Nominee Summary
Iona McGregor works with the Angus Glens and Grampian Moorland groups, delivering rural education and outreach across schools, events, and public platforms. She helps young people and the wider public understand rural life, land management, and estate work in Scotland. In schools, she delivers hands-on sessions including plucking and preparing game, alongside discussions on rural communities, land use, and conservation. She also supports wider engagement through social media, sharing educational content from the land, helping improve awareness of countryside management and the role of gamekeepers.
The preservation of skills
Iona McGregor plays an important role in helping preserve traditional rural skills by introducing them to younger generations in a practical and engaging way. Through school-based learning sessions, she demonstrates rural techniques such as game preparation, while also explaining the wider context of estate management and countryside work. By making these skills accessible in an educational setting, she helps ensure that knowledge of rural practices is not lost, but instead understood and appreciated by those who may have limited exposure to countryside life. Her work supports the continuation of rural heritage skills in a modern and relevant format.
Increasing awareness
Through her work with Angus Glens and Grampian Moorland groups, Iona has significantly contributed to increasing awareness of rural life and estate management across Scotland. She regularly attends schools as part of “Learn on the Land” style educational visits, where she directly engages with pupils, delivering informative and interactive sessions designed to inspire interest in rural careers and countryside stewardship. She also supports education at major agricultural and rural events, including trade stands at shows such as the Royal Highland Show, where she helps communicate the importance of gamekeeping, land management, and rural communities to a wider audience. Her use of social media further extends this reach, providing the public with accessible insights into daily life on estates and seasonal rural activity.
Ethical/environmental standards
Iona promotes a respectful and responsible understanding of rural life, emphasising the importance of sustainability, wildlife awareness, and ethical land management. Through her educational work, she helps young people understand where food and rural products come from, and the importance of responsible stewardship of the land. Her social media content also highlights wildlife and estate activity in a way that encourages respect for nature and appreciation of rural environments.
Noteworthy improvements
Iona has helped strengthen rural education by making it more engaging, practical, and widely accessible. Her ability to combine hands-on demonstrations with clear communication has improved how young people connect with rural topics. By working across schools, estates, public events, and digital platforms, she has helped create a more joined-up approach to rural education, ensuring that learning is not limited to the classroom but extended into real rural environments and public engagement spaces. Her approachable and informative style helps maintain attention and interest, particularly among younger audiences who may otherwise have little exposure to countryside work.
Overcoming Challenges
A key challenge in rural education is bridging the gap between modern audiences and traditional countryside practices. Iona addresses this by presenting rural skills in a way that is informative, relatable, and engaging, without losing their authenticity. She also works in environments where rural work is often misunderstood by the public. Through consistent education, school engagement, and social media communication, she helps break down misconceptions and improve understanding of the role of gamekeepers and estate management.
