Ardtornish is a 12,000ha land holding and rural business on the west coast of Scotland, occupying the south-eastern corner of the spectacular Morvern peninsula in the Highland region, with 21 miles of stunning coastline along Lochaline, Loch Linnhe and the Sound of Mull.
It is a diversified business with environmental, economic,and social sustainability at its core. We have five microhydro schemes with combined capacity of 3.4MW, a tourism business with over 100 beds split between the Grade A Listed Ardtornish House, several holiday cottages and a bunkhouse, a productive kitchen garden, farm shop and long-term residential and commercial leases including the mine run by Lochaline Quartz Sand. Biomass district heating systems supply the mansion house and central buildings complex.
Our land is ecologically important and is managed for the conservation and restoration of nature, the production of sustainable food and fibre. We have both conventional and organic livestock enterprises. We continue to increase the area of woodland and are in the process of restoring areas of degraded peatland to both enhance the land’s biodiversity and improve its performance as a carbon sink. Ardtornish is also host to the Rahoy Hills Nature Reserve, managed in partnership with the Scottish Wildlife Trust.
As a significant landowner, we have a close relationship with the local community. As a large local employer - over a dozen families live and work here – we are preparing a master-planning exercise to assess how best to support the supply of affordable homes.
The Role
Ardtornish requires a Landscape Manager to lead the development and delivery of our integrated land use strategy.
This is an excellent opportunity to join a dynamic and forward-looking business, with a role at the heart of its response to the climate and biodiversity crises. You’ll join a friendly and dynamic team, passionate about Ardtornish and the success of this stunning remote corner of Scotland.
As part of Ardtornish’s Senior Management Team, you’ll report to the Managing Director and board, working closely with our professional advisors and the Ardtornish and Rahoy Hills Ecological Advisory Board.
You’ll be responsible for the management of the wider land management team at Ardtornish.
Key deliverables of the role include optimising the performance of the livestock enterprise, overseeing the transition to a regenerative farming policy; deer
management and large-scale habitat creation and enhancement, delivering our pipeline of woodland expansion and peatland restoration projects; and with the Saving Morvern’s Rainforest initiative, helping to enhance and restore globally important woodlands in collaboration with project partners.
To make sure that Ardtornish keeps pace with the scale or its conservation and restoration ambitions, you’ll help to recruit a Stalking and Conservation Lead to assist with the programme of woodland creation, habitat conservation and restoration. The Stalking and Conservation Lead will be part of your team and report directly into you.
The Candidate
We’re looking for an experienced and ambitious land manager seeking a diverse and challenging role encompassing the management of the businesses farm, forestry, and natural capital.
Good financial acumen, attention to detail, and experience in relevant land management sectors are essential. A related professional qualification would be desirable.
Ardtornish will offer a competitive salary (subject to experience) and the package will include accommodation and a range of benefits.
For information about the role and a full job specification, please contact William Hawes via william@sylvestris.uk or 07915 238 330.
Job Description
Responsible to: Managing Director
Staff responsibilities: Management of the farm staff and Conservation Manager (once appointed)
Other key relationships: Operations Manager; Board chair; Finance Director; Ardtornish Ecological Advisory Board; farming and forestry professional consultants
Location: Ardtornish office
Purpose: lead for the Senior Management Team on farming, woodland, deer management and natural capital with a focus on the transition to a regenerative farming policy and the development of natural capital projects.
Principal Tasks
Income generation
Forestry
Lead on liaison with forestry agents, SGRPID and Forestry & Land Scotland; supervise and facilitate forestry contracts; supervise deer management in woodlands; maximising net income from grants and product sales.
Farming
Line management of Ardtornish and Inninmore livestock stock managers and the agricultural groundworks lead; budgeting, financial control and management accounting; management responsibility for operations, planning and stock numbers, fencing and fieldwork; administration, liaison with SAC, SGRPID, Soil Association; IACS, grants, organic certification, reporting and inspections; grazing leases.
Natural Capital & Ecosystem Services
Working with professional advisors and the Conservation Manager to lead on the development, design and delivery of projects that generate both environmental and ecological net gains, where possible creating new and diversified income streams for Ardtornish while contributing toward our wider ecological restoration objectives.
Conservation & sport
Day-to-day responsibility for the ecology of Ardtornish, managing conservation staff and contractors; management responsibility for deer stalking, legal predator control; sporting lets; management of freshwater fisheries, restoration of the River Aline, fishing dinghies, hatchery construction and operation; control of invasive species.
Enabling
Town and country planning Working with consultants on planning briefs, feasibility, services and local liaison regarding new housing and other development on Ardtornish land.
Insurance
Responsibility for all insurance contracts.
Digital mapping
Leading on development and administration of digital maps and plans.
Representation
To represent Ardtornish in and to the Morvern Deer Management Group, Lochaber Fisheries Trust and Board, CAOLAS, and Rahoy Hills Reserve Management Committee.
Administration
Lead on administration necessary to fulfil the tasks above, including budgeting and management accounting; and as a member of the Senior Management Team to report accordingly to the Chair, Managing Director and Board, attending board meetings.