Lorraine Hamilton
Director/ Principal Ecologist
MSc, BSc (hons), BES, MCIEEM
she / her
Our director, Lorraine, founded Cairn Ecology in 2018 after her years of experience working in the field of commercial ecology. Lorraine began her career in the industry in 2008, holding the position of Principal since 2013. She has managed projects and teams across transport, rail, renewable, and conservation schemes, providing ecological deliverables including Phase 1 habitat assessments, protected species surveys, ECoW, and more. Lorraine’s diverse experience and expert knowledge has allowed her to deliver ecological services of the highest standard on a number of high profile National Infrastructure projects across Scotland. She is practiced in reporting and guidance, with extensive experience in feasibility reporting, Ecological Impact Assessment (EIA) chapters, BREEAM, Habitat Regulation Assessments (HRA), etc. Additionally, Lorraine is proficient in GIS mapping, capable of conducting analyses such as spatial analysis and constraint mapping for ecological projects.
Lorraine specialises in the study of bats, and is a licensed bat worker holding a valid NatureScot Bat Roost Licence. She is also qualified to work in confined spaces and at height, as well as in tree climbing and aerial rescue. Lorraine holds a BSc (hons) in Zoology, as well as an MSc in Environmental Science and an MSc in Geographic Information Systems.
Michael McCaskill
Senior Ecologist
PhD Candidate, MREs, BSc (hons), MRSB, ACIEEM
he / him
Michael is an Ecologist with experience in consultancy since 2016. Michael’s work has given him a variety of experience in a number of projects including road, rail and large-scale infrastructure, and is competent in Preliminary Ecological Appraisals, Phase 1 habitat surveys and a variety of protected species surveys, with a proficiency in surveying for woodland mammals. He has a specialism in the study of badgers (Meles meles) and is currently undertaking a part-time PhD, with both his undergraduate and postgraduate research focused on the species.
Stephanie Coates
Consultant Ecologist
MSc, BSc (hons), ACIEEM
she / her
Steph joined the team in 2021 as a graduate ecologist while finishing her Masters research at the University of Glasgow. Her post-graduate research focussed on bats and their association with urban green roofs.
Steph has experience in bat surveys, including emergence/re-entry, static detector employment, acoustic analysis; and has assisted in Preliminary Roost Assessments. She has also assisted in several other survey types including, badger surveys, Phase 1 Habitat Surveys and Preliminary Ecological Appraisals (PEAs), and has experience mapping using GIS and writing technical reports. Steph holds particularly strong knowledge in biodiversity and enhancement, and has written and delivered Biodiversity Enhancement Plans, Biodiversity Net Gain documents, and biodiversity based CPD training to our clients and their projects.
Kat McCaskill
Operations manager
PhD, MSc, MA(Hons), CIFA, AIEMA
she / her
Kat has come to Cairn Ecology with a multi-disciplinary background. She begun her career as an archaeologist with a focus on osteology and GIS, while obtaining over 9 years’ experience in ecological consultancy beginning as a bat survey assistant, and then as an Environmentalist, having worked primarily on road projects in south west Scotland. Kat now fulfils the role of Operations Manager at Cairn Ecology, managing our matters of finance, procurement, and system and policy implementation.
Kat has completed her doctorate which explored the current and future impact of climate and sea-level change on coastal heritage in Scotland through the application of predictive modelling. This applied her cross-disciplinary proficiency in archaeology, environment and GIS mapping.
Erin Ruthven
Ecologist
BA(Hons), AIEMA
she / her
Erin joined Cairn Ecology in 2021 to pursue her passion for wildlife and the environment. While this was something of a departure from her academic background in Criminology, her desire has been to work within the field of ecology.
Erin has gained experience in bat surveys, including transects, emergence/re-entry surveys and static detector deployment, and preliminary roost assessments (PRAs). She has also been involved in phase 1 habitat surveys, preliminary ecological appraisals (PEAs), and protected species surveys.
Erin holds a specialised interest in bats, and is developing her ecological knowledge and skill set within the company through a comprehensive training programme, which includes courses on protected species, legislation, and GIS.
Lewis McCaskill
environmentalist
BA(Hons), AIEMA
he / him
Beginning with us in 2020, Lewis has experience in conducting Preliminary Ecological Appraisals (PEA), Preliminary Roost Assessments (PRA), dedicated Protected Species surveys (such as those for badgers and otters), as well as bat survey experience including emergence/re-entry, transects, and static-detector deployment.
He is currently completing a part-time Masters in Sustainability & Environmental Studies at the University of Strathclyde. The course covers Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), Geographic Information Systems, Environmental Forensics, Global Water Policy, and Water & Environmental Management, among others.
Through working with us and during his masters, Lewis has gained a specialty knowledge in Biodiversity and environmental policy. With this, he has written and delivered CPD training on biodiversity and written Biodiversity Net Gain policy documents for our clients.
