How former soldier uses 22 years in military to help him guide Loch Ness cruise company

Paul Roadnight has swapped camouflage for cruises, helping customers explore the famous waters.

By Alex Banks

September 30 2024, 6:00 am

Paul Roadnight, general manager of Cruise Loch Ness. Image: DCT Media

A Highland veteran has told how his 22 years in the military helped in managing a Loch Ness cruise company.

Paul Roadnight is the general manager of Cruise Loch Ness, which offers speedy and scenic trips across the Highland loch.

Last year he made waves as part of a team rowing across the Atlantic, and he his eyes set on bigger challenges in the future.

Paul answered our questions on his biggest struggles, achievements and more.

How and why did you start in business?

My previous employment was in the military and that’s where I became interested in leading and motivating individuals and teams.

After 22 years of service, I wanted to experience what it was like to work in the civilian sector.

Becoming general manager of Cruise Loch Ness has allowed me to apply my military training in a completely new context within the local leisure and tourism sector.

How did you get to where you are today?

A combination of luck and being open to new opportunities. I’ve been well served by people who saw more potential in me than I perhaps saw in myself.

Who helped you?

Fortunately, I’ve worked with really excellent people throughout my career.

I’ve found that working with people who are much better than myself has helped me to elevate my aspirations and challenge my own abilities.

Paul Roadnight at the cruise firm’s base in Fort Augustus on Loch Ness. Image: Sandy McCook/DC Thomson

There are too many to name, but most recently the directors of Cruise Loch Ness, Ronald and Debi MacKenzie, have taken a chance on me and been extremely supportive.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever had?

‘You won’t win all your battles, so learn to pick the ones you are prepared to die in a ditch over’.

I’ve found that this advice helps change the way I view any problems I encounter.

What is your biggest mistake?

Not pushing myself hard enough when I was younger, and this probably resonates with most people of a certain age.

That said, I’m not one for regrets. I like to focus on moving forward, with the key being to not repeat any of my past mistakes.

What is your greatest achievement?

At the start of the year, I rowed across the Atlantic as part of a team of four, raising money for mental health charities.

In many ways, the whole experience opened my eyes to the world outside of the military.

General manager of Cruise Loch Ness Paul Roadnight. Image: Sandy McCook/DC Thomson

It put me in a position that was unfamiliar, especially when it came to speaking to different business owners and CEOs while fundraising.

In the military, I was used to knowing that I had a huge number of resources to assist me if things went wrong, which was a huge comfort.

However, that was not the case in the middle of the Atlantic. It was truly exhilarating.

How are you managing rapidly rising costs, and how could the government help?

Using technology to streamline HR and resource management has really boosted efficiency and reduced costs for our small team at Cruise Loch Ness.

Additionally, securing better access to finance is key for long-term growth and scaling up.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has supported us in the past, as has the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).

What do you still hope to achieve?

Personally, after the row I’ve thought about doing another big challenge in the future, but I’m not sure what that would look like or when.

Professionally, I hope to further develop my business knowledge and continue to progress. I’m really enjoying the challenge and I’m excited to see what the future holds.