estate Atholl Estates Ranger Julia Duncan to inspire new countryside recruits Blair Castle and Atholl Estates’ ranger, Julia Duncan, has been enlisted to help inspire a new generation to join the profession and help protect Scotland’s countryside. Taking part in several activities organised by Lantra, which helps to drive skills development in the rural economy, Julia will highlight both her career path to Blair Castle and the diversity of her role on the 145,000-acre Atholl Estate. The aim is to encourage more young people to become countryside rangers at a time when the natural environment, sustainability, and our interaction with wildlife is becoming increasing vital. Over recent years, 35% of ranger jobs have been lost, yet with a huge upturn in Scots holidaying at home, sustainable land management a priority and the increasing focus on ecotourism, Lantra recognises that a critical element is the need for new role models. It believes that people like Julia, who are passionate about protecting the environment and wildlife, could be key to the industry’s future. Kevin Patrick of Lantra said: “The need to invest in how we engage people and help them to understand and enjoy the countryside has been highlighted over the past year and the role of the countryside ranger is now being acknowledged as vital to the sustainable development and management of Scotland’s rural estates, country parks, historic and more natural landscapes.
To bring more people into the profession, we need role models who can bring diverse skills and fresh ideas to traditional roles and who can highlight how rewarding a career as a ranger actually is. That includes young people, who are the future guardians of Scotland’s natural environment, and who have also been hit badly in employment terms by the pandemic. They need opportunities - and we need them.” Julia Duncan has been a countryside ranger for eight years, the past three with Blair Castle and Atholl Estates in Highland Perthshire. The role includes visitor management, delivering outdoor activities, maintaining public access, trails and pathways and biological surveys and monitoring. Over the past year, her responsibilities have expanded to meet the demands of more people wanting to understand and learn about the natural environment around them. This ranges from working with schools through to guided walks across the estate and, most recently, she has been involved in developing the new Beaver Tour. Acknowledging that Perthshire is one of her favourite parts of Scotland, Julia wants to help people understand more about the area and believes that by demonstrating how to care for the environment, others will be encouraged to do so. She said: She concludes: “Highland Perthshire is one of my favourite parts of Scotland and I feel
privileged to live and work on the Atholl Estates. I absolutely
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love my job and there’s nothing else I would rather be doing.” 95
