Donna Bruce has been an invaluable part of bringing our new On Our Terms collection to life. With more than 14 years of experience developing outdoor clothing for leading UK apparel brands, Donna brings an exceptional depth of knowledge in fabrics, technical design, fit and product construction, alongside a relentless attention to detail and a deep understanding of what women really need from their outdoor clothing.
Based in the Scottish Highlands, Donna lives the lifestyle these products are designed for, spending her time running, climbing, ski touring and exploring the outdoors with her husband Dan and dog Nessa. Her expertise, creativity and instinctive eye for colour have helped shape this collection in countless ways, and quite simply, FINDRA would not be where it is today without her contribution. We caught up with Donna to chat about adventure, balance, mental wellbeing and the outdoor experiences that continue to inspire her.
Hi, please tell everyone where you are based and what you do!
Hello! I’m Donna and I live in the Scottish Highlands not too far from Glencoe with my Husband Dan and our Dog Nessa. For work I am currently a Freelance outdoor clothing developer and have been in the industry for over 14 years working for UK outdoor apparel brands.
What’s your favorite way to spend time outdoors?
Ooof! What a question! That’s a really hard one for me as I'm definitely not a “specialist” and it changes so much depending on the season/weather.
In Scottish winter my favourite things to do outdoors are mountaineering and more recently ski touring. Something I'm very new to but wow, it's such an exciting and fun way to travel in the mountains, I’m hooked!
In the shoulder seasons I really love running in and around the mountains, especially with pals and with my dog Nessa. She's too old for running with me now (she’s 13 and has only just hung up her trainers!) which has been a big adjustment but I've loved being able to run with her for so long! When it's hot, you will find me on my paddle board dipping in and out of the water or on my bike at speed getting a cool breeze. I’m a winter baby and do not thrive in the heat!
Can you share your favourite, memorable outdoor adventure or experience?
Another beast of a question! I've had so many that have been memorable for different reasons. One that does stand out was many years ago on the Aonach Eagach. This ridge, especially in winter, is so much fun and always a challenge. We got pretty perfect weather that day which just made it such a stunning day to be in the mountains. After an alpine start, we got up onto the ridge in time for sunrise and had such a chilled traverse, in great time, with the sun shining all day.
Donna on Aonach Eagach Ridge
Another great memory I have was on a work trip to Norway to test the Antarctic expedition kit and some new innovations we had in the pipeline. Testing was my favourite part of the job when I worked in an R&D team and doing it in such an epic place was a real “how is this my job” moment.
Almost forgot getting Married! That was definitely one of my favourite outdoor experiences. Me and Dan got married at Lochan a’ Choire in front of Coire Ardair - the amazing cliffs below Creag Meagaidh. It was a belter of a day. We got sunshine, snow and hail, it was perfect and so much fun!
Donna and Dan at Lochan a'Choire
How do you manage to find a balance between being active and life’s other responsibilities i.e. work and family?
This is quite an interesting one for me as I recently made quite a big change in my life to shift this balance. Until a few years ago, I’d always moved for work, which took me to some great places to live like the North East of England and the edge of the Peak District.
I’d always wanted to move back to Scotland and we spent almost all of our annual leave in the Highlands, so in 2023 we finally took the leap. We left our jobs, sold our house, and moved into our little campervan with our dog for almost a year and a half. I say “leap”… the “we quit our jobs and moved into our campervan” trope often sounds like a really brave risky decision but in reality this was only possible after years of saving, downsizing our house when friends were up-sizing, running our beat-up toyota yaris into the ground and lots and LOTS of spreadsheets. Not to mention the support of our families making this decision feel very safe.
We used this time to figure out how to build a life where we wanted to be instead of where we had to be. I started freelancing in product development (often part-time), which gives me the flexibility to spend more time doing what I love and allows me to live here.
It’s definitely been an adjustment. Not seeing friends at work every day and stepping away from the security of full-time employment was hard. I’ve always liked stability, so freelance life has been a learning curve — but the balance it gives me has made it worth it. Being able to live somewhere where the mountains, the sea, trails and crags are on our doorstep feels like a dream.
Is there anyone in particular that inspired your love of the outdoors?
Shout out to Dan, he is definitely my all time adventure buddy. A constant, positive and safe person. He is such a yes man when it comes to doing pretty much any outdoor sport. Also his tolerance and dare I say love for utterly hellish scottish winter conditions always inspires me!
But…It's also gotta be my girls! Trips with other women when I was in my 20s were definitely the times that made me start thinking “ hold on… I can just go and do this on my own steam and planning… and it's awesome. I want to do this all the time!”. Having women around me learning and teaching new skills in the outdoors felt grounding, tribal and inspiring.
And they still inspire me now!
There is something about seeing my female friends doing cool shit outdoors, I love it and it's such a specific vibe. I don't necessarily just mean the big summits or specific goals. Seeing them fail at things and still be psyched, learning new sports as adults, seeing them balance and entwine motherhood with their outdoor aspirations, laughing through really gruelling or sometimes really sketchy moments. They are amazing.
What role does nature play in your mental well-being?
Oh jeez, honestly I think nature and my mental well-being are inseparable! There’s a bit of a joke that I can go into “gremlin mode” if I go too long without going outside and moving my body. This can be when I have a lot of work on, or maybe an injury or illness has stopped me getting “out” properly for a few days or even weeks. It's that weird cycle (and I know I'm not alone in this!) where the longer you go without going outside and doing something... The less motivated you are to going outside and doing something and then you feel even worse. Grumpy, unmotivated, anxious, all of the above really.
Then you get out and suddenly you're like “oh wow, look at that! I’m actually not a horrible little gremlin, I just needed to raise my heartrate, and touch some grass.”
I read once that there are specific patterns that are formed in nature like in leaves, ripples in water, shells etc that when we look at them it boosts our Serotonin and Dopamine! I think about that a lot and take time to notice these things.
What’s the one piece of gear or clothing you never leave home without on an outdoor trip?
Having worked in (and collected a LOT of) outdoor clothing for over 14 years, being asked this question is slightly overwhelming ha ha. I'm sweating at the prospect of having to choose one!
I'll try…My most used item of clothing is an ultralightweight synthetic insulation (a Berghaus Hypertherm jacket) It packs down so small, has a great warmth to weight ratio, is incredibly breathable and after 12 years of being battered by me is still going strong. For winter climbing and mountaineering it's my go to mid layer and then in summer it's so light I can always pack it for some extra warmth when I stop on a run or cycle as I get cold really quickly when I stop moving. It’s so light there's rarely been a reason not to take it.
More recently I've been wearing the first prototype of the FINDRA Etive fleece, I'd say 4 days a week for the last 10 months and I don't think I'm exaggerating so it definitely needs an honourable mention!
When did you discover FINDRA?
I first saw the FINDRA stand at Kendal film festival probably around 2015/16 and remember immediately taking notice. I biked a lot at the time finding gear that was good and I actually liked wearing for cycling was hard. Everything then was very “patronisingly feminine” is how I'd put it. The logo would be changed to some flowy script font with a flower added, and there would be a pink stripe somewhere to identify it as women’s. To me, FINDRA looked gritty, utilitarian and not patronising at all, it was a breath of fresh air.
If you have any favourites, we’d love to hear your top three picks from the FINDRA collection and why.
I've already talked about the Etive fleece so ill try and mention some others!
The Ossian Softshell - I think this has so much potential to become a real all year round staple for so many different activities, it's super stretchy and great for shoulder seasons when there's a cool breeze but you are working hard.
The Ryvoan - I love this trouser, the seamlines and simplicity in the aesthetic paired with the adjustability, fit and fabric. I’m really proud of where we got to with this product.
The Marin - This is such a legend of a product, iconicly FINDRA. I've always been able to spot this product on women “in the wild” from the very first time I saw it. I love a multi purpose layer and this is something I can pop on after a swim, wear biking or running, on its own or as a mid layer but also just going to a cafe with jeans. She’s an icon.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Comparison is the thief of joy.
Sunday Inspiration
Favourite Podcast
The Curious Climber Podcast - Stacy Sims: Women are not small men
This is an episode I go back and listen to so much. Some of the info about women’s menstrual cycles and how it relates to sport, exercise and nutrition have been really helpful even when you’re not an “athlete”.
Inspirational Person
The 2014 film Valley Uprising was the first time I saw Lynn Hill. It was the first time for me seeing a woman in the outdoors do something men hadn’t and being such an inspiring confident badass in a mainstream climbing film. Even if you're not into climbing, it's worth watching for the overall “stick to the man” outdoor/climbing culture and Lynn Hill’s segment alone!
Favourite Song
