The Angus Glens Moorland Group runs hands-on days for school and college groups and open days for the community, demonstrating traditional skills associated with rural life. They invite groups onto their estates to experience first-hand the work of gamekeepers and shepherds, making their audiences fully interactive with their carefully planned activities. If the group can't get out to them, they visit schools and colleges to demonstrate different aspects of their work. They also work with other rural organisations such as RHET to promote rural skills events for schools, such as the recent event at Kinnordy Estate for over 160 primary school children from Dundee.
No one knows the land and how nature works better than those who live and work on it, and this group does more than any other with their Estates That Educate programme. By being proactive, they are bridging the gap between those who work in these rural areas and those who live nearby or further afield in our towns and cities, raising awareness of the importance of the contribution these rural activities make to local economies through tourism, hospitality and education. As the group develops and establishes itself in different regions of Scotland, its geographical reach will become nationally significant.
The Angus Glens Moorland Group has a strong focus on working with the local communities it serves. Everything from promoting local businesses to donating to local food banks, posting about lost dogs, local events and wildlife updates demonstrates how the Angus Glens Moorland Group actively engages with a range of people for the benefit of local communities. Their strong ethos of promoting local produce, minimising food miles and sustainable practices demonstrates their environmental credentials.
Their development into a Southern Upland Moorlands Group allows them to have a greater national reach, extending their work to a wider audience. Their growing work with primary and secondary school pupils and college students will leave a lasting legacy of awareness of the importance of rural skills with these young people and could well influence our future champions.
Raising awareness of the importance of rural skills is a huge challenge and the Angus Glens Moorland Group has made great strides in breaking down barriers between urban and rural communities and perceptions of how the countryside works. Their social media presence has played a big part in this, promoting their day-to-day work and educational events. Their role in lobbying the Scottish Parliament ensures that the rural voice is heard loud and clear at Holyrood, influencing future rural policy for the benefit of all communities, both rural and across Scotland.