Kate Traill Price – appointed Trustee on 23rd April 2015 and Convenor on 19th March 2019
Kate is a direct descendant of the Traill family who purchased the island in 1727. The family still own the original Laird’s house and the Estate, which encompasses the dyke as well as the foreshore. Her family founded the ancient North Ronaldsay Sheep Court to preserve one of the few remaining examples of community agriculture in the UK. Kate is also a Director of the North Ronaldsay Trust and actively involved with its projects. She lives in Surrey, has a background in journalism and holds a degree in French and a masters degree in Screenwriting.
Kate was the director of the North Ronaldsay Sheep Festival in 2016 and 2017, and then again in 2021 and 2022.
Robert Brewis – appointed Treasurer and trustee on 2nd February 2015
Robert has made a career in accountancy with experience of auditing and line management, and latterly working with accounting systems. He lives on a five acre holding in Buckinghamshire where he and his wife keep a flock of North Ronaldsay sheep and share an interest in sheep conservation. Robert has an applied science degree, and was admitted to the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales in 1982.
Howie Firth – appointed Trustee on 2nd February 2015
As Orkney Islands Councillor for North Ronaldsay and its neighbouring island of Sanday, 1990-99, Howie was involved in various developments in the North Isles. In this period the Islands Council upgraded the airfields to hard standing and introduced cheaper fares for North Ronaldsay’s lifeline air service. He retains his links with the island, and as director of Orkney International Science Festival collaborates each year with North Ronaldsay Community Association in arranging for speakers and events in the island, and has also been helping the Association develop a bid for national recognition of North Ronaldsay’s dark skies.
Heather Woodbridge – appointed Trustee on 23rd January 2018
Heather is a graduate of The University of Stirling with a 1st Class degree in Ecology and has a special interest in population biology. She grew up on the island of North Ronaldsay and was immersed in it’s unique community agriculture with her parents keeping a flock of native sheep. Currently living in Orkney, Heather was the coordinator for the 2018 and 2019 North Ronaldsay Sheep Festivals, taking over from Kate Traill Price who was behind the hugely successful 2016 and 2017 festivals. Having studied ‘Muisikk’ in Voss, Norway, Heather also provides private tuition for the fiddle and mandolin in Kirkwall. She is also a Director of the North Ronaldsay Trust and a member of the North Ronaldsay Community Association.
Heather was elected to Orkney Islands Council in 2020 at the by election caused by the death of her father, Kevin Woodbridge. She was re-elected in 2022, serving as a member for the North Isles on a five year term. She is currently deputy leader of the council.
John Oliver Scott – appointed Trustee in February 2020
John too grew up on North Ronaldsay where his parents were keepers of native sheep. Currently living in London, he works in the Lloyds Banking group. He is a regular visitor to the island, and attender of the Sheep Festival. He is also Chairman of the North Ronaldsay Trust.