My time as a Communications intern for Scottish Land & Estates

In this blog, our Communications Intern Robert Getley discusses his time with Scottish Land & Estates. 

The potential for new business opportunities in Scotland due to its distinct and awesome landscape is an interest of mine which brought me to the Scottish Land and Estates stand at the Royal Highland Show. Whilst there I struck up a conversation with Anna and Donald during which they told me about the role performed by SLE and how it voices members’ concerns on incoming legislation to the Government, and about the upcoming Helping it Happen Awards which celebrate the people and ideas supporting rural Scotland.  

A few weeks later I joined SLE as a communications intern with my first task proof-reading the Helping it Happen nominations before they were sent to the judges. Most entries required very little editing aside from fixing spelling and formatting errors, but occasionally one or two needed more work, such as when nominees downplayed the importance and impact of their work, and through a little research I found out the significant input they made to their field. Two days later, I began writing case studies about the entries to be published on the SLE website. This involved pulling out the most important information, ensuring the content was comprehensible, and reflected the business, organisation or individual’s contribution to rural Scotland. Although challenging, it was an insightful task enabling me to discover the wealth of interest and number of players working in the rural sector. Players ranged from small businesses to centuries-old estates and farming co-operatives, to villages and young people introducing new ideas and methods to protect their futures. I think the Awards demonstrate how Scotland’s future is in the hands of those willing to make a difference to their communities, and given the broad investment in natural capital, renewable energy and sustainable manufacturing, Scotland will become a cradle for climate-friendly innovations. 

Having joined the communications team just after the General Election, there was an urgency to connect with newly appointed ministers and interpret the proposals for a new Galloway National Park. In both cases, it was fascinating to watch the policy advisors present their viewpoints at the meeting, and then listen to the comms team decide how to approach members to gain a consensus, thus enabling SLE to formulate its own position. The meetings were particularly interesting because no viewpoints or positions were disregarded, with each advisor concisely presenting the various concerns and queries of the members they represented.  

It has been incredible to gain as much insight into rural Scotland as I have in such a short period of time and to learn from knowledgeable and patient colleagues, willing to take time out of their busy schedules to explain the intricacies of housing, wool, rural crime, the ins and outs of Scottish politics, and how they came to work at SLE. Going forward, I’d like to work in a role serving the land and rural sector, using the knowledge and experiences I have taken from SLE. I would encourage everyone and anyone to reach out to Scottish Land and Estates or visit them at shows and find out more about the unique and necessary role they perform for Scotland’s rural economy.