As Parliament was in recess, I was able to devote my entire week to issues within the constituency.

On Monday I accompanied Scottish National Heritage Chairman Ian Ross on his visit to Banchory. We met with Thys Simpson, the Leys Estate Countryside Ranger, regarding land management issues. I also spoke with Ian about the lack of prioritisation of issues, such as flooding, and the need to adequately fund Scottish National Heritage programs.

On Tuesday I met with Chris Hockley CBE from the MacRobert Trust and was able to tour Douneside House. The MacRobert Trust is working hard to benefit the local community and support military officers, and I enjoyed learning about their mission.

On Wednesday I held surgeries in Ballater, Tarland, and Aboyne, where I heard from constituents regarding many different issues including problems with the NHS and the new business rates evaluations. 

On Friday I toured the Petrofac site in Aberdeen and met with Deirdre Michie, Chief Executive of Oil and Gas UK. We discussed the role of the oil and gas industry in the Scottish Energy Sector and how the industry is innovating for the future. 

On Saturday I spent the morning at the Banchory Farmer's Market and the afternoon leafleting for Ann Ross before getting to watch the local Deeside Rugby Club beat Lochabers at Woodend.
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