Next generation of rural workers honoured at the ALBAS awards 2025

Press Release

Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) has congratulated the winners of Lantra Scotland’s ALBAS Awards 2025, which recognise talented young people starting their careers in the rural sector.

Scottish Land & Estates sponsors the Game and Wildlife Learner of the Year award, won this year by Murray Henderson, with Fenna Whittaker taking the runner-up prize. Both Murray and Fenna are Modern Wildlife Ranger Apprentices with Forestry and Land Scotland.

Murray Henderson said: “I am honoured to win the Game and Wildlife Award as well as the Tam Tod Award. It is always good for the deer management sector to get some recognition for the hard work not just myself but all involved put in each year. I would like to thank Scottish Land & Estates for supporting the awards, SRUC College at Elmwood for nominating me, as well as my managers and my mentor for training me to become a Wildlife Ranger.”

Sarah-Jane Laing, chief executive of Scottish Land & Estates, who presented the awards for Game and Wildlife Learner of the Year, commented:  “We are delighted to support these prestigious awards and to celebrate Murray and Fenna’s success. It is evident that with the right encouragement young people are keen to explore the range of exciting career paths open to them in the rural sector. Now more than ever we see that Scotland is at the forefront of wildlife conservation, and is delivering skilled rural jobs in areas such as farming, forestry, game management and sustainable tourism. It is an exciting time to embark on a land-based career, and all of the sector is grateful for the great work that Lantra, SRUC and others do to attract and support new talent.”

Scottish Land & Estates champions rural Scotland’s future workforce through a variety of initiatives including the extensive programme of training and experiences for young people provided through Scotland’s regional moorland groups.

In addition, SLE has taken on a leadership role by chairing a new industry-wide game and wildlife management skills group to promote the importance of skills pathways, to enable knowledge transfer between the generations and to reduce barriers to access for people aiming to work in land-based professions.

The ALBAS (Awards for Land-based and Aquaculture Skills) 2025 ceremony took place at the Crieff Hydro Hotel in Perthshire, with over 200 people in attendance, including Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie and hosted by Dr Jenna Ross OBE and Mike Duxbury of Inclusive Farm.