Issie MacPhail completed her PhD entitled ‘Land, Crofting and The Assynt Crofters Trust: A Post-colonial Geography?’ with University of Wales Lampeter in 2002. In the same year Issie created ARC - Assynt Research & Consultancy - a business focused or rural development consultancy. She develops and teaches modules at the UHI Centre for History and is a Research Associate at UHI Centre for Remote and Rural Studies. These modules draws on her considerable contacts with local history groups and community projects in the Highlands and islands informed and inspired by history and research. Through project based work students are encouraged to become familiar with local archives, collections