Next generation ‘vital’ to the future of Scotland’s rural estates
Encouraging youngsters to take up careers on Scotland’s rural estates is essential to their future, the head of one of its biggest estates has said.
William Murray, Viscount Stormont, custodian and general partner of the historic estate at Scone Palace, is the16th generation of his family to manage the 19,000-acre estate.
So he understands more than most the issues facing Scotland’s rural estates, and on Friday he will lead a discussion at the GWCT Scottish Game Fair at Scone Palace looking at the future of the industry.
The NextGen Game & Estate Management Discussion will explore the issues and opportunities facing rural estates, land management and sporting businesses.
“It is a huge privilege to be the stewards of historic estates and historic property, and every day is a new challenge and a new opportunity,” William admitted.
The challenges are vast, from a shrinking population to concerns over land reform and the ever increasing problems posed by the climate crisis.
And the need to meet those challenges head on is essential. The most recent figures showed rural estates added over £2.4 billion GVA, and covered assets and businesses worth more than £35bn to the Scottish economy.
They drive rural growth, supporting over 56,000 jobs - around one in every ten rural jobs, most of them in communities where employment opportunities can be scarce.
“Rural estates cover a huge variety of businesses, which have an incredibly significant role in the Scottish economy,” William said.
The NextGen discussion will cover issues such as inheritance planning, new income streams from tourism, events, renewables and natural capital markets, and balancing tradition with profit.
No one is entering farming now ... and that is a national food safety threat.
It will also look at making land-based roles more appealing to younger people, with the panel discussing pathways into gamekeeping, land management, and rural enterprise.
“Our young people are an incredible opportunity,” William said.
“There are lots of businesses across rural Scotland doing all sorts of incredibly interesting things and providing jobs for people, but there is not a well established pathway for youngsters to get into the rural economy.
“If this continues, no matter what else we do, our rural economy will decline. It’s a major problem. No one is entering farming now, for example. All we’re seeing is families stop farming, no one is entering the industry and that is a national food safety threat.
“We need to make pathways into the rural economies more visible and make jobs in this sector more attractive - we know young people want to be closer to the land and be outdoors but there does seem to be a disconnect between the opportunities that are there and what young people are being steered towards.”
The talk will also cover biodiversity and conservation, looking at work on integrating rewilding, habitat management, and sporting interests, and also look at ways of monetising environmental outcomes while maintaining productive estate.
And it will include how to engage with wider audiences and improve understanding of estates and rural work, all of which, William believes, are essential for the future of Scotland.
The NextGen Game & Estate Management Discussion, sponsored by Strutt & Parker, is being held on Friday, July 3, in the Scottish Venison Cookery Theatre at the GWCT Scottish Game Fair at Scone Palace. Doors open for coffee and pastries from 8.30am and the event starts at 9am. Places are limited, so to reserve your spot please email [email protected] or complete the RSVP at the following link: https://forms.contacta.io/6a22e2f9cbb06622fdf0b98d.html.
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