Amy is currently on a Project Trust gap year.  Originally planning for Thailand, Amy was posted to Malaysia as a result of political unrest in Thailand.  Amy has provided information about her trip via newsletter and on her blog.

Read the newsletters below (pdf files) or click here to check out her blog.  It is suggested that you look at the blog if your internet connection is slow as the pdf files are large.

Christmas 2010 – Newsletter 1

Easter 2011 – Newsletter 2 – page 1, page 2, page 3

June 2011 Amy’s last newsletter from Thailand -  Newsletter 3

Tom Hardman – Royal Marine

Tom’s Pass Out Parade was on 11th February 2011.

Read more about the Royal Marines here…

Róisín Somers

After deciding to take a year out in the middle of my 4 year uni course I applied for BUNAC’s Volunteer Cambodia program and left for Siem Reap on the 18th October 2010. I am here in Siem Reap for 4 months working in a school called HERO (Health Education and Rehabilitaion Organisation) in a village about 5km from the city and then I will do a month travelling around South East Asia before flying to New Zealand mid-March and spending a few months working and travelling there.

Click here to view Róisín’s blog.

Briony Young

Briony left Gairloch High in June 2010 and is currently in China.  She is teaching English and is carrying out her trip as part of a Project Trust Gap Year.

Briony has a blog that can be viewed by clicking here.

Hope MacDonald

Hope left Gairloch High School in July 2006 and joined the army as a medic.  She has been deployed to Canada, Cyprus and Afghanistan working with 40 Commando Royal Marines. Hope is now a Lance Corporal and currently with the Scots Guards based in Catterick.

Ailsa Carruthers

 

Ailsa is a senior air craftswoman based at RAF Waddington. She was only the 9th female to have entered the fire section of the RAF. Currently (Nov 2010) returned from Afghanistan.

Before she left, Ailsa was involved in a charity event to climb the height of Everest by ladder. You may have heard her on Two Lochs Radio. Click here for a BBC news link.

Ailsa visited the school and spoke at assembly about her ambitions to join the RAF and the effort required to get to the necessary levels of fitness and then maintain them.   Ailsa is shown above during her visit to the school wearing her campaign medal for the tour in Afghanistan.

Laura Bush

Laura has mainly been based in Edinburgh since leaving school.

“I did my undergraduate degree in Developmental Biology and then spent a few years working in bars, management and trying to formulate a plan.  I applied for an MSc at Heriot Watt in Marine Science but later deferred it as didn’t have enough money for the tuition fees, and, in slightly scatter brained fashion, forgot all about it.  I’d just bought my tickets to Australia with the intention of spending a year abroad when Heriot Watt got in touch and said I had been selected for NERC funding for the following term, and since then I haven’t really looked back.”

“I spent 3 months in Australia and NZ just travelling, returned for my MSc which I graduated from in Nov 2006, and started work for SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency) the same week, as a Marine Ecologist.  I’ve jumped around within Marine Ecology and am currently specialising in plants (macroalgae and phytoplankton) and I love it!  I even get to keep my hand in with a few illustrations:  my dissertation is in the process of being published, although it’s predominantly the data from that:  you can see the 20Mb pdf here on the internet.  The best bits are the illustrations… I wouldn’t bother with the text.”

“In addition, I am currently illustrating a publication for our benthic specialist!  Not quite as fun as creative art, but it’s good to feel I managed to maintain something visually demonstrative in my work.  Things are a bit tense in the public sector right now so I may be moving on one day in the not too distant future, however, I will see it out until it’s no longer enjoyable before I jump.”

Eilidh Smith née Laurie

Two Lochs Radio informs us that a former Gairloch girl has landed a publishing job back in Ross-shire

Sandstone Press of Dingwall has announced the appointment of Eilidh Smith to undertake marketing and publicity for the Highland-based book company. She will be working with authors to help them with promotion and marketing of their books.
Eilidh is a daughter of Hamish and Elna Laurie of Badachro, and she spent her entire schooling in Achtercairn Primary and Gairloch High. She previously held an editorial position with DC Thomson, and marketing and publicity posts with both Glasgow Caledonian University and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Eilidh says that in her student years (while studying at Edinburgh University) when she had summer jobs at the Old Inn in Gairloch she spent most of her wages on books, but now she should be earning from books instead.

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More info from Sandstone:
Sandstone Press is delighted to announce the appointment of Eilidh Smith who will be undertaking marketing and publicity for the Highland based company. Eilidh will be first point of contact for press, broadcast and internet journalists, as well as festival and other event organisers. She will be working with authors to assist them in the promotion of their books and will be involved in the planning and delivery of marketing programmes.

 

Eilidh has previously held an editorial position with DC Thomson, and marketing and publicity posts with both Glasgow Caledonian University and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Originally from Gairloch in Wester Ross Eilidh now lives in Strathpeffer.

Managing Director Robert Davidson said:
“We are very pleased to welcome this highly competent and enthusiastic woman into the company. I am confident that Eilidh will bring innovation to our marketing and publicity systems in addition to a high level of professionalism. This appointment signifies the continued growth of Sandstone Press and, in addition to the better promotion of our books, should further establish our reputation as one of the most progressive and ambitious publishing houses in Britain.”

Katherine Butler

Some of you may remember Katherine Butler who left GHS about five years ago. She graduated from The Scottish College of Textiles (now part of Heriot Watt) last year and is now living back up here doing freelance illustration from home.

Her degree was in Fashion and Textiles and, over the next few weeks (21st August – 17th September 2010), she has a small exhibition in the Gairloch Heritage Museum showing her final year work. This entails about half a dozen costumes displayed on manikins as well as a lot of background material showing her influences and working methodologies.

Katherine’s inspiration for her show was the Highlands – the colour and textures of the landscape – the traditions and crafts. I feel it is a good, comprehensive little exhibition which shows clearly just how much has to be packed into a final year on a course of this nature. (Ms P Gulliver)

Here is the extract from the Heritage Museum website:

“Into the Wilderness” by Katherine Butler is the end result of an intensive four years study in Fashion Design for Industry BA (Hons), at Heriot-Watt University in the Scottish Borders. Organic and rugged, comprising of six original outfits, it encapsulates the mood and nature of the Scottish Highlands, focused mainly on the area of Gairloch and surrounding villages. Inspiration was gained in several areas – textures, colours, native animals, climate and tradition. These were interpreted through the fabrics chosen, the manufacturing techniques used and obviously the design and styling. The first steps began with the use of rough and raw Blackface sheep fleeces, going through processes of using natural dyes leading to the carding and spinning of the wool – this in turn led to hand-knitting and braiding to experiment with different structures. Ethically sourced skins and furs of native mammals were mixed with felted lambswool to create, overall, an exciting blend of texture and colour. Despite the strong traditional influences, the final result is high-end and contemporary, offering completely unique, one-off pieces with hand-crafted elements. “Urban Reiver” is an outfit designed and made for the 2009 competition “Bringing Home the Tartan” organised by the Scottish Archives and the Scotsman. The aim was to create an interesting and contemporary tartan based outfit. “Urban Reiver” draws on historical influences from the Border Reivers, romanticised bandits who plundered from both the Scots and the English. The fabrics (tartan, lambswool, leather and reindeer fur) helped to create this image, as well as details such as horses harnesses and helmets, which were interpreted into the waistcoat, hood, mask and straps. A modern element was added with the tight-fitting, long-sleeved jumper and low-slung trousers, hence the word “Urban” in the title. This creation won 2nd prize. Katherine currently works as a freelance graphic designer/illustrator.