About us
Iain Hepburn
Iain is the Head Keeper at Dunmaglass Estate on the south side of Loch Ness. He started his career at Atholl Estates and has over 40 years’ muirburn experience throughout Scotland.
Iain is a crew commander for Scottish Fire and Rescue (SFRS), having worked with them for over 29 years, and has provided SFRS with training sessions in muirburn and has worked with them on numerous wildfires.
He represented the Scottish Gamekeepers Association in the development of the Muirburn Practitioner Foundation course and is a member of Scottish Wildfire Forum.
At the end of 2022, along with Calum, he founded Bright Spark Burning Techniques Limited to provide muirburn practical training courses and expert witness testimony.
Iain can be contacted on 07855 521226.
Calum Kippen
Calum has been a gamekeeper with over 44 years’ experience of muirburn. He also started at Atholl Estates, worked at The Garrogie Estate on the south side of Loch Ness, and now works at Clune and Corrybrough Estates.
He has wide muirburn experience throughout his career and has assisted the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service (SFRS) at numerous wildfires including Lochindorb, Foyers and Calliachar.
He is a member of Scottish Wildfire Forum and has represented the Scottish Regional Moorland Groups working with SFRS and NatureScot to design the new Muirburn Practical Foundation Training Course.
Calum set up Bright Spark Burning Techniques Limited with Iain to deliver the practical element of this training. He will also be involved in the writing of more advanced muirburn training courses and to give expert witness testimony.
Calum can be contacted on 07964 485529
Allan Hodgson
Allan started his full time game keeping career at Wemmergill in County Durham in 1989 as an under keeper and moved to Damigarry estate in 1997 as head keeper. He has 34 years heather burning experience.
He has helped various fire brigades with wildfire at Raby estate and Bowes in England and attended several in Scotland with Muchkrach and the Moray fire being a couple of the biggest.
Controlled burning, also known as prescribed burning, involves setting planned fires to maintain the health of a forest. These burns are scheduled for a time when the fire will not pose a threat to the public or to fire managers. In addition, forest conditions should call for a controlled burn and weather conditions should be right to allow burning but not enable a fire to spread out of control. Materials burned in a planned fire include dead grass, fallen tree branches, dead trees, and thick undergrowth.
Bright Spark™ offers prescribed burning and wildfire consultancy and Lantra Approved training, to ensure land owners protect their environment and land investments.