A bit about me

I was born in Scotland (Edinburgh) shortly after the big bang (or so my body and my 8 year old daughter likes to remind me).

During my formative years I discovered a deep passion for music and purely by accident, uncovered its power as a self-healing medicine. I played in bands, toured, inflated my ego (as one does), and generally had a great time creating art and showing off. But after many years, I started to feel a dark shadow looming over my life, compressing my spirit. During this period, I was fortunate enough to achieve some success, signing a recording deal with Sony UK. But ironically, that achievement left me feeling deflated and unfulfilled, even though it had been my ultimate goal. Reaching that peak turned out to be catastrophically underwhelming. They say it's best never to meet your idols, after all!

Melbourne & community work

Fast forward through many twisting and winding years, during which stars were formed and planets were birthed and died. I found myself on the other side of the world, running community music workshops in Melbourne for adults facing physical and mental health challenges. It was during this time that I began to realise music wasn't just a tool for self-healing, but a powerful and often underrated medicine for healing others. When I was asked to work with children with profound disabilities, music transformed yet again, finally finding its place as medicine to support others on their wellness journeys.

Looking back, the biggest lesson I have learned is that in the context of healing, music does not need to be “good” or “pretty.” It is about free expression, joy, and communication, especially for those who communicate in ways that transcend words or traditional body language. In practice, I had to set aside my story and expectations of what music was, and let it flow freely without concern for what might be considered “good.” It became a true form of authentic expression, allowing people to heal and communicate in ways that words alone cannot

Inner transformation

In 2016, after years of guidance and training with some incredibly wise mentors, I experienced what I can only describe as a kundalini awakening. It profoundly shifted the way I saw the world and transformed me into the person I am today. It's a long story, so I won't go into all the details here, but suffice it to say that without that transformation, I would still be living from a place of fear and unhappiness and Arisaig would never have come to life.

Preparing the ground

Before Arisaig, I spent two years living in and establishing an intentional community in Gippsland. It was a testing ground for leaving the city and listening more closely to what I truly needed from place, community and pace of life.

Finding Arisaig

When I first stepped onto this 100-acre property, I felt an immediate and unmistakable sense of connection, as though the land and I were meeting for the first time with a shared curiosity. There was a quiet invitation in the open space, a feeling that the earth itself was holding stories, resilience, and potential. It felt as if both the land and I were ready, perhaps even waiting to explore new ways of healing, growth, and renewal together.

Building from the ground up

The first year was spent living very simply on the land, in my tent and during periods of inclement weather in the meditation cabin which is located at the centre of the property. I would propose ideas to the land and listen for a response. After a year of ruminating the concept for Arisaig was born. Infrastructure locations would be governed by natural clearings, carefully choosing where each building should sit with the least disruption to the land. Caring for the environment would the core ethical basis of the retreat and by assisting humans to grow and expand, vicariously the planet would also benefit.

Arisaig today

Today Arisaig exists as a place where people can tune in, heal and rebalance. My intention is simple: to offer a beautiful, low-impact environment where your work with clients, community or self is held by land that is respected and listened to.

Knoydart building

Knoydart was the first major structure to be completed at Arisaig, designed and built with my own hands as a light-filled, multi-dimensional gathering space.

You can read more about Knoydart on the dedicated page here

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