Simon Willis
Simon Willis is a British journalist, who worked for BBC Look North (North East and Cumbria) from 1983 until 1999 as a reporter and presenter before moving to BBC Scotland as a reporter and presenter on Newsnight Scotland until 2009.
Simon now works as a freelance TV cameraman and runs Sunart Media, a video production company based in Sunart on the Ardnamurchan peninsula in the Scottish Highlands. He shoots and produces the multi award winning sea kayak coaching films Sea Kayak with Gordon Brown
Simon Willis was previously married to former BBC Look North presenter Wendy Gibson. He has since remarried.
He is a regular contributor of articles and photographs to newspapers and magazines including TGO (The Great Outdoors) Magazine, a monthly consumer publication for hillwalkers and backpackers, specialising in writing about the practice and equipment associated with lightweight hiking. He won the Travelex Award for travel writing.
In 2002 he hiked the Pacific Crest Trail and in has published an account of the adventure titled Day by Day on the Pacific Crest Trail.
In 2006 Simon began Podcasting interviews with Sea Kayakers about expeditions, favourite routes and issues of interest at SeaKayakPodcasts.com.
In the summer of 2008, Simon undertook a sea kayak expedition along the West Coast of Scotland to research and create the UK's first long distance Sea Kayak Trail. His guidebook, Scottish Sea Kayak Trail is published by Pesda Press.