Stefanie Lauer works in the Aviemore office of Wilderness Scotland, an adventure travel operator that specialises in the most remote and beautiful bits of the highlands and islands. Known primarily for guided walking holidays, their outdoor focus also takes in ski touring, sailing, mountain biking and sea kayaking trips. We asked her about the day job, and the perks.

What's a German girl doing working for a Scottish adventure company anyway?

I was born and bred in Germany. But please don't hold that against me. I've almost lost my Jerrrrman accent. I even like Marmite. It'll be 10 years next year since I quit my job in a consulting company in Duesseldorf, and headed off to Scotland for what was supposed to be a four-month summer job in a hotel on Orkney Mainland - I stayed 3 years. After some time in Australia and New Zealand, I ended up in Scotland again, and scored a job with Wilderness Scotland in early 2011.

Most of your colleagues must spend their time outdoors with clients. But what does Operations Managing involve?

The job is a demanding one. I always compare it with juggling – and people constantly give you more things to juggle. One of my main tasks is to look after our guiding team of some 50+ freelance guides. Wilderness Scotland (WS) is split in half: there' s the walking, kayaking, canoeing, biking and so on; and the other half is where we act as the local operator for travel companies from elsewhere, primarily North America. My job incorporates looking after trip logistics for all of it: accommodation, transport, food, equipment and beyond. In numbers we are talking around 150 different accommodations throughout the Highlands & Islands, 15,000 hotel night bookings and 2000 travellers in a year. Per season we also get through around 2500 Stoats oats bars, 30 bottles of Tomatin Single Malt whisky and 25kg of Mrs Bridges jams and chutneys. And we are very seasonal – 95% of all departures happen between April and October.

What does a typical work day look like?

What I love most about the job is that no day is like the other. Maybe 75% of all issues that arise during a season have never appeared before. That does definitely keep you on your toes! I'm a problem solver, fixer, recruiter, therapist, event manager, cook, driver, mechanic, buyer. That's a lot of itineraries, operation manuals, etc, and as a result a lot of alcohol consumed – purely medicinal. And naturally, not at the desk.

Is it all phone/desk based, or does work occasionally take you outdoors too?

Of course I never get out enough over the summer, our busy season, and the warmer months kind of fly by in front of the laptop and on the phone. But with our office overlooking the Cairngorm plateau, at least I can see the Great Outdoors from my desk. The Cairngorms remain my favourite playground and there is just so much more to explore. Plus you are only 90 minutes away from Ullapool and the far North-West. Aviemore is a pretty good base!

Is this the sort of job you do for the money, or for the love of it?

I don't think anyone is in the adventure travel industry for the money – it is a lifestyle choice.

OK, fair point - it's not about the salary. So what are the chief rewards?

For a start I get to speak about Scotland with fellow passionate travellers. I work with an amazing bunch of people and our teamwork means a lot to me. We do quite a bit of stuff together outside the office – from pub evenings to a nighttime ascent of Meall a' Bhuachaille.

I also love that we are creating lasting memories. Holidays can be life-changing experiences, and I like the fact that people are increasingly investing in experiences rather than goods. I'd rather go on holiday than upgrade my car or laptop. I'm glad other people think the same.

What about WS trips – have you been on any particularly cool ones yourself?

One big perk of the job is to get one Wilderness Scotland trip for free per year. Last year I spent a week on board a converted wooden cutter, sailing and walking our way around the Small Isles, Knoydart and Skye. You have much more flexibility with a boat to access remote corners of the coast and it makes linear walks much more interesting when you can get picked up by a sailing boat! One evening we had a roast dinner on deck, with the sun setting behind Rum, a glass-like sea and dolphins jumping along – you just couldn't make it up.

Career-wise, what was your route into the job?

I've always been a hospitality girl, working in hotels, guesthouses and hostels in four different countries and being very passionate about customer service and the hotel trade. I used to work in a country house hotel near Evie on Orkney Mainland and fell in love with the place - the local people, wildlife, cliff-top walks, changing light, music …you get the picture. Wilderness Scotland used it as a base for walking groups. A few years later I was back in Scotland, in Aberdeenshire. I simply couldn't get my head around Doric. Fit like? Luckily my reign didn't last very long as a job came along that I knew I would really care about. Even the words 'dream job' were muttered. I was friends with the WS Operations Manager, and when in 2010 he decided to move on and suggested I apply for his job, I jumped at the chance. Eight months and three interviews later I started with the company, soon moving to their new office in Aviemore, which was about to be opened. Three and a half years later I've barely looked back.