WHO’S WHO

Groam House is registered with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) as a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO).

It is a very small independent museum managed by a Board of at least five trustees and run by approximately 35 volunteers with the assistance of, currently, one part-time member of staff who works two-three days a week. The Board is advised by specialists who are invited to attend Board meetings regularly or on an ad hoc basis. An independent museum mentor (as required by UK Museum Accreditation Scheme also assesses the general competence of the museum at least twice a year.

TRUSTEES

Richard Hotchkis
Chairman of the Board
Richard was born in Aberfeldy but spent most of his childhood in St Andrews. On completing his education, which included degrees in economics from Stirling University and the LSE, he worked on development projects in Botswana for two years before returning to the UK to pursue a 30-year career as an Investment Manager for the Co-operative Insurance Society in Manchester. He then moved to Guernsey where he worked as a company director for investment companies until 2019. 

Upon retirement Richard and his wife relocated to Fortrose. During his time in Manchester, his love of museums led to a 25-year involvement with Saddleworth Museum in the Pennines, which he helped develop into a fully accredited museum with a curator and education service.

Paul Pritchard
Treasurer
Paul is a retired accountant who relocated with his wife, cat and dogs to Rosemarkie from Cambridge in 2017. Prior to retiring he worked as a finance director in major insurance and merchant banking companies. He was also a local parish councillor and treasurer/trustee of several local amenity charities. Since relocating he has continued to be involved with local community based organisations.

Paul’s interests include photography, dog walking and nature watching and he is currently a Shorewatcher for Whale and Dolphin Conservation and an RSPB volunteer at Tollie Red Kites.

Barbara Cohen
Barbara joined the Board in 2002, bringing experience of education, manufacturing, publishing and running a management consultancy business. Her involvement with Groam House and lifelong interest in early history and archaeology has led to an increased love of the museum, its Pictish stones and its friendly volunteers. She has served as Company Secretary, Chairman of the Board and advisor for the George Bain Collection. 

Barbara grew up in Hertfordshire and North Yorkshire, is a graduate of Edinburgh University and worked in Hertfordshire, Thailand and Glasgow before moving to the Highlands with her husband some 25 years ago

Doug Maclean
Doug spent half his career in the public sector, as a government scientist and director in local government, and half in business consultancy. He was heavily involved in winning EU funding for a range of multinational projects. His love of museums stems from his childhood when he regularly visited the Royal Museum in Edinburgh, which he loved – so many buttons to press and levers to pull! 

As part of his consultancy he has worked with various museums including the Highland Folk Museum and NMS. He was born and brought up in Dunfermline and studied at Edinburgh University before joining the government as a ‘boffin’ in England where he lived with his family for 20 years, working in and around London. He came to the Highlands when he was 40.

Sylvia Macdonald
Sylvia has had a home in the Black Isle for over 50 years and has been a Life Member of Groam House Museum for over 20. She’s had a long and varied career, mainly in research and lecturing, primarily at the University of Glasgow and latterly at Anniesland College. Her specialist area was Business Development whilst also lecturing in most business subjects from finance to personnel. 

Sylvia has an International Master of Business Administration from Glasgow University and was Chairman of the Institute of Chartered Management running a busy agenda for manager development. On retirement Sylvia continued her hobbies of tennis and gardening whilst developing an interest in local history. She is a member of four local history societies.

Helen Avenell
Advisor
Helen is not a board member but attends meetings as Curatorial Advisor providing input and advice on a range of strategic and operational issues. She has over 20 years’ heritage experience and was previously Curator of Scottish History for Glasgow Museums. Since moving to the Highlands in 2004 Helen has developed a wide-ranging freelance creative practice working with small, community and volunteer-led museums. She also works for MHH (Museums & Heritage Highland), and independent membership organization supporting the development and sustainability of the heritage sector in the Highlands.  Helen hails originally from Ullapool but is now based in Forres, Moray.

STAFF
Cindy Campbell – Museum Manager

Groam House Museum Office
Rosehaugh Estate, Avoch IV9 8RF
Telephone 01463 811883  admin@groamhouse.org.uk