Visitor Services

32 or 40 hours a week (four or five days)

What 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? In this hands-on and varied role, you will welcome visitors and help run activities in our Fort Douglas adventure playground, assisting with children’s birthday parties and other fun-filled seasonal events over Easter, Summer, Halloween and Christmas. Playing a key role in ensuring the needs of our visitors are met, you will respond to enquiries, coordinate bookings, support the coffee cabin, supervise colleagues, and provide general admin support. Regular weekend working is essential.

The person? Friendly, enthusiastic, with an organised approach and an eye for detail, the successful candidate will demonstrate initiative and the ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of people. If you have customer facing experience, good IT & admin skills and an interest in the outdoors then we would love to hear from you. Hospitality experience would be an advantage.

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

How to apply? You’ll find more information about this vacancy on our website www.buccleuch.com/work-with-us/. Just click on the role and download the information pack for full details. 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. Please include details of your preferred number of days in your application.

The closing date for applications is 4 December.

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

Apply now for an amazing opportunity to join our team at The Palace of Holyroodhouse, where your everyday job can become truly exceptional.

Standing at the end of the Royal Mile, The Palace of Holyroodhouse attracts thousands of visitors from around the World, to explore the Palace’s close associations with some of Scotland’s most well-known historic figures and learn how today it is used by The King.

As a Visitor Services Assistant, you’ll welcome visitors from around the world and ensure every visitor has an exceptional experience from welcome to goodbye.

Responsibilities

Provide a warm welcome to visitors, actively engaging with them to enhance their understanding and enjoyment of the Royal Collection, Palace and local area.

Assist in preparing the visitor route before opening by ensuring all areas are clean and tidy, maintaining high presentation standards throughout the day.

Provide exceptional customer service, always maintaining a friendly and professional demeanour.

Be aware about security, emergency, and evacuation procedures ensuring the safety and security of the visitors and the site.

Work collaboratively as a team to ensure the smooth flow of visitors along the route.

Essential Criteria:

Friendly and customer-focussed attitude and great verbal communication skills, you’ll enjoy working with people and take pride in delivering an exceptional visitor experience.

You’ll feel confident initiating conversations with visitors, understanding their needs and providing tailored information and knowledge.

At your best working as a part of a team and with lots of initiative, you can anticipate visitor needs, ensuring the visitor route is managed to a high standard throughout the day.

Pro-active and organised, you can work effectively even when it gets busy.

Additional Information:

We are currently advertising for two roles: Visitor Services Assistants as well as Retail and Admissions Assistants. Please consider which role best suits your aims, skills and experience, as you can only submit one application.

This role will involve standing on your feet for a large part of the day.

The full contract duration will run from 16th April 2026 to 31 October 2026.

You will typically work 37.5 hours per week and be rostered to work 5 days, Monday through to Sunday.

Selection processes are likely to take place on 4 December 2025.

Benefits
Competitive pay of £12.60 per hour rising to £13.45 in April 2026.

Complimentary lunch during your shift.

The opportunity to join a large, friendly, and sociable team.

Benefits including complimentary tickets to Royal Collection Trust sites and a 20% discount at Royal Collection Trust shops.

Seasonal – Full time
Salary: £12.60 per hour

We’re looking for a professional, hard-working and well presented housekeeper to join our wonderful team. The purpose of this role is to assist with housekeeping and conservation duties in all areas of Blair Castle.  As frequent contact with our visitors is part of the daily routine, a smart appearance and a high standard of customer care are expected.

Main duties:

To assist with general housekeeping and cleaning duties, including vacuuming and dusting, working with extra care around antique and museum items in the castle.
Cleaning of all public areas including the castle exhibition.
Daily cleaning and daily maintenance cleaning of visitor toilets.
Cleaning staff room areas and toilets.
Assistance and support to other teams within the Castle enterprise as required.
Comply with health & safety directives and organisational policy, including regular fire drills.
Comply with organisational policy for green tourism and recycling policies.
Attend team meetings and training sessions as required.
Conservation cleaning of castle artifacts throughout the winter.

About you:

You should have a keen attention to detail and take pride in maintaining the cleanliness and care that a historic house demands.
Ability to work efficiently both independently and as part of a team.
Initiative, enthusiasm, and strong communication skills.
An understanding of Health & Safety and COSHH is a bonus.

Benefits:

Attractive, competitive salary, supported by an excellent company pension scheme that includes life cover.
Annual leave scheme.
Great staff events such as a summer BBQ, bonfire night and Christmas meal.
Other benefits include free tickets to: Atholl Gathering and Highland Games and Blair Castle and Gardens. Discounts off: The Larder, Castle Gift Shop, Restaurant, holiday accommodation, fishing and more.
Work in a beautiful castle surrounded by historic woodland, acres of green space and the serene Hercules Garden, perfect for lunchtime walks.

If you are passionate about maintaining high standards of cleanliness and creating a welcoming environment for our visitors, we would love to hear from you. Apply now to be part of our dedicated housekeeping team.

Please email your CV and covering letter to niallg@atholl-estates.co.uk.

Location: Flexible (Scotland. Role can be based at any FLS office. Travel will be required across Scotland)

Salary: £42,467 – £45,735 plus 28.97% employer pension contribution into defined benefits scheme

Contractual hours: 35

Basis: Full time

Region: National

Job reference: REQ1094

 

Working at Forestry and Land Scotland is all about ‘People, Pride and Purpose.’ Join us and take pride in supporting the economy, protecting and enhancing the environment by managing Scotlands National forests and land.

We’re looking for a Visitor Contracts Manager to join our National Visitor Services team. This is a permanent role and can be based at any Forestry and Land Scotland office, with regular travel across Scotland.

The National Visitor Services (VS) Team provides strategic direction and leadership for Visitor Services across Scotland. We deliver the FLS Visitor Strategy, working collaboratively with regional and national partners to enhance visitor experiences and ensure the long-term sustainability of our sites. The team supports five regional Visitor Services teams, covering around 300 promoted destinations including forests, trails, car parks, and visitor centres that attract over 10 million visits annually.

As Visitor Contracts Manager, you’ll play a key role in managing and growing income from visitor operations across Scotland. You’ll be responsible for a suite of commercial agreements covering activities such as catering, retail, recreation, and car parking. Working closely with both national and regional teams, you’ll identify and deliver opportunities to increase income while ensuring our partners and services provide a high-quality visitor experience.

To be successful, you’ll need a proven track record in a commercial role, with experience generating and growing income streams and managing third-party contracts or partnerships—ideally within the tourism, hospitality, or leisure sector. You’ll also have strong financial and analytical skills, experience in contract negotiation and performance management, and the ability to build effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.

Desirable experience includes managing car parking or paid-for services, knowledge of the tourism and visitor attraction sectors in Scotland, and familiarity with Scottish access legislation. A degree or professional qualification in business, marketing, or tourism (or equivalent professional experience) is also advantageous.

You’ll need a full UK driving licence (or suitable alternative) and flexibility to travel throughout Scotland, including occasional overnight stays and weekend work during peak visitor periods.

Please click here to view the full list of benefits of working for us.

If this sounds like a role you’re interested in, we’d encourage you to apply with your CV – please ensure you provide evidence of the essential and desirable criteria detailed in the job description and success profile.

 

 

Closing date: 30 November 2025

Working at Forestry and Land Scotland is all about ‘People, Pride and Purpose.’ Join us and take pride in supporting the economy, protecting and enhancing the environment by managing Scotland’s National forests and land.

We’re looking for a Visitor Contracts Manager to join our National Visitor Services team. This is a permanent role and can be based at any Forestry and Land Scotland office, with regular travel across Scotland.

The National Visitor Services (VS) Team provides strategic direction and leadership for Visitor Services across Scotland. We deliver the FLS Visitor Strategy, working collaboratively with regional and national partners to enhance visitor experiences and ensure the long-term sustainability of our sites. The team supports five regional Visitor Services teams, covering around 300 promoted destinations including forests, trails, car parks, and visitor centres that attract over 10 million visits annually.

As Visitor Contracts Manager, you’ll play a key role in managing and growing income from visitor operations across Scotland. You’ll be responsible for a suite of commercial agreements covering activities such as catering, retail, recreation, and car parking. Working closely with both national and regional teams, you’ll identify and deliver opportunities to increase income while ensuring our partners and services provide a high-quality visitor experience.

To be successful, you’ll need a proven track record in a commercial role, with experience generating and growing income streams and managing third-party contracts or partnerships—ideally within the tourism, hospitality, or leisure sector. You’ll also have strong financial and analytical skills, experience in contract negotiation and performance management, and the ability to build effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.

Desirable experience includes managing car parking or paid-for services, knowledge of the tourism and visitor attraction sectors in Scotland, and familiarity with Scottish access legislation. A degree or professional qualification in business, marketing, or tourism (or equivalent professional experience) is also advantageous.

You’ll need a full UK driving licence (or suitable alternative) and flexibility to travel throughout Scotland, including occasional overnight stays and weekend work during peak visitor periods.

If this sounds like a role you’re interested in, we’d encourage you to apply with your CV – please ensure you provide evidence of the essential and desirable criteria detailed in the job description and success profile.

KEY PURPOSE

To maximise 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 ensure the smooth and safe operations in Admissions, Tours, Retail, Catering and Events activities making the property the best possible place to visit and work.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

To provide a consistently high standard of visitor care at all times

• Welcoming visitors to the site and processing their admission/retail or catering purchase in a friendly, efficient and knowledgeable manner.
• Welcoming visitors with special needs / impairments and providing a high level of service in accordance with the Disability Discrimination Act.
• Welcoming International visitors and aiding with specific needs.
• Welcoming groups in an efficient and warm manner
• Answering visitors’ queries about the site, education facilities and the local area.
• Providing information about the site, its history, contents, offers and merchandise.
• Promoting National Trust for Scotland brand to include our Membership scheme, events, upselling other properties and any promotional campaigns, being proactive in the selling of Membership and Gift Aid.
• Occasional guiding duties: booked group visits or Museum/ Cottage highlight tours for general visitors.
To maintain excellent standards of site and personal presentation at all times

• The general ongoing operational cleaning of all areas as necessary, toilet cleaning, emptying waste bins and as appropriate vacuum cleaning, mopping, sweeping, dusting, and polishing when required.
• Ensuring site is ready to open and
• Welcome visitors by the set opening time.
• Wearing correct uniform, name badges, or PPE as required.
• Reporting all issues of damage and wear and tear, promptly to your Line Manager
• Working in harmony with other departments; housekeeping, gardening, grounds maintenance and site repair employees/contractors.
Financial Responsibilities

• To adhere to all financial procedures to include till operation and banking and safeguarding of monies.

Retail/Catering/Events/Cashier duties

• To ensure good housekeeping of catering kitchens, serveries, back and front of house areas and including dishwashing
• To ensure that retail merchandising is in accordance with NTS policy.
• To assist in achieving site retail/catering/events targets and KPI’s.
• To actively upsell products and services to facilitate the visitor’s enjoyment.
• To actively feedback visitor comments to line managers to develop and improve offer, service, operations.
• To work flexibly across departments and sites as needed.
• To assist with the set-up, stewarding and break-down of events in liaison with the functions and events manager.
• To assist with hospitality events. This includes evening events and staff may be asked to work through into the night hours.
Health and Safety
• To ensure site meets with Health and Safety legislation in liaison with your department manager.
• To ensure that visitors vacate the site at close of business and that the site is secured at end of day.
• To use personal protection equipment as provided and directed by your line manager.