David was a professional full-time mountain walks leader for two years and has climbed and backpacked in Britain, Canada, USA, Arctic Norway, Iceland, New Zealand, the Italian Dolomites and the Alps. He then graduated from Edinburgh University with honours geology and worked as an expedition science leader in Botswana and the Yukon, a field studies tutor teaching geology and geography, and for the Royal Geographical Society as their University Expeditions Advisor. 

He has worked as a ranger in the Grand Canyon, Arizona, presenting environmental education programs with the National Park Service, and then worked in the Caribbean assisting on a biodiversity survey of the island of Montserrat.

He was the Director of Studies for Edinburgh University’s Global Environmental Change international summer school and has worked with the National Trust for Scotland producing environmental education resources. 

He was for many years a lecturer in environmental sustainability for the University of Glasgow. He is currently the Effective Learning Adviser for the University of the West of Scotland and the University of Glasgow at their Dumfries Campus, and he is also a lecturer on the environment for the Open University. He combines this with freelance public speaking and lecturing around the world. David has had many articles published in national journals.

David is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.