A MOUNTAINEERING schoolteacher is on top of the world after having his work published.

Alan Dougherty, who teaches science and games at Barnard Castle Preparatory School, has contributed a chapter to Mountains of Northern Europe, an academic collection of papers on the conservation, management, people and nature of upland areas.

The book follows an environmental convenference, in which he also took part, staged by Scottish National Heritage in Pitlochry, which attracted experts from across Europe.

Aimed at academics and policymakers, the book has been edited by Scottish National Heritage experts Des Thompson, Colin Galbraith and Martin Price, of the Centre for Mountain Studies at Perth College.

Mr Dougherty, from Cotherstone, has written chapter 27 about the ethical issues around managing national parks and mountain regions.

He said: "I have always been interested in environmental issues and am a keen mountaineer.

"I have always been fascinated by the way we use the uplands. I am interested in bridging the gap between science and policymaking. I am trying to alert the environmental scientists to the need to have philosophical decision-making in their science and policy.

"The landscape is a result of the way it has been managed.

"It doesn't necessarily have to look like that and could be more ecologically diverse if it didn't.

"So I am delighted to have had my work on the issue published."

Mr Dougherty tries to introduce the basic ideas into his teaching of years five and six.

He said: "In a very simple way you can introduce these concepts into prep school teaching.

"That is one of the great challenges of what I do - present complex issues in a way the children can understand."