And the nomination is …

In keeping with the society and attitudes of the time, presidents tended to be men from the landed gentry, beginning with the 8th Duke of Atholl between 1931–42, who in turn was followed by Sir John Stirling Maxwell between 1944–56. Sir John, of course, was one of the founders of the Trust, who famously described it as serving ‘the nation as a cabinet into which it can put some of its valuable things, where they will be perfectly safe for all time, and where they are open to be seen and enjoyed by everyone.’

Although there were times when the Trust made do without a President, such as the long gap between 1956 and 1967, in the past those appointed played a direct part in the charity’s governance. These arrangements were modernised in 2011 and reviewed again in 2013 in the run-up to a new Act of Parliament, which succeeded the establishing Acts that gave the Trust its statutory powers and functions.

Nowadays, the President’s role is primarily to act as an ambassador and as a representative of the 317,000+ people who make up our membership. The President’s tasks are to raise our public profile and to act as a communicator, explaining what we do and why we’re a charitable cause, in doing so rallying support and offering encouragement to our volunteers and staff. In effect, the President acts as an advocate for conservation and the heritage we care for. The only semi-formal responsibility that remains is for the President, when available, to chair our Annual General Meetings.

My fellow Trustees and I are delighted to announce the candidate to be our next President: journalist and broadcaster Jackie Bird. If this is endorsed at the AGM on 24 September 2022, Jackie will be the Trust’s first female President.

Find out more about our 2022 AGM

Jackie has long been a thoughtful and committed friend to the Trust, recently hosting our acclaimed series of Love Scotland podcasts. I am absolutely positive she will be of great value to us both in representing the Trust and in communicating to a wider public.

As Jackie herself says: ‘The prospect of becoming the President of the National Trust for Scotland isn’t just immensely flattering, but I hope that as I learn more about the Trust’s work and, most importantly, the experiences and wishes of its members, I’ll be able to pass on that enthusiasm to a new audience who’ve yet to fully enjoy what our wonderful country has to offer.

‘While presenting the Trust’s podcasts during the pandemic, I took a deep dive into our charity’s responsibilities. I confess I had no idea that, as well as caring for the bricks and mortar of history, it has a staggering remit in terms of protecting our natural world. It encompasses flora and fauna, wildlife conservation and even the stewardship of entire islands.

‘As a cash-strapped girl growing up in industrial Lanarkshire, I didn’t see a mountain, a castle or a loch until I was nearly 20 years old. That’s not a sob story but a fact.’

Jackie’s insight gets to the heart of all that the Trust is about. We look forward to her joining us in inspiring many more people to appreciate the cherished places of Scotland and the stories they tell of how we as a people came to be who we are and where we might go in a future beset by the challenges of climate change.