Nominee Summary
The Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) is Scotland's leading rural education charity, connecting young people with farming, food production, land management and the working countryside. Through visits to working farms, classroom talks and growing projects, teacher resources and a nationwide network of volunteers, RHET helps young people understand where their food comes from, how the environment is managed and the diverse careers available. By providing children with real-life experiences, RHET inspires future generations, strengthens links between schools in all settings and rural communities and equips young people with the knowledge needed to support Scotland's rural economy and environment.
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The preservation of skills
RHET has spent nearly three decades ensuring that vital knowledge and unbiased, up-to-date facts about food, farming and the working countryside are understood, valued and passed on to future generations. Working across the whole of Scotland, directly with schools, farmers, crofters, estates, gamekeepers, foresters, environmental managers, food producers and more, RHET creates opportunities for young people to learn from those actively working within Scotland's rural sector. Through farm visits, countryside learning events and classroom engagement, pupils gain first-hand experience of food production, livestock care, land management, biodiversity conservation, sustainability, forestry and environmental stewardship. RHET's extensive volunteer network enables experienced rural professionals to share their expertise directly with young people. By introducing pupils to the people behind Scotland's food, farming and rural sectors, RHET not only preserves valuable skills and knowledge but also inspires future careers within industries that are critical to the nation's economy, landscape and communities. RHET takes schools to events such as the National Ploughing Championships and Scotsheep, providing them with an immersive experience of the rural fabric, from working sheep dogs and shearing to dry stone walling and more.
Increasing awareness
RHET has become the national leader in rural education by making learning about farming, food production and land management accessible to young people across the whole of Scotland. In the 2024/25 academic year alone, RHET engaged with over 96,000 school children and more than 8,500 adults, highlighting the scale and reach of its educational programmes. Through demonstrating how the curriculum links to farming and countryside learning experiences, RHET enables pupils to develop a deeper understanding of rural life and the skills required to sustain it. The charity works with both primary and secondary schools from urban, rural and remote communities, ensuring that children who may have little or no direct connection with agriculture can experience and understand Scotland's rural industries. By bringing education and industry together, often in collaboration with RHET stakeholders, they raise awareness of the wide range of career pathways available in farming, environmental management, forestry, food production and other land-based sectors. RHET's programmes support thousands of pupils and teachers each year and operates across Scotland, from the Highlands and Islands to the Borders, North East and Central Belt. Its reach has helped strengthen understanding between urban and rural communities while encouraging greater appreciation of the skills, innovation and stewardship that underpin Scotland's countryside. Over the last few years, farmers, growers, and crofters of all operational sizes have helped develop our digital and online learning, with our annual week long ‘Talk to a Farmer’ project seeing an increase of over 60% in pupils watching live.
Ethical/environmental standards
RHET's work includes educating children on sustainable food production, biodiversity, responsible country access and environmental management. Through its extensive network of farmers, land managers and volunteers, RHET ensures that the learning experiences it provides reflect current best practice in animal welfare, environmental protection and responsible land use. Through strong partnerships with local farms, estates, rural businesses and stakeholders, RHET delivers meaningful, hands-on learning experiences that connect young people with Scotland's countryside while highlighting the vital role rural communities play in supporting the nation's economy, environment and food production systems. Educational visits and activities encourage young people to understand the balance between food production, conservation, renewable resources and local communities. For example, as a member of SPARC, RHET demonstrates the key importance of linking with initiatives that are in place to safeguard our rural communities. RHET's model relies heavily on local expertise, with volunteers and host farms sharing knowledge that has often been developed over generations. This not only strengthens community engagement and plays a role in positive mental health for those in the sector but also highlights the value of local suppliers and rural businesses. Through these partnerships, RHET promotes a greater understanding of how sustainable land management and rural communities depend on one another, helping to foster informed and responsible future citizens. By explaining food traceability, for example through showing children livestock passports, we bring food provenance and quality assurance to life. Working with local butchers, RHET highlights how producers' work can be identified through “Scotch” labelling.
Noteworthy improvements
RHET’s commitment to rural education strengthens the connections between schools and rural communities. Also, by building strong partnerships with farms, estates, rural businesses and skilled tradespeople, RHET has created an effective model of experiential learning that brings education and community together. The charity’s approach continues to attract interest from organisations across the UK and internationally seeking to replicate its success. Through its programmes, pupils gain first-hand insight into the diverse skills and careers that support Scotland’s rural economy, including farming, food production, forestry, veterinary care, environmental management, machinery maintenance, agronomy, haulage and specialist rural trades. By engaging local practitioners as volunteers, speakers and hosts, RHET provides authentic learning experiences while enabling experienced professionals to share their knowledge with the next generation. Participation is also recognised by businesses as a valuable team-building opportunity, helping staff engage with communities and future consumers. This community centred approach also increases awareness of rural career opportunities and highlights the contribution of local suppliers and land-based professionals. As a result, RHET has expanded its reach, enhanced its educational offering and reinforced its role as a trusted bridge between education and Scotland’s rural sector. The outcome is greater understanding of rural life, stronger community connections and increased recognition of the people and skills that sustain Scotland’s countryside. RHET also works closely with key industry partners, including SRUC, Lantra, NFUS, QMS, SAYFC and the Skills for Farming, Wildlife and Conservation Group, helping ensure rural career pathways remain clear, accessible and attractive.
Overcoming Challenges
One of RHET's greatest challenges has been bridging the growing disconnect between young people and the countryside. As fewer children have direct experience of farming, food production and rural life, there is an increasing need to provide meaningful opportunities for them to understand where food comes from, who is rearing and growing their food, how land is managed and the role rural industries play in Scotland's economy and environment. RHET has successfully addressed this challenge by building a nationwide network of farmers, educators, rural businesses and volunteers who work together to deliver engaging, curriculum linked learning experiences. Coordinating educational activities across Scotland's diverse geography, from urban centres to remote rural communities, requires significant collaboration and commitment, yet RHET has continued to expand its reach and impact. The organisation has also adapted to changing educational priorities, ensuring that its programmes remain relevant to schools while reflecting contemporary issues such as sustainability, biodiversity, climate awareness and responsible land management. Keeping all services free of charge is a growing challenge to cover core running and delivery costs. RHET is an unbiased, trusted source by educators; therefore, funding must also be balanced. It costs over £500,000 annually to keep RHET free at the point of delivery. By overcoming these challenges, RHET has established itself as Scotland's leading rural education charity, helping thousands of young people each year gain a greater understanding of the countryside, rural careers and the skills needed to support thriving rural communities in the future.
