Nicholas Laing: The British Travel Entrepreneur Behind Steppes Travel and the Father of Jamie Laing

Nicholas Laing, also known as Nick Laing, is a British businessman, travel entrepreneur, former army officer and chairman of Steppes Travel. His full name is Nicholas Alexander Grant Laing, and he is widely recognised for building a specialist travel company rooted in adventure, cultural curiosity and high-end personal service.

Born in May 1952, he is 74 years old in 2026. His life story connects rural Britain, military discipline, farming, international travel and family heritage. He is also known as the father of Jamie Laing, the British presenter, entrepreneur, Candy Kittens co-founder and former Made in Chelsea star.

While many people discover his name through Jamie Laing, Nicholas has his own long professional record. His career spans the Scots Guards, farming in Wiltshire, specialist travel, company leadership and a lifelong passion for exploration.

Nicholas Laing Quick Info

Nicholas Laing Age and Early Life

Nicholas Alexander Grant Laing was born in May 1952. He is British and has long been associated with England, particularly Cirencester, Gloucestershire, and the surrounding countryside. His early years were shaped by traditional British education, rural life and a strong connection with outdoor activity. His later career in travel did not come from a desk-based business plan alone. It developed from real experience, personal adventure and a deep interest in places beyond the familiar.

His lifestyle also reflects this active spirit. He has described himself as a scuba diver, sailor and biker, showing a personality drawn to movement, travel and physical challenge.

Nicholas Laing Education

Belhaven Hill

Nicholas Laing studied at Belhaven Hill from 1960 to 1965. The school is known for its traditional boarding-school environment and emphasis on character, independence and preparation for senior school.

Harrow School

After Belhaven Hill, he attended Harrow School from 1965 to 1970. Harrow is one of the United Kingdom’s most historic independent schools, known for leadership, public service, academic tradition and strong alumni networks. His Harrow background gave him a foundation in confidence, discipline and social awareness. These qualities later became valuable in both military life and business.

Royal Agricultural University

Nicholas later studied Farm Management at the Royal Agricultural University, graduating in 1979. This education connected directly with his farming years and his rural business life before he moved fully into specialist travel. His farm-management studies also explain the practical side of his personality. He was not only an adventurer; he also understood land, operations, planning and long-term business responsibility.

Nicholas Laing Military Career

Officer in the Scots Guards

Before becoming a travel entrepreneur, Nicholas Laing served as an officer in the Scots Guards from 1971 to 1977. This period gave him discipline, resilience and experience beyond ordinary civilian life.

The Scots Guards are one of the British Army’s most respected regiments, with a history tied to ceremonial duty, military professionalism and operational service. His time in the army helped shape the confidence and independence that later supported his adventurous travel career.

London to Singapore Journey

One of the defining moments in his life came during his military years. In 1975, he obtained leave from the army and drove from London to Singapore. This journey became more than a personal adventure. It helped establish the mindset that would later lead to his work in travel.

Long-distance travel in that era required planning, courage and adaptability. It was not a simple holiday. It demanded patience, practical skill and the ability to deal with different landscapes, cultures and unexpected challenges. That journey became part of the foundation for his later business vision.

Farming Background of Nicholas Laing

After leaving the army, Nicholas moved into farming. He was connected with farming at Castle Eaton, Wiltshire, from 1979 to 1993. His rural background and agricultural training played an important role in his life before Steppes Travel became his central business identity.

Farming required discipline, financial judgement and a strong connection with land and seasons. These skills later translated well into business management. Running a travel company also needs patience, planning, risk management and attention to detail.

His Steppes Travel story began from a farm office outside Cirencester, which shows how closely his travel career was linked with his rural roots.

Nicholas Laing and Steppes Travel

Founding Steppes Travel

Nicholas Laing is best known as the founder and chairman of Steppes Travel, a specialist travel company based in the Cirencester area. He founded the company in 1989, building it from a rural base into a respected name in tailor-made travel.

Steppes Travel focuses on meaningful travel experiences rather than standard mass-market holidays. The company has become associated with carefully planned journeys, wildlife travel, cultural depth, conservation awareness and expert-led itineraries.

A Travel Business Built on Experience

What makes Nicholas different from many travel entrepreneurs is that his business grew from personal experience. His own journeys, military background and appetite for remote places shaped the values behind Steppes Travel.

Before building the company, he had already developed a serious interest in adventure. His journey to Singapore, his time connected with Nepal’s travel world, and his later experiences in remote regions helped him understand what thoughtful travellers value: authenticity, detail, safety, cultural understanding and memorable access.

Chairman and Co-Founder

As chairman and co-founder, Nicholas helped shape Steppes Travel into a company with a clear identity. It is not just about booking holidays. It is about creating specialist journeys for people who want depth, purpose and personal service. The business reflects his own character: adventurous, organised, curious and strongly connected to the wider world.

Nicholas Laing Companies and Business Roles

Nicholas Alexander Grant Laing has held several company roles over many years. His business activity is strongly connected with travel and related ventures.

Steppes Travel Ltd

His central role is with Steppes Travel Ltd, where he has served as director and secretary. This company remains the main name connected with his professional reputation.

Steppes East Limited

He has also been connected with Steppes East Limited, another business tied to the wider Steppes travel structure. His involvement shows long-term commitment to travel operations and company leadership.

Art of Travel Limited

Another company linked with him is Art of Travel Limited. The name fits the wider character of his work: travel shaped with care, culture and experience.

Discovery Initiatives Limited

Nicholas has also held roles connected with Discovery Initiatives Limited, a name that aligns with exploration, specialist travel and destination-led business.

Skilldraw Limited and Other Appointments

His wider business history includes Skilldraw Limited and past roles in companies such as Travel Russia Ltd, Travel Russia Europe Ltd, Destia Ltd and Stoneleigh Park Limited. Some of these companies are no longer active, while others remain part of his broader corporate record.

Nicholas Laing and Candy Kittens

Nicholas Laing also had a direct connection with Candy Kittens Limited, the confectionery company co-founded by his son, Jamie Laing. He served as a director of Candy Kittens during its early period, from January 2012 to March 2013.

This connection matters because Candy Kittens became one of Jamie Laing’s most important business ventures. Nicholas’s early involvement shows a family link to the company’s formation period, even though Jamie later became the public face of the brand.

Candy Kittens went on to become a recognised modern sweets brand, combining confectionery with stylish branding and plant-based product direction.

Nicholas Laing Wife and Family

Nicholas Laing was previously married to Penelope Ruth Heale, who is also publicly referred to as Penny Baines or Penny Laing. She is the mother of his sons Alexander G. G. Laing and James Robin Grant Laing, better known as Jamie Laing. Their marriage later ended in divorce. Nicholas Laing also married Princess Catherine Galitzine, with whom he has a son, George Augustus Grant Laing.

Children of Nicholas Laing

Nicholas is publicly described as a father of six. The children whose names are most clearly available include:

Jamie Laing

His son Jamie Laing, full name James Robin Grant Laing, is the most publicly known member of the family. Jamie became famous through Made in Chelsea and later built a career as a presenter, entrepreneur, podcaster and co-founder of Candy Kittens.

Alexander G. G. Laing

Alexander G. G. Laing is a son of Nicholas Laing and Penelope Ruth Heale. He is named in genealogical records connected with the Laing family, though he keeps a private life and has limited public media presence.

George Augustus Grant Laing

George Augustus Grant Laing is Nicholas Laing’s son with Princess Catherine Galitzine. He was born on 19 August 2004 and belongs to the Laing-Galitzine family line.

Emily Laing

Emily Laing is Nicholas Laing’s daughter with Penny Baines / Penelope Ruth Baines. She is an actor, singer, podcaster and broadcaster, known for her creative work and mental-health-focused podcasting.

Two further children are referenced through the “father of six” detail, but their names are not clearly confirmed in strong mainstream material. For accuracy, it is better not to add names that cannot be firmly supported.

Nicholas Laing and Jamie Laing

Nicholas Laing is often discussed because of his son Jamie’s celebrity and business career. Jamie is known for Made in Chelsea, Candy Kittens, BBC Radio 1, JamPot Productions, Tuckshop London and his podcast work with Sophie Habboo. However, the father-son connection is not only a celebrity footnote. Jamie has spoken about his father in a more personal way, particularly in relation to fatherhood, emotional growth and family understanding.

Nicholas’s own adventurous and entrepreneurial life also helps explain part of Jamie’s drive. Both father and son have built brands, taken risks and used personal energy to create public-facing careers.

Nicholas Laing and the McVitie’s Family Connection

The Laing and Grant family background is often connected with the McVitie’s biscuit legacy. Jamie Laing has frequently been associated with this family history because of links to Sir Alexander Grant, known for his role in the creation of the digestive biscuit.

This connection adds another layer to the family story, especially because Jamie later built a confectionery business. Still, it is important to separate family legacy from personal achievement. Nicholas built his own career through the army, farming and travel. Jamie built Candy Kittens as a modern brand in its own right.

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Nicholas Laing Net Worth

Nicholas Laing’s exact net worth is not officially confirmed. It would be inaccurate to give a fixed figure without verified financial evidence. His wealth is best understood through his long career as a businessman, his role as chairman and co-founder of Steppes Travel, his rural background, company appointments and wider family business connections. Steppes Travel remains the strongest marker of his professional success.

A careful summary would be: Nicholas has built his financial position through decades of business activity, especially in specialist travel, but his personal net worth has not been formally disclosed.

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Nicholas Laing Public Image

Nicholas has a public image built on travel, independence and experience. He is not a celebrity in the same way as his son Jamie, but he has a respected identity in the travel world. His interests — scuba diving, sailing, biking and international exploration — support the image of a man whose business reflects his personal passions. He built a company from his own appetite for discovery, rather than simply entering travel as a commercial market.

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Conclusion

Nicholas Laing is a British businessman whose life connects military service, farming, adventure travel, company leadership and family legacy. Born in May 1952, he moved from Harrow School and the Scots Guards into farming before founding Steppes Travel in 1989.

His work helped establish a specialist travel company known for thoughtful, experience-led journeys. He is also recognised as the father of Jamie Laing, but his own achievements stand independently. From a farm office near Cirencester to an international travel business, his career reflects curiosity, discipline, resilience and a lifelong desire to explore the wider world.

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FAQs

1. Who is Nicholas Laing?

Nicholas Laing, full name Nicholas Alexander Grant Laing, is a British businessman, former Scots Guards officer and travel entrepreneur. He is best known as the chairman and co-founder of Steppes Travel. He is also known as the father of Jamie Laing, the British presenter, entrepreneur and co-founder of Candy Kittens.

2. How old is Nicholas Laing?

Nicholas Laing was born in May 1952. As of 2026, he is 74 years old.

3. Is Nicholas Laing married?

Yes, genealogical records name Princess Catherine Galitzine as Nicholas Laing’s wife. She is the daughter of Major Prince George Galitzine and Jean Mary Dawnay. Nicholas Laing and Princess Catherine Galitzine have a son named George Augustus Grant Laing.

4. Who is Nicholas Laing’s ex-wife?

Nicholas Laing’s ex-wife is Penelope Ruth Heale, also publicly known as Penny Baines or Penny Laing. She is the mother of Alexander G. G. Laing and James Robin Grant Laing, better known as Jamie Laing. Their marriage later ended in divorce.