Ian Hamilton joined BBC Scotland News in 2000 working for both radio and television. He currently works as a reporter for BBC Scotland and Radio 4, regularly covering a variety of programmes for news, sport, and features, including Sports Weekly, Reporting Scotland and Newsnight Scotland. He was also a regular on Radio 4s programme 'In Touch', 'You and Yours' and the award winning 'Home Truths' with the late John Peel. Ian has also branched into web casting for BBC Scotland where he hosted an Election Special at the last Scottish parliamentary election in May this year.

Recently he has become a regular columnist for The Herald newspaper with an irreverent and amusing look at the trials and tribulations of life as a blind person. His articles reflect a thought-provoking insight into the human side of being blind. Topics like The Blind Spy, Walking Holidays, How to Avoid the Public when Blind, Sailing without a Compass are a few of the entertaining articles already published.

Hands on experience has provided material for tackling blind golf, and sailing tall ships. In the late 90s Ian was in the forefront of community broadcasting when he chaired the Association of Small-scale Scottish Broadcasters.

Prior to joining the BBC Ian worked for a disability theatre company touring Scotland delivering workshops in self confidence and self esteem to disabled people. An after-dinner speaker for the Round Table, Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation for the Blind. Ian has chaired a number of conferences and has also been keynote speaker and facilitator.

His talks have been described as ear-and-eye-opening, inspirational, sometimes contentious and most of all very entertaining

Ian Hamilton takes a blind look at... mountaineering, golfing, sailing, cooking, fashion, shopping, office politics, art, technology, becoming a blind spy.

Monday 28th March 2011 on BBC One (Scotland only). Ian is featured in a BBC documentary when he has to find a new guide dog. For eight years Ian has relied on his trusted guide dog Moss but now Moss is getting old and has to retire. Born to Lead charts Ian's journey as he tries to find a replacement dog.

Along the way Ian asks why so few visually impaired people rely on guide dogs and he explores what the alternatives are to guide dogs from white sticks to cutting edge technology where you can see with your tongue.

As Ian sees his guide dog as a key to his independence the film also uncovers the startling fact that across Britain 180,000 visually impaired people never leave their home alone.

Follow his blog at www.ianhamilton-tales.blogspot.com

Tales from the Dark side, Tales of a Blind Reporter on the move.