Magnus Davidson

Magnus is a Research Associate with the University of the Highlands and Island’s Environmental Research Institute, based in Thurso, Scotland’s most northerly mainland town. A native of the Highlands his work focusses on setting out a new vision for 21st rural Scotland which works for both people and nature and reverses centuries of depopulation and ecological degradation.  Adopting an eclectic research portfolio across energy, climate, land use, development, and conservation he pulls together a range of often conflicting views into a holistic vision for the Highlands and Islands which is rooted in the unique social and cultural traditions of the region.

He also teaches across the university curriculum on climate, energy, geography, and sustainability, and is a module leader across both undegraduate and postgraduate degrees. He undertakes supervision of postgraduate MSc and MRes students across a number of UHI programmes. 

Magnus currently works across a number of projects largely focussed on understanding the social and economic impacts of various industries on the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.

As a proponent of community lead, bottom up approaches, he has also been involved in external work with establishing a youth climate change charity in Scotland as well as sitting on the boards of local and national organisations involved in community development and heritage.