Scotland’s top land-based and aquaculture trainees were celebrating last night (Thursday 5th March) at Lantra Scotland’s ALBAS (Awards for Land-based and Aquaculture Skills) at the Crieff Hydro Hotel in Perthshire.
Over 200 finalists, event supporters, employers, training providers and industry leaders attended a glittering awards ceremony, hosted by horticultural magazine publisher, writer and podcaster MT O’Donnell.
Industry awards were made for agriculture, aquaculture, environmental conservation, equine, game and wildlife, horticulture, land-based engineering, trees and timber and veterinary nursing.
As well as prizes for Overall Winner, Runner-up and Modern Apprentice of the Year, there were awards for Higher Education, Pre-Apprenticeship, School Pupil, Secondary Schools, Research Project, the Carstairs Mentor Award, the Tam Tod Trophy for outstanding young learner, and the Anna Murray Award for Partnership Working.
Winners and runners up for ALBAS 2026 were selected by an independent judging panel made up of influential figures from across the land-based and aquaculture sector, comprising: Alix Ritchie, Programme Director of Farmstrong Scotland and a farmer in Perthshire; David Knott, Curator of Living Collections, The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh; Emma Staniforth, Work-Based Learning Manager with Forestry and Land Scotland; Jennifer Allison, Senior HR Business Partner with Bakkafrost Scotland and Scott Mason (Chair of the panel), Land Services Officer with Stirling Council.
The evening’s highlights included Summer Edmond receiving the much-coveted Overall Winner Award, the highest accolade of the night, as well as a Higher Education Award for degree-level study. Summer has been studying for a BSc in Equine Science at SRUC Oatridge while running her own business, Cavalier Clipping.
She said: “It’s amazing to win an ALBAS award and to be chosen as Overall Winner is incredible. Thanks to Rowan Tweddle for nominating me and all my tutors at SRUC Oatridge, my family and to Lantra Scotland for presenting me with these awards.”
Overall Runner-up was Betheny Millar from Jedburgh in Roxburghshire, who also won the Agriculture Learner of the Year and Modern Apprentice of the Year Awards. Betheny has been doing an SVQ in Mixed Farming through Borders College while employed as a Farm Worker and Attraction Manager at Kersheugh Farm in Jedburgh. Betheny said: “Winning an ALBAS award is an incredible feeling, and to be Overall Runner-up is more than I could have hoped for. I’d like to thank Gillian McFadyen my tutor at Borders College for nominating me, and my employers Jasmine and Fenwick Jackson and the team at Kersheugh Farm for giving me an opportunity to work in this sector.”
The Secondary Schools Award in recognition of schools with exceptional standards in rural skills training was won by Wallace Hall Academy with Pitlochry High School taking the Runner-up spot. Wallace Hall Academy in Thornhill, Dumfries and Galloway, runs a Young Agri Leader programme which empowers pupils to carry out a variety of agriculture-themed leadership tasks using a project-based approach.
The Anna Murray Partnership Working Award went to Pitlochry High School Junior Rangers. The innovative programme sees S2 pupils taking part in 25 days of conservation, learning, and volunteering across the Cairngorms National Park with a broad network of partners. Runner up was the Ash Rise project from the Scottish Furniture Makers Association and OWL.
The Tam Tod Trophy went to game keeping Apprentice Hailey Anderson from Duns in Berwickshire, who was also Runner-up for Game and Wildlife Leaner of the Year. The Tam Tod Trophy is made in association with Countryside Learning Scotland to an outstanding young learner and was created in memory of the late Tam Tod, described as a well-loved gamekeeper, ghillie and lifelong friend of the countryside.
Other prizes on the night included the Carstairs Award for Mentoring won by Anna Johnson who works as a youth worker for outdoor learning at Selkirk High School in the Borders. The School Pupil Award went to Wallace Hall Academy student Iona McVey Thornhill in Dumfries and Galloway.
ALBAS 2026 winners and runners-up:
ALBAS Overall Winner
Summer Edmond
ALBAS Overall Runner-up
Betheny Millar
Modern Apprentice of the Year
Winner: Betheny Millar
Carstairs Award for Mentoring
Winner: Anna Johnson
Runner up: Nigel Gibb
Anna Murray Award for Partnership Working
Winners: Pitlochry High School Junior Rangers
Runner up: Scottish Furniture Makers Association and OWL for Ash Rise
Tam Tod Trophy
Hailey Anderson
Higher Education Award HNC
Winner: Sparrow George-Buck
Runner-up: Bex Chirnside
Higher Education Award HND
Winner: Fiona Basford
Higher Education Award BSc
Winner: Summer Edmond
Runner-up: Billy Anderson
Agriculture Learner of the Year
Winner: Betheny Millar
Runner-up: Reuben Salomons
Aquaculture Learner of the Year
Winner: Craig Findlay
Runner-up: Finley Forwood
Environmental Conservation Learner of the Year
Winner: Tony Marshall
Runner-up: Curtis Donnachie
Equine Learner of the Year
Winner: Amelia Radford
Runner-up: Lydia Emmerson
Game and Wildlife Learner of the Year
Winner: Aaron Roberts
Runner-up: Hailey Anderson
Horticulture Learner of the Year
Winner: Sarah Forbes
Runner-up: Maya Lowe
Land-based Learner of the Year
Winner: Danielle Newlands
Runners-up: Liam Clive and Jack Ritchie
Trees and Timber Learner of the Year
Winner: Hannah Thomson
Runners-up: Daniel Needham and Abi Skidgmore
Veterinary Nursing Award
Winner: Kristie King
Pre-Apprenticeship Award
Winner: Luke Barclay
Research Project
Winner: Rochelle Kennedy
Runner-up: Karen Keegan
School Pupil Award NPA Skills for Work
Winner: Iona McVey
Secondary Schools Award
Winner: Wallace Hall Academy
Runner-up: Pitlochry High School
Dr Liz Barron-Majerik MBE, Scotland Director, Lantra, commented:
“Being part of the ALBAS is a real privilege. It gives us the chance to highlight the incredible people during Scottish Apprenticeship Week driving Scotland’s land-based and aquaculture sector forward, while also encouraging employers to think about the talent they’ll need for the future.
She went on to say: “Everyone nominated should feel genuinely proud. The quality of entries keeps rising, which means tonight’s winners represent the very best in our sector. Their impact stretches far beyond their workplaces, as they support rural communities and help protect the environment we all depend on.
We were delighted to be joined at Crieff Hydro by leaders from across industry and skills organisations, including the Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity, Jim Fairlie, and to have MT O’Donnell as our wonderful host for the evening.
Our independent judges, led by Scott Mason, give a lot of their own time to assess nominations and interview finalists, and it’s only with their commitment that our event can happen.
A heartfelt thanks also goes to our supporters, whose generosity ensures the ALBAS can continue to celebrate learners across Scotland. They are: SRUC, Forestry and Land Scotland, Salmon Scotland, Scottish Land & Estates, Tarff Valley, NatureScot Peatland ACTION, HTA, Land Technology, SAOS, Ringlink, Equido, Bakkafrost, BAGMA, and Trail Consultancy.
And finally, after an incredible seven years of involvement with the ALBAS as Scotland Director at Lantra, I will be moving onto a new role as Chief Accreditation Officer at Qualifications Scotland.
It has been an absolute honour to work alongside my talented colleagues, championing skills and opportunities across the sector, and I’m immensely proud of what we’ve achieved together in partnership with our key stakeholders.”
The ALBAS are organised by Lantra, the sector skills council for the land-based, aquaculture and environmental conservation industries. Lantra’s work in Scotland is supported by the Scottish Government.