Meet the Expert: Ali Norman

“I was born and brought up in Holland Park, of all places,” Ali says, laughing. “Not exactly the Highlands. But Scotland was always there in the background.”

From the age of 11, Ali was travelling north on his own to stay with family friends near Crieff. “Dad would put me on the train with a shotgun in a slip, hand it to the guard and say, ‘Make sure he gets off at Perth.’ They were different times. Nobody batted an eyelid. I’d be picked up at the other end, and that was me straight into the hills.”

Those early summers, spent exploring the countryside around Gleneagles sparked something that never left him. “It was complete freedom. I’d be out all day fishing burns, watching deer, and learning to move properly across the hill. That’s where my love of Scotland really started. It became a home from home.”

After school, Ali pursued agriculture, working on farms in Hertfordshire and spending time on a sheep and cattle station in Australia before returning to Scotland for good. “I never really had a grand plan,” he admits. “I just knew I wanted to be outdoors.”

What followed were years immersed in estate life learning from old-school stalkers who had grown up on the land. “They hadn’t been to college. They’d been on the hill since they were boys. Everything I learned was from them: how to read the wind, how to approach deer without being seen, how to notice the small details. Once, when I was about 15, I did my first solo stalk. I thought I’d done brilliantly. When I got back, they said, ‘You were good but your stick was glinting in the sunshine.’ It’s the little things that matter and it was a lesson well learnt.”

Ali went on to work across Scotland, including on remote West Coast estates where Highland ponies were used to bring deer off the hill. “No roads, just ponies and a boat down the loch. It was raw, proper Highland life. You learn patience. You learn respect.”

Now at Gleneagles, Ali brings that lifetime of experience to guests exploring our 850 acres and beyond in off-road adventures that include exploring the land by both Defender and foot (with the odd picnic in between). “What I love is giving people the full picture,” he says. “Not just a walk, but an understanding of how the land works, including things like the deer management, the birdlife and the flora. What I really want is for guests to come away having learned something and seeing the world a little differently because of it.”

Walks with Ali are never entirely by the book. “You read your guests. Some want a gentle wander and a beautiful picnic by the bothy. Others want to head higher, push on, see what’s over the ridge. If the weather’s right and they’re up for it, we’ll go.”

Along the way, there might be red grouse lifting from the heather, golden eagles overhead, or (if you’re lucky) a glimpse of white heather. “There’s an old story that white heather brings good fortune,” Ali says. “Some say it grows where blood’s never been spilt. Others say it’s the tears of a woman who lost her love. Scotland’s full of stories like that.”

For Ali, the magic lies in the unscripted moments. “It’s not about ticking boxes. It’s about being out there. Early morning or late evening, when the light’s low and the hill’s quiet, that’s when it’s at its best.”

After decades on the land, the hills remain his “happy place”. And for guests willing to lace up their boots, Ali offers more than just a guided walk; he offers a lifetime of knowledge, shared one step at a time.