About

The Association of Northern Trails Scotland is a Scottish registered charity with registration number SC049061. We are also a membership group; to become a member please use the contact form or see here for more details.

Our goal is to develop the Trail through volunteer efforts and community support, in order to improve walking access for the community as well as develop the local tourism economy by opening the trail to long-distance walkers.

We sometimes do business as Friends of the John o’ Groats Trail. We are also working on another long distance trail, the North Coast Trail (NCT) which has its own web site here. The executive committee of ANTS currently consists of:

Chair | Jay Wilson

Based in Berriedale. Jay enjoys long-distance walking and is inspired by the Appalachian Trail that goes through his native Virginia. He has walked the John o’ Groats Trail twice and some of it multiple times.

Treasurer | Diana Rutkowski

Soon after moving to Caithness 2 years ago I discovered the JOGT. As I keen hiker to a new area I was delighted that there was such a long trail nearby. I signed up to be a trail warden before I had even hiked a section of the trail. A trail like this makes it easier for people new to hiking to enjoy the outdoors with minimal impact to the environment, and a positive impact on local business owners.

Secretary | Sally Crowe

I’m Sally, a crofter from Keiss. I love being out in nature and enjoying all that the Caithness coast had to offer. I joined ANTS as I feel its important that local land owners get behind the trail, to help others enjoy what we are privileged to see daily. I’m delighted to be involved in a small way in a trail that equals the best in the world.

Trustee | Brian Dickson

Brian, from Fortrose, retired from NatureScot in 2022, and spends much of his time walking – and especially enjoys long-distance walking Trails, and so was the perfect fit for a trustee. It’s really great to have someone from ‘further south’ on the Trail, as we want our board to reflect the Trail, and to better understand the issues and challenges we face. He’s also a warden for Culbokie to Inverness, and has helped to place markers, clear vegetation, landscape paths and erect a stile on the route.

Trustee | Catherine MacLeod

Based in Thrumster. She runs Thrumster House B&B and cottages with her mother Islay MacLeod and she is on the board of Venture North, a tourism initiative.

Trustee | Charlie Bain

Based in Wick. Charlie is an avid walker, having trekked several times in the Alps and the Himalayas. He is involved with Wick Paths Group and Wick Riverside Volunteers. He has completed 2 TGO Coast to Coast challenges. He has built more stiles on the JOGT than anyone else.

Trustee | Matthew Reiss

Based in Thurso. A keen walker and also general interest in environmental matters. Formerly a North Highland Police Officer and now represents the Thurso and NW Caithness Ward area as a Councillor.

Trustee | Frank Stephen

I am a retired vet who did a lot of walking in my teenage years mainly in the Cairngorms. After 56 years I again took up walking and did a very successful sponsored walk of the John o’ Groats Trail. As my first long distance trail I thought it was a great experience. It is important that it is developed as it avoids people having to walk on the A9. I am fully behind something which encourages responsible access to the countryside.

Trustee | Ron McCraw

Ron spent 25 years working in countryside access development, notably with NatureScot where he led work on Scotlands Great Trails and developed the John Muir Way until retirement in 2017. Since then he has kept busy doing path condition surveys, including the full length of the JOGT. Ron is also an avid walker and runner. He looks forward to bringing his experience to help more people enjoy the trail.

• JOGT Photographer: Derek Bremner. Based in Wick. Derek is an avid photographer and keen walker. He is a regular contributor of photos to several local websites and keeps us supplied with fresh images of the trail.
• JOGT Mapmaker: Andy Robinson. Based in Cheshire. Andy is the author of the Cicerone book The End to End Trail and is currently working on a guide to the John o’ Groats Trail with Jay Wilson.

You can find a list of our supporters on the links page.

Patron | Maree Todd

Maree Todd is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician who has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross since May 2021. She was previously an MSP for the Highlands and Islands from the election in May 2016. She has served as the Minister for Public Health, Women’s Health and Sport since May 2021, having previously been the Minister for Children and Young People from 2017 to 2021.

Patron | John Thurso

John Archibald Sinclair, 3rd Viscount Thurso PC (born 10 September 1953), known also as John Thurso, is a Scottish businessman, Liberal Democrat politician and hereditary peer who is notable for having served in the House of Lords both before and after a period in the House of Commons.

Born to the Sinclair family, Lord Thurso was educated at Eton College before entering management roles in the tourism and hospitality industry. He first joined Parliament in the House of Lords as a hereditary peer in 1995 and served until 1999, when he was among the majority of hereditary peers who were removed from Parliament following the House of Lords Act 1999.

Thurso was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross at the 2001 general election, becoming the fifth generation of the Sinclair family to represent the Caithness area in the House of Commons. He held the seat until he was defeated at the 2015 general election by the Scottish National Party (SNP) candidate, Paul Monaghan. During his time serving in the Commons, Lord Thurso was chair of the Finance and Services Committee from 2010 to 2015. In 2016, Thurso returned to the House of Lords after winning a by-election to fill a vacancy among the remaining Liberal Democrat hereditary peers. He became chair of VisitScotland in 2016 and later became Lord Lieutenant of Caithness in 2017.

Patron | Jamie Stone

James Hume Walter Miéville Stone (born 16 June 1954) is a Scottish Liberal Democrat politician, representing the constituency of Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, the northernmost mainland British constituency and one of the largest by area, since 2017.

He was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the constituency of Caithness, Sutherland, and Easter Ross. He held the seat from the opening of the Scottish Parliament in 1999, until he stood down in 2011. He served as the Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Defence from 2019 to 2022 and has served as Spokesperson for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport since September 2020.

Fair Work Policy Statement

The Association of Northern Trails Scotland (ANTS) is committed to advancing the Scottish Government Fair Work First Policy and the criteria as set out within the Fair Work First guidance document. We confirm that we pay our staff the Real Living Wage and/or will do so if we employ people in the future. We make every effort to ensure that our suppliers/contractors are offered the same Real Living Wage rate when procuring goods or services. We also confirm that we offer our staff and/or volunteers an Effective Workers Voice channel within the workplace.