Heather is Professor of Social Work at Glasgow Caledonian University UK. Her research interests are in biopolitical theory, environmental philosophy and more than human communities. She is the Principal Investigator of Muir is Tir, a NERC (Natural Environment Research Council) funded project that explores community adaptation to coastal change in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides. She has also led projects that explore community in Swedish suburbs, precarity in Glasgow Housing schemes, and Roma and gender. She has co-edited special editions for the European Journal of Social Theory, Ethics and Welfare and Social Work and Society. She is co-editor of Elgar’s book series, Social Work Futures and co-convenes the More-than-human significant interest group for the European Social Work Research Association. She has published numerous articles on topics such as multi-species community, ethics in criminal justice, policy and desire, the politics of digital storytelling and precarity in public health.

Amanda is Muir Is Tìr's field-based researcher. She holds an MSc in Climate Change Impacts, Mitigation and Adaptation, and has experience conducting fieldwork across diverse environments, from Arctic tundra to Pacific island coastlines. Throughout the duration of the project, Amanda will be using participatory methods to collect, analyse and communicate environmental data from across Barra and Vatersay's coastal ecosystems.

Mary Ann Is the Community and Public Engagement Officer for Muir is Tir, her role is to keep our partners up to date with project developments and also to gather information on past and present experiences of coastal change.  Mary Ann is a fluent Gaelic speaker who previously taught Gaelic at Castlebay School and worked as an engagement assistant at UHI.  She is involved in three community projects as a volunteer – Buth Bharraigh, Barra & Vatersay Environmental Services and a local charity shop.  

Bobby (Slobodan) is Muir Is Tìr 's eco-engineer. As a Professor of Civil Engineering and Environmental Technology at GCU, Bobby brings in experience in design and construction of sustainable and resilient infrastructure against climate change, combined with a wealth of knowledge on erosion protection, natural hazard assessment and mitigation, citizen science, laboratory and in-situ investigation and testing. All of the above will be used to plan and deliver soil and water bioengineering measures to protect Barra and Vatersay's coastal ecosystems.

Alejandro is a researcher in Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and senior lecturer in Environmental Civil Engineering at GCU. Alejandro’s contribution to Muir is Tir focuses on two main aspects: (i) to establish a community-led monitoring network that will help understand the environmental drivers of coastal change in Barra & Vatersay; and (ii) to support the co-creation, together with the local communities, of place-based NbS capable of managing coastal erosion.

Tessa Lynch is an artist and lecturer at Edinburgh College of Art whose practice is rooted in drawing and printmaking. She often works collaboratively with communities and has a particular interest in working with children. Tessa plans to work with a range of groups in Barra and Vatersay to create artistic responses to Muir is Tir fieldwork on coastal change, using locally sourced materials whenever possible. She is also interested in researching the artists and creatives who have lived and worked on the islands, exploring how their work and presence have shaped island life.

Euan Scott is a project officer with Coimhearsneachd Bharraidh agus Bhatarsaidh and their representative on the Muir is Tir project.  He holds a degree in Ecological Science (Hons: Wildlife Management) and a PhD in Molecular Systematics.  As a key person within Coimhearsneachd Bharraidh agus Bhatarsaidh, Euan brings experience in project management and local knowledge to the decisions making process throughout this project.

Professor William (Bill) Austin is based at the School of Geography and Sustainable Development at the University of St Andrews; he is also a visiting professor at the Scottish Association for Marine Science/University of the Highlands and Islands. He graduated in Geology from University College London and holds a Masters in Micropalaeontology and Doctorate in Ocean Sciences, completed with joint supervision from the British Geological Survey. He has held research fellowships from the Royal Society of London, the Royal Society of Edinburgh and is a founding member and continues to serve (now as chair) on the UK Natural Environment Research Council Peer Review College. Bill is Chair of the Scottish Blue Carbon Forum (Scottish Government), sits on the steering group of the Scottish Forum on Natural Capital and leads the United Nations Decade Programme for Blue Carbon in the Global Ocean (UNESCO).

Frank Rennie is Emeritus Professor of Sustainable Rural Development and was formerly Head of Research and Postgraduate Development at UHI.

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He has special research interests in rural and community development studies, particularly in terms of the impact information and communication technology (ICT) and online learning systems has on rural communities. He also specialises in the relationship between nature conservation and the development of human communities.

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Frank is a founding president of the Scottish Crofters Union and a pioneer in the use of online education.

​Rachel is an environmental design anthropologist, which is one way of saying she studies, teaches and helps shape contemporary cultures of environmental design. She is Stirling-born and Edinburgh-based for her work as a Senior Lecturer in Design Ecologies at University of Edinburgh – but hopes islanders wont hold that against her! In previous work she has researched subjects such as off-grid eco-building and natural construction material practices (such as earth-building), and has done so through ethnographically (i.e. using methods of observation, participation and conversation). In Muir-is-Tir, Rachel is keen to learn from and with locals about how traditional and place-based ways of knowing and doing, along with creative practices and learning from nature, can help mitigate against the worst of climate change> she believes that they can perhaps also help us to understand coastal change’s social effects, create nature-based solutions, and imagine positive island futures.