About Us

The team of professionals at Scottish Boot Camp is drawn from both the military arena and the fitness industry, and includes the following permanent staff members:

Alistair Duncan

Al recently retired as a Staff Sergeant from the British Army having served 24 years in the Royal Logistics Corps. His many tours of duty include Northern Ireland, Kosovo and Bosnia. Al also skied competitively at Army level for 12 years. His designated role within the company is within Logistics, Health & Safety, IT administrator, weekly program coordinator and as an on-going Management Consultant. He brings into play a wealth of relevant skills and knowledge from the military, and an obsession with standards and self-discipline!

Sara Dwyer

Sara is qualified to post-graduate degree level, has four school age children, and brings over 10 years experience as an instructor to Scottish Boot Camp.  She has taught a wide variety of fitness disciplines in both the private and public sector including aerobics, step, spinning, gym & circuits, and aqua. She specialises in teaching Core Strength and Stability (Michael King Pilates Institute, London) and was until recently the pilates instructor and personal trainer at Skibo Castle, Sutherland. Sara previously managed a successful ladies-only health club in Chester, and is a fully qualified Swedish Massage Therapist.

Physical Training Instructors ( PTI's )

Peter Hawkins

Pete served 6 years in the British Army as an officer in the Royal Engineers, serving in Kosovo and Kenya on operations. He went on to study fitness in Australia for six months before returning to the UK to start a fitness business. He has taught a variety of fitness classes including circuits, boxercise and core stability as well as instructing personal clients to reach their fitness goals. Pete enjoys adventure sports and spends his weekends mountain biking, climbing and kayaking. When the snow is good, he makes the most of Scotland’s ski slopes dodging the snow boarders. Pete is a qualified personal trainer, boxercise instructor and Swedish Massage Therapist.
 

Mark Ball

Mark joined the Army at 16 and worked for 6 years as an aircraft technician, later joining a TA Special Forces Signals Unit. Moving from this he worked for 3 years as a PTI putting recruits through basic training. He currently works as a PTI at Worthy Down, and also has many years experience instructing civilians in outdoor military style fitness sessions. In his spare time Mark enjoys running, and has completed 5 non-stop ultra marathons ranging from 60 to 126 miles. He has recently started training in mixed martial arts, is a keen mountaineer and is currently studying for a degree in Sports & Health Management.

Alan Esler

AKA Paddy has worked as a Royal Navy Physical Trainer for over 20 years. He has prepared and taken fitness sessions around the globe, from ships in the middle of the ocean to far flung destinations such as Madagascar. A passionate sportsman, he has represented the Royal Navy in running, Field Gun Competitions and on the rugby pitch, playing in the Dubai sevens on numerous occasions. Paddy is a REPS Level 3 Advanced Instructor including Indoor Cycling, Circuits and Sports Injury in addition to being a Tri-service Summer Mountain Leader. Now looking for new challenges he hopes to complete The Iron Monster Challenge later this year, gain new Adventure Training qualifications and pass on his enthusiasm for health and fitness to anyone who crosses his path! 

Matthew Wright

Matt joined the TA in 1997 and went on to join the regulars in 1998, and he remained in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers until 2005 having served in Northern Ireland, Kenya, Canada and Iraq. After leaving in 2005 he joined the TA in Scotland and went on to complete the TA PTI course in 2007. From then on he worked with recruits conducting various types of fitness sessions. In 2008 the signals regiment were mobilised to Cyprus on a 6 month tour where Matthew ran the gym for over 180 soldiers. Upon his return from Cyprus, he went to work at the Army Foundation College in Harrogate working with up to forty five 16-17 yr old recruits per lesson. 

Fitness Instructor
Sarah McFee

Sarah works extensively in leisure facilities provided by the Highland Council teaching Body Attack and Aerobics.

Nutritionist 

Sara Kirkham

Sara has a first class honours degree in Nutritional Medicine and is a qualified teacher. She is an award winning nutritionist with published research in the Journal of Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. Sara spent almost 20 years in the health and fitness industry helping people to lose and maintain weight through diet and exercise. She wrote and delivered weight loss courses for several health clubs and companies before becoming a full time nutritionist.

Between nutritional therapy appointments Sara runs regular weight loss and detox courses, lectures and develops education modules in nutrition and physiology at Moray College, and writes. She has written four books - Teach Yourself Eating for Health (2nd edition is renamed Lose Weight, Gain Energy, Get Healthy), Teach Yourself Running (renamed Get into Running), Weight Loss – The Essential Guide, and Food for Health – The Essential Guide. The Essential Guide books will be published later this year. All books are available at www.amazon.co.uk or in good book stores, and will also be available at the Scottish Bootcamps.

Complementary Therapist

Claire Hunter

Claire is our Complementary Therapist who is qualified to an advanced level in Swedish, Sports & Remedial Massage, Reflexology and Aromatherapy. She set up her own business in 2005 running a very successful and popular clinic, and previously worked in the Spa of the exclusive Carnegie Club at Skibo Castle, Sutherland. As an extra to your fitness training for the week, you can choose to have a massage treatment.  A deep tissue sports massage is most effective in preventing and treating muscle injuries, pain, tightness of muscles, and the removal of toxic build-up after exercise and aids a faster recovery from training. Alternatively, choose a more relaxing massage to unwind the body and mind after a long day's training, or a therapeutic Reflexology treatment. As part of your overall well being and detox programme, Claire is available for treatments during the evenings of your stay.

Guest Gourmet Chef

Ritchie Bebb

Ritchie was born in the Rhondda Valleys, South Wales and trained in Cardiff at a Four Star Hotel, until moving to Airth Castle, Falkirk.  He currently works as Head Chef at an exclusive Highland members only castle in Sutherland.  He provides a spectacular gourmet dinner on one night of your stay using only locally sourced fresh produce, for a never to be forgotten calorie controlled feast.

Scottish Boot Camp Mutt
Major Milo

Milo is employed to actively seek and retrieve any contraband smuggled into camp ie chocolate biscuits. He used to be a long haired golden retriever, but Staff Al sent him to the barbers for an Army No 2 all over, and he came out a Labrador. When he feels the cold (he is 8 years old) he feels an unstoppable urge to put on a Scottish Boot Camp T-shirt. During down time in the evenings, he enjoys being pampered by the girls on boot camp and dreaming of leftovers (never gets them though, the girls love the food too much!). I'm also on facebook check it out.
 

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Scottish Boot Camp, Fountain Building, Castle Street, Portmahomack, Ross-Shire, Scotland IV20 1YE Tel: +44 (0)1862 859976 info@scottishbootcamp.com

Scottish Company: SC 366097