I am an enthusiastic and dedicated freelancer who enjoys working collaboratively. I've worked on projects to bring many different people and perspectives together - artists, schoolchildren, health patients, MPs, ex-offenders, academics, community organisations, doctors, university students, policymakers - and specialise in practical work addressing systemic social issues. 

From 2024, you can find me on the Scottish Storytelling Forum's list of storytellers in Scotland, with more information about my areas of interest, specialties and also booking rates: https://tracscotland.org/storytellers/sarah-hobbs/ 

If your company, organisation or community would like to work with me, please get in touch to discuss your ideas. A few recent examples are given below. 

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Walking trails
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​I can run any of my existing Storywalks for a particular group or organisation. I can also produce, and/or run, a walking trail at a particular place, to suit your needs. 

​I conceptualised, researched, designed and produced the 'Highland Herbs' walking trail for the Highland Folk Museum in Newtonmore, using material from their archives and on site.

Highland Herbs trail leaflet

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Cairngorms Wild Plants Project: research on Strathspey dialect names

Research
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​I have a degree in Social Anthropology and 15 years' experience of research with communities, under-represented groups, archive material, and land-based experiential research. 

Watch a clip from Plantlife Scotland's short film about the Cairngorms Wild Plants Project. I conducted research locally on any remaining Strathspey dialect names for plants and trees. 

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Foraged tea tastings
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​I can offer seasonal tea and cordial tastings based on historical research of the Highlands, at events or for particular groups, as a stall and/or as a walk. 

I was invited to participate in the Woodland Trust's Forest Festival at the Highland Folk Museum 2016-2018, making teas over a firepit with locally-foraged ingredients, all with historic or current relevance to the area. 

Foraged teas and homemade cordials at the Forest Festival 2017, Highland Folk Museum

Other ideas...
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I am open to other suggestions of work where we have joint interests. Please feel free to drop me a line. 

Areas of interest 

The relationships between people and plants in the Highlands & Islands of Scotland - how plants and trees have been seen and used, medicinally, for food, or other uses;

nature-based words in Gaelic dialects, particularly Strathspey & Badenoch Gaelic;

Gaelic song linked to human-land relationships and/or working songs;

encouraging the everyday use of Gaelic, as a language of this land;

​the 'missing' voices from historical or current narratives, and shifting that narrative;

education to encourage new perspectives and critical thinking;

social inequalities;

systems change, particularly with a focus on communities and climate change;

​future-focused placemaking. ​