On Saturday 14th March 2026, award-winning content creator Chris Lawlor became the new President of walking charity Ramblers Scotland. 

 

Chris is best known for his hugely-popular ‘Did you know that in Scotland…?’ videos, which have helped him build more than 2 million followers across his social media accounts. 

At Ramblers Scotland’s AGM in Edinburgh on Saturday afternoon, Chris was formally named as successor to outgoing President Zahrah ‘The Hillwalking Hijabi’ Mahmood. Zahrah recently received an MBE from the Princess Royal for her work to boost representation and break down barriers to walking. 

The Motherwell man, aged 31, plans to use the 3-year honorary position to encourage a new generation of walkers to enjoy responsible adventures in the countryside.  

 

 

Chris said: “I am honoured and excited to become Ramblers Scotland’s new President, as it offers such a brilliant opportunity to encourage more people to enjoy walking, in a responsible way.”  

He added: “I love creating content that promotes fun adventures in Scotland, especially ones that let people boost their health and wellbeing by exploring the outdoors and walking in nature.  

“Given how many people see my videos, I’m very aware of the importance of promoting responsible tourism, and I always carefully consider the potential social and environmental impacts before I showcase locations. 

“I just want everyone - including visitors, businesses and local communities - to benefit from the amazing landscapes and world-class outdoor access rights that we are so lucky to have in Scotland.” 

Ramblers Scotland director Brendan Paddy was delighted to welcome Chris, saying that he was the ideal person to inspire more people, especially beginner walkers, to make the most of Scotland's world-class outdoor access rights. 

He said: “Chris has had remarkable success in inspiring more people to step out and explore Scotland, while also being responsible. That’s important work, with walking tourism now worth more than a billion pounds to our economy each year. 

“We’re really looking forward to working with Chris to celebrate what makes walking so special, and to educate more people about the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.” 

Chris initially began producing videos as a ‘side hustle’ from his app development day job. Now, millions of people view his content every month. He has also written a book and penned articles for national magazines.  

His success has led to invitations to 10 Downing Street and to meet Scottish First Minister John Swinney. He was named the Travel Influencer of the Year at the Scottish Influencer Awards in 2024. 

Former President Zahrah Mahmood will become one of the walking charity’s Vice-Presidents, joining well-known walking personalities such as Arran-based international mountain leader Lucy Wallace and countryside ranger Ben Dolphin.