Profile information
Travel information
I am currently
Travelling
Description
I was born in Scotland but spent the Summers at my uncle's farm in West Ireland which inspired a love of nature for the rest of my life. I have travelled through many countries over the years using the Workaway and WOOF networks - and have found them to be the most culturally enriching way to learn about different peoples and places.
After graduating from the Centre of Alternative Technology (CAT), I set up two social enterprises in the UK. One was a food-growing co-operative in Wales where we experimented with High Intensity Farming techniques to produce large yields in small footprints. The other one worked with several London boroughs to solve environmental problems; such as street flooding, school food production, healthy eating and educating residents how to recycle food waste.
I am now aiming to build a Tiny House and become self-sufficient in energy, water and food, as I see this as the only realistic template for the majority of future generations as resources become scarcer. However, I still have to acquire more skills to do this. My Workaway experiences are helping me to explore potential countries/locations/micro-climates for building such a house!
I have a lifelong interest in learning new skills as well as different approaches to life. Sometimes I may be able to bring new input and fresh ideas to enhance your place, on other occasions you will probably be teaching me many new skills. I can adjust flexibly to tasks that you require and work unsupervised once shown what to do.
Interests
Writing
Videography
Self development
Sustainability
Technology
Plant care
Photography
Outdoor activities
Nature
Movies & TV
Music
History
Hiking
Gardening
Farming
Drawing & painting
DIY & crafts
Culture
Cooking & food
Charity work
Books
Camping
Astronomy
Art & design
Architecture
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn
I'm interested in:
Languages
Some knowledge of:
Being an elderly companion
General Maintenance
Able to teach about:
Gardening
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Life at a Farmstay
Eco Projects
Charity Work
Art Projects
Helping with Computers/ Internet
Teaching
More details about your skills
Cows, Poultry, Pigs, Gardening (weeding, planting, weed eating, machete work, etc), Fruit Picking, Seed saving, Cider Making, Scything, Compost toilet making, Straw-bale building, Rainwater Harvesting, Deer Fencing, Log splitting, Wood stacking, Coppicing, Admin, Marketing & Publicity, Websites, Social Media, IT fixes, Cooking, Baking, Enthusiasm.
Age
51
What else ...
High Intensity Growing, Market Gardening, Permaculture, Aquaponics, Vermiculture, Forest Gardening, Composting, Beekeeping, Weed whacking, Pressure Hosing. I am a big fan of the Tiny House movement in the USA with a special interest in alternative building techniques and off-grid technologies - I have seen many original approaches to these solutions and am interested in seeing more.
Love of nature and walks and great interest in old rural architecture and craftmanship. Online product/services marketing skills. Extensive knowledge of film and music and I can cook a wide range of international cuisine as well as bake cakes and cookies that will make your mouth water. Good conversationalist.
Last year I completed an internship on tropical horticulture at an arboretum on Maui, Hawaii and also designed and implemented a rich grass feed cattle shelter that fuelled a methane digester on a large cattle ranch in Mexico.
In Spain I participated in almond and olive production and did a lot of Forest Gardening and Permaculture, as well as tidying up lots of wild gardens. In Portugal I have completely restored an abandoned orange grove to full health and created a more productive method for harvesting sweet chesnuts during the Autumn. I look forward to more experiences in different regions of Portugal in 2020.
Some more information
Smoker
Driver's licence
Allergies
NOSpecial dietary requirements
NO
Feedback
25 Sep 2020
Left by Workawayer () for host
(Join our small family in the ...)
I spent eight weeks at Nicola & Steve's homestead. It was a bumper crop so Nicola and I spent nearly all that time collecting carobs from under the tree plantation then bagging them up.
It was pretty hot most of that time so an early start each day was essential. Like Nicola says, it requires someone of a contemplative nature to pick for that… read more
It was pretty hot most of that time so an early start each day was essential. Like Nicola says, it requires someone of a contemplative nature to pick for that… read more
(Excellent
)
2 Jul 2020
Left by host for Workawayer ()
Foi muito boa a ajuda do Liam, uma pessoa simpatia com uma cultura musical e de cinema muito grande, desejo uma viagem agradável e muita sorte no futuro... 3 AMIGOS :)
(Excellent
)
2 Jul 2020
Left by Workawayer () for host
(Gardening and decorating help ...)
I had a marvellous time at Paulo and his family's house. Paulo greets you every morning with a big smile and music which sets up a happy feeling for the rest of the day. I learnt more about wine while staying at Paulo's than the rest of my time in Portugal. His wife, Sandra, also cooks incredible meals with produce from the garden. During my time… read more
(Excellent
)
29 Jul 2019
Left by host (Help us with gardening and ...) for Workawayer ()
Liam has excellent knowledge in the realm of food forests and organic farming, he did a great job weeding and composting our fruit trees and building compost bins from recycled pallets. He's also a great baker if you have a sweet tooth.
(Good
)
Photos
Friends
Feedback
25 Sep 2020
Left by Workawayer () for host
(Join our small family in the ...)
I spent eight weeks at Nicola & Steve's homestead. It was a bumper crop so Nicola and I spent nearly all that time collecting carobs from under the tree plantation then bagging them up.
It was pretty hot most of that time so an early start each day was essential. Like Nicola says, it requires someone of a contemplative nature to pick for that… read more
It was pretty hot most of that time so an early start each day was essential. Like Nicola says, it requires someone of a contemplative nature to pick for that… read more
(Excellent)
2 Jul 2020
Left by host for Workawayer ()
Foi muito boa a ajuda do Liam, uma pessoa simpatia com uma cultura musical e de cinema muito grande, desejo uma viagem agradável e muita sorte no futuro... 3 AMIGOS :)
(Excellent)
2 Jul 2020
Left by Workawayer () for host
(Gardening and decorating help ...)
I had a marvellous time at Paulo and his family's house. Paulo greets you every morning with a big smile and music which sets up a happy feeling for the rest of the day. I learnt more about wine while staying at Paulo's than the rest of my time in Portugal. His wife, Sandra, also cooks incredible meals with produce from the garden. During my time… read more
(Excellent)
29 Jul 2019
Left by host (Help us with gardening and ...) for Workawayer ()
Liam has excellent knowledge in the realm of food forests and organic farming, he did a great job weeding and composting our fruit trees and building compost bins from recycled pallets. He's also a great baker if you have a sweet tooth.
(Good)
24 Jul 2019
Left by Workawayer () for host
(Help on the farm and orchard ...)
It was a great experience staying with Lukas for three weeks in July at his lovely house up in the Canagas district. He is very experienced in Forest Gardening and taught me a lot about different ways to approach gardening (including different methods of seed saving), and especially new methods of composting for trees. We exchanged many ideas… read more
(Excellent)
23 Jul 2019
Left by host for Workawayer ()
Liam is a nice, calm and talkative guy. I have no complaints about him, he do the task and do it right. i would like to spend more time with him but he came to my place just when i got a summer camp job so....bad luck. But we enjoyed together around 6 out of the 20 days of his stance. Well , nothing else to say. good luck in your search of… read more
(Excellent)
29 Jun 2019
Left by Workawayer () for host
(Help us to tame our mountain ...)
I spent three weeks at John & Jax's converted stone house in a traditional Galician hamlet. There was a good mix of different jobs; covering tree felling and stacking the cut wood, strimming, weeding and building a three-berth compost bin.
I enjoyed the cultural events they took me to as well as some very long walks, as their location is great… read more
I enjoyed the cultural events they took me to as well as some very long walks, as their location is great… read more
(Excellent)
1 Jun 2019
Left by Workawayer () for host
(House sitting in beautiful ...)
The location of Lisa and Stewart's house is literally the end of the road in a tiny hamlet of a few houses. It is a fitting description as you feel like you have stepped back about seventy years in time to a pristine green and pleasant land. The buildings are all made of bricks with big old wood beams supporting the floors and the roofs. There is… read more
(Excellent)
30 Apr 2019
Left by Workawayer () for host
(Help in a finca just outside ...)
Its all five stars at Eva's Cooking School. You can imagine the culinary treats in store and you will not be disappointed - sumptious meals await you. Besides that, the location really is beautiful and you get your own ensuite bedroom.
It was a pleasure to be working in the garden every day - where even the weeds display a colourful interwoven… read more
It was a pleasure to be working in the garden every day - where even the weeds display a colourful interwoven… read more
(Excellent)
14 Apr 2019
Left by Workawayer () for host
(All round help needed in ...)
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I stayed at John and Beverley and their four dogs for just under three weeks, mainly weeding their large garden and staining garden furniture when it rained. This location is deceptively high up (3000 ft) but does not look it as the surrounding countryside is gentle rolling hills with… read more
I stayed at John and Beverley and their four dogs for just under three weeks, mainly weeding their large garden and staining garden furniture when it rained. This location is deceptively high up (3000 ft) but does not look it as the surrounding countryside is gentle rolling hills with… read more
(Excellent)
1 Mar 2019
Left by Workawayer () for host
(Help at our home in Riogordo, ...)
I spent a month at the family villa near Riogordo. There was a good mix of work covering deep weeding, olive collection and olive tree pruning. Most of the time I was accompanied by their four dogs and two cats that were always curious about what I was doing. They also took me out for a few cultural events and meals and introduced me to some of… read more
(Excellent)
19 Feb 2019
Left by host for Workawayer ()
I am very happy with Liam's stay as a workaway with me. He worked diligently on the my garden and land, principally weeding but also levelling paths.
He was also good company and helped out with the cooking. This was a great asset over the Christmas period, especially as we got several invites to celebrate with friends and neighbors and could… read more
He was also good company and helped out with the cooking. This was a great asset over the Christmas period, especially as we got several invites to celebrate with friends and neighbors and could… read more
(Excellent)
24 Jan 2019
Left by Workawayer () for host
(Volunteer needed on the edge ...)
I spent six weeks over Christmas and the New Year at Stuart's house high up in the hills above Saryonga. The weather was glorious each day with spectacular views over the mediterranean. Inbetween my work duties, that covered deep weeding and path profiling, we had an amazing time socialising with his many European friends as well as sampling… read more
(Excellent)
18 Dec 2018
Left by Workawayer () for host
(Help at our home near Malaga, ...)
I am very grateful for the time I shared with Doug and Wendy at their luxury villa in early December. After my first work day we were already taking a trip to Nerja village along the coast to enjoy a sunny day there. Two days later we were in Granada. What an itenerary they had arranged for me, and I was beginning to feel guilty for not working… read more
(Excellent)
1 Dec 2018
Left by host (Help at our organic farm. ...) for Workawayer ()
Meeting Liam has been a great experience. He has helped us a lot in the field work. He is a person who knows many techniques of organic agriculture and is very responsible. . I hope we meet again in our house.
(Excellent)
26 Nov 2018
Left by Workawayer () for host
(Help at our organic farm. ...)
I spent three wonderful weeks at Dr Arnaldo's ecofarm close to Betera. There is plenty of land available and Arnaldo likes to experiment with various organic growing techniques so we built a vertical potato planter and planted potatoes in that as well as the same amount in traditional rows. By March 2019 we will see which method provides the… read more
(Excellent)
18 Nov 2018
Left by Workawayer () for host
(Help out in the garden of our ...)
I stayed at Rafael's place for two weeks and enjoyed myself there. Rafael tries to eat as much food from the land as possible so it will be a unique experience for anyone who comes here to get away from depending on Supermarket food!
One day Rafael shot a hare and left it to drain blood which we were going to eat for our supper that night.… read more
One day Rafael shot a hare and left it to drain blood which we were going to eat for our supper that night.… read more
(Excellent)
17 Nov 2018
Left by host for Workawayer ()
It was nice to host you Liam, good luck in your future travels and endeavors!
(Excellent)
28 Sep 2018
Left by host (Pet and house sitting in a ...) for Workawayer ()
Liam is a very nice and calm person. I think he gets along with all kind of people, so he is really easy going.
He did a great job on weeding at our place, actualy he spend 6 weeks weeding.
He has a lot of good ideas on how grow vegetables, we tried the normal way and his way and his way the plants were 3 times bigger and looked nicer, so we are… read more
He did a great job on weeding at our place, actualy he spend 6 weeks weeding.
He has a lot of good ideas on how grow vegetables, we tried the normal way and his way and his way the plants were 3 times bigger and looked nicer, so we are… read more
(Excellent)
11 Sep 2018
Left by Workawayer () for host
(Pet and house sitting in a ...)
I have had many great hosts on my Workaway travels but with Sandy and Jose, they stood far above the norm and I could not have asked for more thoughtful, kind and authentic hosts. I was very impressed by their kind hearts that have created an animal sanctuary that takes care of 12 cats, 10 dogs, 4 vietnamese pigs, 3 sheep, 2 donkeys and some hens… read more
(Excellent)
18 Jun 2018
Left by host for Workawayer ()
Liam stayed with us for one week and due to my husband's ill health was left to work mainly on his own. All the tasks we gave him were carried out satisfactorily but I think Liam missed the company of other workwayers that he seems to have been used to in the past. Liam has some very fixed views on life which gave rise to some interesting… read more
(Good)
17 Jun 2018
Left by Workawayer () for host
(Looking for some help in ...)
I spent a lovely week with Sylvia and Ron at their home just outside Xiativa. The work encompassed gardening tasks such as weeding and bush trimming, as well as some pressure hosing of the forecourt. The weather was great, the food was marvellous and I had many interesting chats with Sylvia and Ron about a wide range of subjects - including… read more
(Excellent)
27 Mar 2018
Left by host (Helps to establish a forest ...) for Workawayer ()
Very clever guy and so cult in many fields like music, cinema, renewables... Liam is very polite and he knows how to find a good reason to be comfortable in every situation. It would be very nice to have more conversations with him but there were some language barrier issues that impeded this. Good luck Liam, have fun.
(Very good)
18 Mar 2018
Left by Workawayer () for host
(Helps to establish a forest ...)
I spent just over a month at Salvador's cattle ranch high up in the mountains near Mascuala over February to March. Although you can see Guadalajara from his house it is separated by a huge canyon, so it actually takes a 90 minute drive round the canyon to get there and it is literally the end of the road!
Salvador is a very friendly and… read more
Salvador is a very friendly and… read more
(Excellent)
7 Feb 2018
Left by Workawayer () for host
(Help at a Rain forest Farm on ...)
I arrived at here during the rainy season. My host, Brad, picked me up at the airport then it was a two hour drive to one of the mist remote tropical parts of Maui. It was raining heavily so the truck had to ford a very high raging river and just after that a creeper pulled a branch down completely smashing the wimdow on my side - probably the… read more
(Excellent)
7 Feb 2018
Left by host for Workawayer ()
Liam was a wonderful addition to our farm for three months. We cannot wait for his return! Liam is a steadfast worker who can work on his own without supervision. Liam handled every task with grace and detail orientation. He is a great cook and a wealth of knowledge of all things English and Scottish. We hope to see you soon Liam!! Brad and… read more
(Excellent)
5 Aug 2017
Left by Workawayer () for host
(We need help in the garden at ...)
I spent a lovely week with the family at their oceanfront home on Gabriola Island. Its a lovely house with a dinky cottage nearby, a relaxing orchard, and a spectacular oceanfront view of the lighthouse. My chores were basically sanding and staining garden furniture and house doors all week and the time just flew by.
I had some fascinating… read more
I had some fascinating… read more
(Excellent)
17 Jul 2017
Left by Workawayer () for host
(Vancouver Island, Canada - ...)
I spent a delightful 10 days at Jane's very beautiful house and gardens. Jane never stops - up before 6am and late to bed - how does she get the energy for someone in her eighth decade? And environmentally conscious too - with her dinky Smart car. We had many interesting conversations and I was introduced to members of her family and given the… read more
(Excellent)
21 Oct 2016
Left by Workawayer () for host
(Quillan, France: "Little Bit ...)
I spent three weeks at Debbie's place and had the most wonderful time. As a host she is a very considerate person who makes sure your welfare is the first priority and there are a wide variety of tasks she will allocate to you depending on your skillset. So be honest about what you can do and she will never push you beyond your limits. She has by… read more
(Excellent)
18 Oct 2016
Left by host (Quillan, France: "Little Bit ...) for Workawayer ()
My garden is transformed, thanks to Liam! His wealth of knowledge and experience with gardening and plants, vegetable growing and efficient use of space is unfathomable. I'm so glad he decided to help us here, as it was invaluable. The garden is now prepared for spring, and will be far more productive now that he implanted his ideas. Plus,… read more
(Excellent)
31 Aug 2016
Left by Workawayer () for host
(General help welcome at our ...)
I spent a marvellous five weeks at Richard and Patricia's place and couldn't have asked for more. They have a large barn house with lots of ducks and some turkeys on their land. First of all they drove a considerable distance just to collect me from a far-away train station. Then they were gracious enough to just let me get on with one big project… read more
(Excellent)
2 Jul 2016
Left by host for Workawayer ()
Liam was with us for three weeks this summer. He worked hard to tame our widerness and achieved a miracle. The work was very physical, cutting back many severely overgrown trees and bushes (plus weeding and potting up over 150 tomato plants.)
Liam fitted in well with the family, he is unobtrusive and keeps himself entertained- doesn’t watch tv.… read more
Liam fitted in well with the family, he is unobtrusive and keeps himself entertained- doesn’t watch tv.… read more
(Excellent)
30 Jun 2016
Left by Workawayer () for host
(Need some help in our garden ...)
Liz and Dave are English ex-pats that have lived in France for over 12 years. They bought an old school house and spent years converting it into a home with several huge rooms, as well as a large rental gitte on one side. They also hold charity and social functions there regularly. It is situated at a country crossroads across from an old church… read more
(Excellent)
24 Jun 2016
Left by host for Workawayer ()
Nous avions besoin d’un anglophone pour travailler notre anglais et participer à quelques travaux, nous sommes très satisfaits de la prestation de Liam.
Nous avons eu de longues discutions sur toutes sortes de sujets en anglais, il nous a parlé de pays que nous souhaitons visiter, très calé en musique et cinéma, très intéressant sur beaucoup de… read more
Nous avons eu de longues discutions sur toutes sortes de sujets en anglais, il nous a parlé de pays que nous souhaitons visiter, très calé en musique et cinéma, très intéressant sur beaucoup de… read more
(Excellent)
18 Jun 2016
Left by Workawayer () for host
(Help us with our home and our ...)
I spent a very enjoyable three weeks with Patrick and Angele at their lovely house in the Gironde. As well as doing some house maintenence, I cut the grass of their very large garden, helped deliver furniture to family members and assisted them with everyday English phrases and vocabulary to help improve their spoken English for future holidays in… read more
(Excellent)
