A working holiday may sound like an odd idea, but you’d be surprised – the National Trust for Scotland’s Thistle and Trailblazer Camps offer more fun, excitement and achievement than you’d ever have on the average week off. If you’re passionate about conservation, getting outdoors, or simply enjoy getting your hands dirty, then read on – you could make a real difference to Scotland’s natural heritage.
Thistle Camps are residential working holidays based at National Trust for Scotland properties that help the NTS, Scotland’s leading conservation charity, to conserve and manage the historic locations under its care. Campers will live and work in some of Scotland’s most remarkable and remote places over a week or so of exciting and rewarding experiences. No prior experience is required for most of our camps, as work is always fully explained and techniques always demonstrated. The camps are made up of eight to twelve volunteers of many ages and backgrounds. As Thistle Campers you’ll be sharing your accommodation, be it a basic bothy or a luxury farmhouse, with your fellow campers, chipping in on the communal tasks of cooking and cleaning.
Our Thistle and Trailblazer Camps continue to increase in popularity and to help all of you aspiring campers find places we are increasing the number of camps we run for the fifth year running. Some highlights for 2013 include:
- Our first ever Archaeology Trailblazer (for 16 & 17 year olds) based at our fabulous House of Dun property.
- An extra Bat Camp for 2013 – on top of our existing Aberdeenshire Bat Camp, Culzean Castle has decided to follow suit and is playing host to one of its own in June
- We are returning to Falkland Palace after many years away with two new camps, one each in the spring and autumn, where we will be helping establish the Wildlife Project, a major push to improve the wildlife potential of the garden.
- We continue to feature excellent opportunities to experience archaeology up close and personal in some of Scotland’s most historic places. This year is no exception as we’ll be running a new pure archaeology camp on Iona in September.
From lowland gardens to wild mountains and remote romantic islands, there’s a vast range of working holidays for you to choose from.
Please note: Thistle Camps may be showing availability but due to the accommodation we use camps may be full for one gender whilst having places available for the other. At present we cannot indicate this distinction on our website.
