Mike joined CFA in 1995 to direct excavations on a brick and tile works. Since then he has contributed to Environmental Assessment work on a number of projects, including a series of proposed opencast extraction sites, and has directed a project for Historic Scotland and Forest Enterprise assessing the damage caused by conifer plantations to archaeological sites. Mike directed the large scale archaeological evaluation at Seafield Retail Park, Inverness.

Mike has been working as a field archaeologist since 1982. His experience includes the survey of standing buildings, numerous DMV surveys for Humberside Archaeology Unit, and the mapping of industrial landscapes.

He completed his PhD thesis on The Identification of Early Lead mining: Environmental, Archaeological and Historical Perspectives for Islay, Inner Hebrides, Scotland in 1995. In the course of his studies Mike has gained wide experience in the industrial archaeology of mining history in Scotland. In addition, Mike is an experienced environmental archaeologist, having a wide range of skills. He completed the MSc in Environmental Archaeology and Palaeoeconomy at Sheffield University in 1991. During the course of his postgraduate studies he considerably developed his soil science skills, and he is also skilled in palynology and fossil wood identification.

His most recent research has involved the analyses of shoreline sediments in the Solway Firth, the results of which have led to a better understanding of relative sea level change in this area.