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Volunteer with us
Supported by volunteers, the National Trust for Scotland protects, cares for, shares and speaks up for Scotland’s magnificent heritage. Volunteers contribute their time, experience, skills and enthusiasm, enabling us to do so much more for the places in our care.
We’ve got a wide range of projects across Scotland that are suited to all ages. That’s why we have volunteers aged from 4 to 94!
As Scotland’s largest conservation charity, we have a huge ongoing responsibility to nurture our natural landscapes, preserve our stunning islands, support our rich wildlife, tend our beautiful gardens, maintain our magnificent castles and conserve the numerous national treasures in our care. That’s a lot of ground to cover but it does mean there are lots of fun and rewarding projects that you can get involved in.
You can support us through volunteering in many different ways – including joining a team of gardeners, sharing your love of history as a guide, learning about conservation, and looking after beautiful landscapes with a ranger team – and we can offer flexible ways of getting involved.
Hear from one of our volunteers on what inspired them to join the team, and what they do:
Transcript
Two speakers: Kiran Angadi and James Henderson
Kiran
Hi, I'm Kiran Angadi and I am delighted to be a volunteer gardener here at Crathes Castle.
I just moved into the area and I came around the garden with my mother.
I could immediately tell this was a special garden.
It's a magical place.
I encountered the head gardener, believe it or not, on that first visit and I asked him if there was any volunteer opportunities, and he said there were.
So, I started work in the January and I've been here almost two years now.
It's been amazing, I've enjoyed every minute of it.
One of the great benefits of volunteering here is the fact that you get to meet people from all over the world.
You feel really proud when people tell you what a great garden it is.
It's a great sense of achievement because whatever you're doing, you're making something better.
It's also great because we're such a team here, and working as part of a team is one of the great benefits.
They're a super fun bunch here.
It's been great getting to know people, especially because I'd only just moved here.
The staff here are so amazing -- they teach you everything you need to do, and they really make you feel like you're part of the team.
I got to prune a rose for the first time, which is a huge learning curve, but now I walk past it as it's flourishing and I'm so thrilled to see it.
Volunteering is always a good idea because it's giving back to the community.
The National Trust for Scotland has a whole range of different opportunities, for people of all abilities, and all passions.
And the pride that you feel, that you've contributed to making a place better, is always going to be a good thing.
James
Hi, my name is James Henderson.
I'm the Operations Manager for Aberdeenshire South.
I'd like to thank Kiran and all the other volunteers at Crathes here.
It's fair to say we literally couldn't do what we do without them.
In the North East in particular, 50% of our team are made up of volunteers.
That's a staggering statistic, and I think it's just indicative of the support that we get from the local community.
I never cease to be amazed at the effort these people put in.
So, on behalf of myself and the North East region, but also the National Trust for Scotland as a whole, I'd like to say thank you very much.
We really appreciate what you do.
Our Volunteer Handbook 2024
pdf (5.524 MB)
Download a copy of our Volunteer Handbook, which contains lots of helpful information about volunteering with the National Trust for Scotland.
For a list of our currently available volunteering roles, please view the Volunteer Opportunities page below.