When Freda Newton took over Highland cruise firm Loch Ness by Jacobite there were no full-time female employees.
Now fast forward 20 years and as well as the boats, there are female employees in all parts of the business, from office staff to skippers and crew.
Originally known as Jacobite Cruises, the business has been captained by Ms Newton since March 2002 providing boat tours of Loch Ness to visitors from all around the world.
Since then, she has grown passenger numbers from 35,000 to more than 300,000 every year, opened a restaurant and retail offering An Talla at Dochgarroch Lock and, most recently, launched Loch Ness Cottage Collection, which provides a range of self-catering holiday cottages also at Dochgarroch Lock.
On International Women’s Day Ms Newton is celebrating her female workforce as well as the Jacobite fleet of boats, which are all female: Jacobite Queen, Jacobite Rebel, Jacobite Maverick and Jacobite Warrior.
Equal opportunity for all
She said: “When I purchased Jacobite in 2002 there were no full-time female employees, but I have always believed that women can compete equally with men and everyone should, therefore, have equal opportunity to progress in the business and climb the ladder.
“The fact that two of my fellow directors, Pauline Wilson and Alison Daun, are both female is testament to their capability, hard work and determination, and their success in their roles is evident in the growth of our business.”
Ms Newton currently has 23 female members of staff and 17 male.
Despite coming into a largely male-orientated industry Ms Newton has never felt like she been discriminated against.
Be confident in your own ability
She said: “My background is in transport which is very male dominated so coming from that into tourism was a breeze.
“In all my working life I would say I’ve had nothing but respect from any male either employees or peers throughout. I’ve never found it an issue.
“Possibly being the boss helps with that but I’ve not found anything apart from the initial taking over of the company when it was all males.
“Because again it was boats and mechanical work they maybe didn’t think I’d be able to do anything.
“But I’ve always been a great believer you should be able to do whatever you ask anyone else to do.
“So one of the first things I did was get my skippers’ licence.
“Before I purchased the company I was already qualified to drive the boats.
“To any women starting out in the workplace, in business or looking to climb the career ladder, all I would say is to be confident in your own ability and believe in yourself.”
Looking to the future
The company was heading for its best season in its 44-year history – until the virus hit.
She said: “We were very optimistic with the forward bookings but then of course we have a war and we don’t really know how that will affect people’s desire to travel.
“Also the price of fuel is to be considered.
“We have had a recruitment drive over the last couple of weeks and we’ve been very pleased with the amount and standard of applicants.
“It’s about how you look after your staff and what you pay them. We are a Living Wage employer which definitely helps.
“And uniquely, in hospitality, we don’t have evenings so again that’s quite appealing to a lot of people.”
Women should always be treated the same
Linda Izquierdo Ross joined Loch Ness by Jacobite in March 2013 and is now a member of senior boat crew.
She said: “In the past, it was not common to see women working on boats, however when talking about boats the language used is typically maternal.
“The boat pronoun is ‘she’ because a ship is likened to a mother taking care of a baby. And I think this caring nature is something that can be of great benefit in the workplace.
“It is wonderful that the Loch Ness by Jacobite owner is female – and that women can be successful and caring in any job as long as they have the drive and skills.
“Freda Newton has built a strong tourism business over the past 20 years and, despite the major setbacks of the Covid-19 pandemic, the company has continued to thrive with three female directors taking the lead.
“This International Women’s Day, in my opinion, the biggest challenge for women in the workplace is their own bias and that some do not strive for what they could achieve. Whatever our gender, background or religion, we should all be treated the same.”
Aspiring female entrepreneurs
The British Business Bank has revealed that nearly 2,300 female entrepreneurs in Scotland have been supported with £17m in funding by its Start Up Loans programme.
One of the recipients was Eileen O’Farrell founder of Aberdeen-based adventure travel business Camperceilidh Campers.
Ms O’Farrell has shared her words of encouragement to aspiring female entrepreneurs on IWD.
She said: “My advice for any woman thinking about setting up her own business of the first time is to persevere!
“Women are great at multitasking in life, and running a business presents the same demands and challenges, as well as sacrifices and rewards – you’ve just got to take the leap.”