JOB PURPOSE
To ensure that the garden, grounds and related policies of Culzean Castle are managed and maintained as a nationally-recognized garden of outstanding historical and horticultural importance; contributing to the property’s overall conservation and development, and its enjoyment by visitors and supporters.
The role of ‘Gardener’ as a key member of the Culzean team will be heavily involved in the development plans of the garden and wider designed landscape.
CONTEXT
Culzean Castle & Country Park:
The National Trust for Scotland’s (the Trust’s) property at Culzean is located on the Ayrshire coast of the Firth of Clyde, some 19 kilometers south of Ayr. The estate has been in existence since the 16th century and comprises the former seat of the Kennedy family – Culzean Castle – together with the core 228 hectares of Cassillis and Culzean Estate. The 5th Marquess of Ailsa, with the Trustees of the 4th Marquess, gave the Castle, some of its contents and the designed landscape to the Trust in 1945. Culzean became Scotland’s first Country Park in 1969 under the Countryside (Scotland) Act and is managed by the Trust. The centerpiece of the property is Culzean Castle, acknowledged as Robert Adam’s masterpiece in the Romantic Castellated style, matched by its sublime cliff top site. The designed landscape contains a rich variety of features, including some by Adam, such as the Viaduct and the Home Farm, to complement his design for the Castle, and is important also for its gardens, policy woodland plantings and natural heritage.
The Castle and Country Park is the most significant property in the ownership of the Trust in terms of scale of business, investment and profile and is currently undergoing an extensive period of investment and development to establish it as one of Scotland’s leading heritage visitor attractions.
Culzean Castle Garden:
The gardens and designed landscape at Culzean have been independently assessed as being of outstanding significance. They feature at the highest level across all categories in the benchmark Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland managed by Historic Scotland – one of only 5 sites in Scotland to do so.
The extensive formal lawns of the Fountain Court, the planted south-facing Terraces and the Orangery are focal points for visitors crossing the Viaduct to the Castle, and feature frequently in photographs of the property. The Walled Garden – which lies to the south-west of the Castle – is double in construction. Its northern half is managed as a production walled garden with soft and top fruit, vegetables and cut-flowers as well as extensive herbaceous borders; it is in the process of redevelopment with an emphasis in increasing the range of production an enhanced visitor experience. The South Walled Garden contains impressive fruit ranges (Peach House and recreated Vinery) but otherwise is more ornamental; the display here is also undergoing redevelopment and extension. A woodland garden called Happy Valley extends behind the walled garden and contains a number of built features relating to the productive history of the landscape as well as specimen trees, rhododendrons and a selection of exotic woody plants. The garden team also maintains a number of other small amenity plantings throughout the park as well as holiday cottage gardens and other public areas.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
The Key Purposes of the job will be met by:
1. Undertaking practical maintenance of the garden (e.g. managing trees and shrubs, herbaceous plants, and bulbs; turf care; pest/disease/weed control; staking, plant nutrition, composting and soil improvement to the required standards expected by the Trust and for the maximum safety of, and enjoyment by visitors including other professionals in the horticultural industry;
2. Fostering positive relationships with local communities and organisations and promote the work of the Trust.
3. On occasion, supervising and working with volunteers and/or staff members to ensure they deliver required outputs at the appropriate standard, and gain benefit/satisfaction from their activities;
4. Demonstrating self motivation, organizing, planning, and prioritizing and good time management;
5. Undertaking such other reasonable duties as may from time to time be required to ensure the smooth running of the property as required by the Head Gardener.
6. Ensuring compliance with the Trust’s health, safety, and environment policies and procedures.
