Victor Lough was born in 1943 in Dunbar and worked his entire life in the countryside surrounding the East Lothian town.
As a countryside ranger he has been responsible for preserving the natural heritage of the area and his patch covered the ea
stern side of the county from Garvald to Dunglass, including Traprain Law, John Muir Country Park and Barns Ness.
Mr Lough joined East Lothian Council as a ranger in 1975 and in his 33 years in the job has garnered an unsurpassed knowledge of its geology, wildlife and natural history.
His responsibilities have ranged from providing talks and summer activities for visitors, to maintaining the natural beauty of the area.
Mr Lough has enjoyed working outdoors ever since he left Dunbar Grammar School at the age of 15.
He initially found work with the 9th Duke of Roxburgh, who at that time owned the Broxmouth estate.
He worked as a forester and as an estate maintenance engineer.
After a period working for a local farmer, he began working for the Blue Circle cement firm, which had bought Broxmouth from the duke.
He held varied positions here, ranging from semi-skilled cement fitter to working on some civil engineering projects. He left Blue Circle in 1975 to take up his position with the council.
Away from working in the great outdoors, Mr Lough has a diverse range of interests.
He describes himself as being interested in all areas of natural history and he pays keen attention to geology, astronomy and archaeology. He also has an interest in both jet fighters and aircraft carriers.
However, his greatest love is for music and he has been a part-time singer since the age of 14.
Starting out in ballrooms, Mr Lough has a broad musical canvass, ranging from traditional folk to heavy metal to classical music.
Indeed, it was through music that he met his wife Gwen, whom he married in 1989.
They have one son called Fraser. Mrs Lough currently runs a landscaping business and Mr Lough says that his son has shown a tentative interest in making a name for himself in this area of work.
In his retirement, Mr Lough says he will be spending as much time as possible enjoying the countryside that he has helped to protect for the past 33 years and now has the time to visit outside the constraints of work.
However, it will not be all rest, as he has agreed to help his wife in her business and hopes to continue with his part-time singing.
The full article contains 448 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
