Visitor Services

JOB PURPOSE

To provide operational coordination and supervision of visitor services and associated teams, within Crathes Castle, in line with the Trust’s policies, priorities, performance standards and targets, contributing to the enjoyment of the property by visitors and members, helping to ensure commercial, financial, and conservation objectives are achieved.

The Visitor Services Supervisor at a Trust property plays a pivotal role ensuring that the management objectives are achieved through excellent customer service and, with delegated responsibility for visitor services and supporting with duty management, is very often the “face” of the Trust to visitors and suppliers. As such, s/he directly influences public perceptions of the Trust and is crucial to developing and maintaining the property’s local/national reputation.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Support the Visitor Services Manager with the recruitment; induction; development; and management of all visitor services employees and volunteers such that they understand and are equipped to fulfill their roles to the standards required and that they feel valued, respected and supported, and that staffing budgets are adhered to.
• Instil a Health & Safety culture across the property, ensuring the team work within the properties Risk Assessments to reduce risk of incidents and accidents to volunteers, employees and visitors.
• Support the day to day financial administration at the property, including cash/till reconciliation, day-end and week-end reports and reporting of working hours for payroll, as required. Provide holiday and sickness absence cover for completion of the banking processes and financial reporting, as required.
• Support with the delivery of the events and functions strategy with support of the Visitor Services Manager.
• Create a culture of ‘exceptional service, every time’. Ensuring high standards of delivery and a consistently warm welcome.
• Drive the visitor services experience to achieve financial targets, maximising income and profitability, using the Trust’s procedures and instructions. You will strive to be efficient and ensure cost effectiveness in all the work you do.
• Ensure the cornerstones of the National Trust for Scotland are achieved at all times, namely, conservation, access and memorable visitor experiences for all guests.
• Ensure high standards of presentation at all times, you may have delegated tasks within other departments, and you will understand and help deliver your overall properties business plan.
• Support with the opening and closing and security of buildings as well as emergency procedure implementation, duty management and providing relief cover, as required.
• Ensure that the property meets statutory and company requirements of Health and Safety, Food Safety and Environmental legislations and procedures including Waste Disposal and Allergens.

What we do? Buccleuch is a diverse and innovative business with a passion for sustainable land use in rural Britain. At Bowhill House, one of our four unique heritage destinations and a hidden treasure in the Scottish Borders, visitors are spoiled for choice. They can enjoy a woodland walk, marvel at our beautiful gardens, explore the adventure playground, take a guided tour, and treat themselves to home baking and delicious lunches in the Old Kitchen Café or refreshments from The Horsebox.

The role? This is a varied, hands-on role supporting the planning and delivery of events, activities and educational visits at Bowhill House. You will help coordinate bookings, respond to enquiries, prepare spaces and materials, support event set-up and delivery, and play an active part in ensuring our visitors enjoy a warm, professional and memorable experience. Alongside administrative responsibilities, you will also be part of the duty management rota, supporting seasonal colleagues, working outdoors when required, and helping to keep visitor services running smoothly. We envisage this as a full-time role, but are open to applications from those who would prefer to work four days per week. Weekend working is essential during our busiest periods, with occasional evening cover required for events.

The person? We are looking for a confident, professional and well-organised individual who enjoys working with people and thrives in a busy visitor-facing environment. You will bring creativity, initiative and a positive, can-do approach, with the confidence to support practical tasks, coordinate activities and respond calmly and professionally to changing priorities. Strong communication skills, good IT ability and attention to detail will be important, along with a genuine enthusiasm for creating engaging experiences for visitors, schools and groups. Experience in visitor services would be a real advantage, and an educational background or experience developing and delivering activities for children or young people would also be beneficial.

Why work for us? This is a fantastic opportunity to work with a great team in the stunning surroundings of Bowhill House. We offer excellent benefits including private health cover, six weeks’ holiday, gym and shopping discounts, and wellbeing related support and resources.

How to apply? Please visit our website at www.buccleuch.com/work-with-us/ and click on ‘download information pack’ under the relevant job title for more detail on the role and how to apply. If you decide that this is the role for you, click on ‘Apply Now’ and remember to include a covering letter along with your CV.

The closing date for applications is 15 July 2026.

Please view our privacy policy at https://www.buccleuch.com/privacy-cookies/

What do we do? With 1,000 acres of history, walks, wellness, shopping, food and adventure, all in a beautiful setting just a few miles from Edinburgh, Dalkeith Country Park is enjoyed and valued by locals and visitors from afar. Whether in search of adventure, play, thrills, food, shopping or restoration, we have something for all.

The role? Caretakers work within the Park’s facilities team to help ensure that operations run smoothly. On a day-to-day basis, this will include general repairs and maintenance, setting up and clearing down event and meeting spaces, and maintaining high standards in toilets and public areas.

This is a full-time role, operating on a four-days-on, four-days-off shift pattern, from 7.30am to 6.30pm (averaging 35 hours per week). Occasional additional or night cover may be required.

The person? You will enjoy practical work and take pride in doing a job well. We are looking for candidates who have experience in a caretaking, facilities or maintenance role, or can demonstrate strong practical skills and the confidence to handle a range of repairs. A positive, friendly and helpful attitude is required to work in our visitor-facing environment, and a full UK driving licence is essential.

Why work for us? We offer excellent benefits, including private health cover, six weeks of holiday, gym and shopping discounts, a cycle to work scheme, and wellbeing-related support and resources.

How to apply? Please visit our website at www.buccleuch.com/work-with-us/ and click on ‘Download information pack’ under the Caretaker job title for more details on the role and how to apply. If you decide that this is the role for you, click on ‘Apply now’ and remember to include a covering letter along with your CV.

The closing date for applications is 9 July.

Please view our privacy policy at http://www.dalkeithcountrypark.co.uk/privacy/

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE
To help maximize our visitors’ enjoyment of National Trust for Scotland managed sites by maintaining excellent standards of service, optimising opportunities to generate income, and ensuring that the site and its assets are safe and secure.

Specifically, to provide an efficient, reliable service and high standards in collections care and general cleaning at the property. The post holder will work independently on a variety of tasks to help achieve a high level of presentation throughout the property and its associated collection and will work as part of a wider team of employees and volunteers helping to support the property where necessary.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Collections Care
 To carry out a wide range of collections care duties as directed by the Visitor Services Supervisor Collections Care in line with current NTS best practice.
 Care for the collection of furniture, ceramics, metals, textiles, other objects and historic interiors on site.
 To undertake general conservation housekeeping tasks to ensure standards of care are maintained within the property.
 Assisting with a deep conservation-clean of collections & property and setting up/putting property to bed pre/post season opening.
 Assisting with continued documentation of the collection to ensure collections records are maintained and up to date in line with NTS collections management procedures.
 To help identify those items at risk or requiring specialist attention/remedial conservation and bringing to the attention of the Regional Conservator for Edinburgh & East.
 Help to ensure the NTS Integrated Pest Management regime is in place and monitored.
 Help to ensure Emergency Plans and related equipment is up to date.
 Work with conservation volunteers and take an active role in staff and volunteer training in liaison with your line manager.
 Ensure collections care cleaning and conservation materials are available, properly maintained and stored in accordance to NTS standards.
 Support the Trust’s obligations to minimise impact on the environment, through efficient use of water/heat/light, recycling and the disposal of waste, considered use of transport.

We are seeking a motivated and professional Gardener and Grounds Person to join our friendly gardens team. The role involves taking care of the grounds maintenance for the Caravan park and Blair Castle Gardens. This is an exciting opportunity to work in a renowned and historic environment where you will be working alongside guests and visitors.

Main responsibilities and duties:

The chief share of the role is mowing and strimming.
You will be operating commercial size ride on and pedestrian mowers. Use of garden machinery as necessary including pedestrian mowers, strimmer’s, hedge cutters, tractor and trailers, and other plant machinery.
Further assistance to the garden team will involve maintaining beds and borders in the surrounding gardens and other occasional landscaping tasks.
Upholding professional standards within a public environment to ensure the grounds are kept to a high quality.

Experience required:

Essential:

Operating powers tools including but not limited to mowers and strimmer’s in a professional environment.
Minimum one year’s trade experience.
Clean UK driving licence.

Desirable:

Knowledge of machine maintenance, both 2 and 4 stroke machinery.
First aid training.
Spraying tickets – ideally PA1 & PA6.
Hedge Cutting experience.
Chainsaw experience.

Employee benefits

Attractive, competitive salary, supported by an excellent company pension scheme. Other benefits include free tickets to: Atholl Gathering and Highland Games and Blair Castle and Gardens. Discounts off: The Larder, Castle Gift Shop, Restaurant, fishing and more. Join in on great social and wellbeing initiates including, a staff book club, summer BBQ, fireworks BBQ and quiz nights.
If this sounds like the role for you, apply now and seize this incredible opportunity to join our team.

Application process:

Please email enquiries or your CV to Teal at teals@atholl-estates.co.uk