Roy Pedersen was born in Ayrshire and brought up in Aberdeen where he graduated with an MA in Geography and Economic History. After a brief spell in London, where he created and published the first and best selling Gaelic map of Scotland, he has spent most of his working life based in Inverness. There he pursued a successful career in the economic, social and cultural development with the Highlands and Islands Development Board, in the course of which, he was the architect of the ferry charging system, "Road Equivalent Tariff" (RET). He was also intimately involved with the Community Co-operative Scheme and revival of Gaelic. More recently he has been proprietor of a consultancy business, has served as a Highland councillor and has authored several books including the acclaimed critique of Scottish ferry policy - Who pays the Ferryman? He is chair of Ainmean-Aite na h-Alba, Gaelic Place-names of Scotland, and serves on the Scottish Government's Ferry Industry Advisory Group.