HIT Scholarship for HITA Highland Rising Star 2018

Brian Sharp - Mountain Wave

In 2018, HIT Scotland provided bespoke scholarships to the winners of the HITA (Highlands & Islands Tourism Awards) Rising Star Award. Brian Sharp was one of three winners, and worked as a Scottish Routes tour guide when he won the award in 2018. Outside of work, Brian is a passionate mountain runner and elite athlete, sponsored by Rab; therefore it is no surprise that he chose to complete his Mountain Leader training for his scholarship experience. Brian’s aim was to fuse his credentials with his running experience, to offer coaching experiences to aspiring trail runners.

Mountain Leader Training

Brian completed his Mountain Leader training this year, funded by HIT Scotland, with the intention of working alongside some great companies in the Highlands to deliver exceptional trail running experiences.

We caught up with Brian to find out more about his experience completing his Mountain Leader training course. 

Can you summarise your learning experience?

“I was lucky enough to go to Glenmore Lodge to complete my Mountain Leader training. We spent six days in the Cairngorms National Park, going on mountain adventures and wild camps; and along the way, the amazing instructors taught us the skills we would need to competently lead others in the mountains. I was blessed with a great group, many of whom have become friends.”

What was the highlight of your experience?

“Wild camping high in the mountains beside Loch Etchachan, surrounded by huge peaks and a glacial lochan. Our hike out in the morning was in glorious sunshine - which was welcomed by the group as we had been up until 2am navigating in the black of night in some challenging conditions!”

How will you be using this learning experience?

“I will use my experience and new skills to guide people on trail runs in the Scottish Highlands. Helping people access experiences that they might have never dreamt possible is something I’m particularly passionate about.”

What was your most important lesson learned?

“Go at the pace of the group.”

Do you have any further feedback from your experience?

“I’m incredibly thankful to HIT Scotland for providing me this opportunity to develop my skills. This is something I wouldn’t have necessarily been able to access, and it opens a whole world of opportunities for me.”

Brian’s New Venture

Since winning Rising Star in 2018, Brian has continued to grow as a guide, providing bespoke experiences through platforms such as AirBnB Experience and Viator.

When the pandemic hit, Brian had been gearing up to go completely freelance as a guide, but plans changed; and after a few difficult decisions and some big life changes, Brian found himself living in the Highlands with his partner’s family.

Throughout lockdown, and into the following year, Brian managed the activity centre at Woodlands Glencoe, before returning his vision back to his passion - guiding! Brian developed his own brand, Mountain Wave, and has since taken up professional photography too, in order to offer a totally unique experience for his clients. As a sponsored athlete, Brian combines his sporting experience with his award-winning credentials to take his clients on bespoke excursions to some of the Scottish Highland’s most magnificent places.

We look forward to watching Brian develop Mountain Wave to deliver more unique adventures across Scotland and beyond.