Alumni Services

Bill Chilton

Former deep sea diver and Geography graduate Bill Chilton has no regrets and thinks you shouldn't either.

Name Bill Chilton
Degree Course

BSc (Hons) Geography

Year of Graduation 1995
Bill Chilton

Your time at the University

I loved Edinburgh the city and going to university relatively young (17) I wanted to go somewhere close to my home town of Aberdeen.

Every time I’m back in the city I pop into Mamma’s Pizzeria in the Grassmarket where I used to work as a pizza chef during the summer holidays

I can imagine nothing worse than thinking in later on in life: “I really wish I had had been brave enough to give that a go”.

Bill Chilton

Tell us about your experiences since leaving the University

After leaving university I became a deep sea diver.  I started out working on the fish farms on the west coast of Scotland, then moved on to inspecting the underwater elements of inshore structures like Tower Bridge, before ending up as a deep saturation diver working under the oil rigs in the North Sea, Trinidad and Libya.

When it was time to hang up my fins, my geography degree stood me in good stead to work for the Health and Safety Executive as an offshore diving inspector.  My role now involves investigating commercial diving accidents and incidents and taking the appropriate enforcement action, if required.

Alumni wisdom

If you want to pursue a certain career path then do it. Don’t put it off.  I can imagine nothing worse than thinking in later on in life: “I really wish I had had been brave enough to give that a go”.