Finalists have just been shortlisted for Lantra Scotland’s Awards for Land-based and Aquaculture Skills (the ALBAS), which will take place on Thursday 9^th March at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Dunblane Hydro.

Lantra Scotland is a charity which works to increase the number and diversity of employees in the land-based, aquaculture and environmental conservation sector, and drive their skills development.

The ALBAS play a vital role in promoting careers within the rural sector, celebrating the achievements of learners and highlighting the importance to employers of investing in skills.

Host for the evening will be sheep farmer Cammy Wilson from Ayrshire, who also runs popular YouTube channel The Sheep Game.

Industry categories at this year’s ALBAS cover agriculture, aquaculture, equine, game and wildlife, horticulture, land-based engineering and trees and timber.

As well as prizes for Overall Winner, Runner-up and Modern Apprentice of the Year, there are also prizes for Higher Education, School Pupil and Secondary Schools, CARAS (Council for Awards of Agricultural Societies), a Mentor award for inspirational tutor, the Tam Tod Trophy and the Anna Murray Award for Partnership Working.

Finalists for ALBAS 2023 were selected by an independent judging panel made up of influential figures from across the land-based and aquaculture sector, chaired by Keith Paterson of Forestry and Land Scotland.

Finalists for ALBAS 2023:

• ADHD Rural Connect is an education outreach programme for young people with ADHD. It is a partnership between Countryside Learning Scotland (CLS), Perth & Kinross ADHD Support Group and Perth Grammar School;
• Bertha Park High School in Perth has been running the Rural Skills: Skills for Work course, and in partnership with Aberdalgie Church’s ‘Green Shoots Community Learning Centre’, students have been developing outdoor spaces through a variety of soft landscaping and gardening tasks;
• Brodie Linklater from Aberlour in Moray has been doing a Modern Apprenticeship in Horticulture through UHI Moray, while working as an Apprentice Gardener at The Macallan Distillery in Aberlour;
• Cameron Murray from Forres in Moray has been doing an SVQ in trees and Timber through the Scottish School of Forestry at UHI Inverness, while working as an Apprentice Forester at Moray Estates in Forres;
• Charles Arrindell from Kinloch on the Isle of Lewis has been doing a Modern Apprenticeship in Game and Wildlife Management through UHI North Highland, while working as a Trainee Gamekeeper at Soval Estate on the Isle of Lewis;
• Clackmannanshire Schools Support Service has been using sustainable and green ways to produce food as an Eco School, building their own planters then growing fresh vegetables to make soup, which was then donated to local foodbanks or given to learners to take home;
• Craig Johnstone from Tarbert in Argyll & Bute has been doing a Technical Apprenticeship in Aquaculture through UHI Shetland, while working as a Site Manager for Brakkafrost Scotland;
• Danny Cook from St Andrews in Fife has been doing an SVQ in Land-based engineering and agricultural machinery through SRUC Oatridge, while training as an agricultural engineer at R & R Machinery in Cupar;
• Felix Meister from Edinburgh has been doing an HNC in Game & Wildlife Management through Borders College, while working as a Supply Research Assistant for GWCT in Scotland;
• Hannah Munro from Tain in Ross-shire has been doing an Advanced Certificate in Forestry through the Scottish School of Forestry at UHI Inverness;
• Jack Forsyth from East Linton in East Lothian is doing a Modern Apprenticeship 6 in Agriculture through Borders College, while working for Bielgrange Ltd in Dunbar;
• Jon O'Connor from Rothesay in Argyll & Bute has been doing a National Certificate in Gamekeeping through UHI North Highland while working on Argyll Estates;
• Lara Fell from Bathgate in West Lothian has been doing a National Certificate in Horse Care at SRUC Oatridge and now works for Keith Dalgleish Racing
• Lori Smith from Bixter in Shetland has been doing a Modern Apprenticeship in Aquaculture through UHI Shetland, while working as a Fish Technician for Scottish Sea Farms;
• Max Morrison from Stonehouse in Lanarkshire has been doing an SVQ in Land based Engineering Ground Care through SRUC Oatridge, while working as an Apprentice Engineer for the Hamilton Ross Group in Renfrewshire;
• Naomi Ramsay from Ormiston in East Lothian has been doing an HND in Agriculture through SRUC Oatridge;
• Nia Hunter from Weisdale in Shetland has been doing an SVQ in Agriculture through UHI Shetland, while working as an Apprentice Farmer for A & D Hunter at Scatsta Farm on Shetland;
• Robert McGee from Forfar in Angus has been doing a Skills for Work Land-based Industries qualification at Dundee and Angus College;
• Shannon Leask from Quarff in Shetland has been doing an SVQ in Horticulture through SRUC Elmwood, while working as a Garden Centre Assistant at Plantiecrub Garden Centre in Shetland;
• Stewart MacDonald from South Uist has completed a National Certificate in Gamekeeping through UHI North Highland;
• Victoria McKigen from Torphichen in West Lothian has been doing an Advanced Certificate in Horse Care at SRUC Oatridge, while working as a Yard Assistant for the Scottish National Equestrian Centre;
• Working with Rivers is a partnership brought together by NatureScot involving 14 employers from across riparian management sectors, and which provided 20 trainees with three-month placements to work on river restoration and habitat management.

Liz Barron-Majerik, Director of Lantra Scotland commented:

“We are all very proud of the role that the ALBAS play in highlighting the achievements of new entrants and career changers in our sector, and in showing people the benefits of skills development and partnership working.

I’d especially like to congratulate this year’s finalists who are going through to the ALBAS ceremony in March and wish them good luck but would also like to say well done to everyone who was nominated, as that in itself is worthy of recognition.

We are also very grateful to the independent panel of industry figures who do the judging, to training providers and employers who submit the nominations, and of course to all of our generous supporters who make our event possible”.

Tickets for the evening are available from Lantra Scotland on 01738 310164 or scotland@lantra.co.uk

Lantra’s work in Scotland is supported by the Scottish Government.