A lesson in diversity SITUATeD in an area celebrated for distilling, Ballindalloch estate Distillery on Speyside represents a significant investment in a diversification project recognising the history of the estate as well as proving complementary to the existing farming operation, which is world-renowned for its Aberdeen Angus herd. our Inverness and elgin offices were delighted to host a Highland Factors’ lunch at the distillery. Following an introduction to the estate from Guy Macpherson-Grant, the estate owner and visionary behind the new distillery (which produced its first cask of whisky in 2014), our guests, who are responsible for the management of some of the best known Highland and Morayshire estates, had a tour of the distillery and learnt about the ‘single
estate ethos’ which drives the production process at Ballindalloch. Sarah Hazzard, who manages lettings for Inverness-shire and elgin provided an update on Private residential Tenancies, which have had a significant impact on tenancy agreements in Scotland. This was followed by a talk by Philippa Cliff, who discussed forestry and carbon capture opportunities for landowners and lastly Calum Innes updated the assembled team on sporting rates, the reintroduced tax which has been the subject of much consternation. During a lively question and answer session, it became clear that while many estates are in the vanguard of diversification, they face an ever-increasing number of challenges presented by new regulation and legislation.
sector, so Willy enrolled on a post-graduate distance learning course in surveying at Reading University. Six years later he had finished his postgraduate degree and qualified as a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. After eight and a half years running Islay Estates, Willy currently manages Strathmore Estates at Glamis.
“There are so many aspects to managing an estate that means no two days are ever the same. My advice to others would be to always follow a career path that you are interested in.” Since joining Galbraith, Anna has met many colleagues with interesting backgrounds but notably two have struck a chord, possibly because they have both achieved what she is striving for: changing careers in their middle years while raising a family. After 16 years in the Scots Guards, Willy Inglis, above, chose to apply the management training and administrative experience he gained in the Army to land management. It very quickly became apparent that a professional qualification was essential to be able to operate in this
Christian Wroe, below, retrained at Harper Adams University following his previous career managing a polo facility in Abu Dhabi for the ruling Al Nahyan family and training racehorses in Dubai. A young family and the desire to raise them in a rural community brought them to Scotland. He followed the Rural Estate and Land Management postgraduate diploma course at Harper Adams and is now a rural surveyor working for Galbraith.
EDINBURGH RUGBy TACkLES CAREER CHANGE CHALLENGE edinburgh rugby and the Scottish rugby Union have just launched their ‘rugby for life’ programme which is primarily focused on supporting players in their inevitable transition out of rugby. It’s not just for retiring players, it’s also for those who have come up through an academy and may have discovered at the age of 20 they will not after all have the career they dreamed of. This “rugby for life” programme is being rolled out nationally. As a sponsor of the team, Galbraith sees this is as a great opportunity to support and assist those players who are looking for a career change and may wish to join the firm, not just the rural team. Galbraith aims to work with edinburgh rugby to introduce the players to the large spectrum of roles that are available in a company like ours from marketing or accounting to commercial management and estate sales. Alasdair Dickinson and Tom Galbraith recently joined Anneka Fraser and Gareth Taylor in our edinburgh office for work experience in our energy division. They spent a day learning about the role of a surveyor in land referencing, negotiating access agreements, site acquisitions, planning applications, compensation claims, valuations... the list goes on. And by the end of the day they were still smiling! Many skills are easily transferable such as problem solving, strategic thinking, written and oral communication, people management and negotiation. When changing careers into a new field such as land agency it is important to familiarise yourself with your chosen career and immerse yourself in it. A good starting place for a carer as a land agent is the rICS website and industry specific publications and events to gain an insight into the business.
galbraithgroup.com | Rural matters | Summer 2018 | Page 17