Jackie Bird becomes a ranger for the day at Glencoe

Jackie said: ‘The opportunity to experience the wet, wild and wonderful landscape of Glencoe NNR from the perspective of the rangers who do amazing work to care for this special place was too good to miss – even in some very dramatic Scottish weather conditions.’

She continued: ‘It demonstrates the need for this vital conservation work to continue as well as the importance of the generous support provided by National Trust for Scotland members and donors. Without that, none of this would be possible.’

In addition to the invaluable support from our members, the work taking place at Glencoe has been strengthened by generous funding, including support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery. Since 2014, players of the lottery have raised over £2.5 million for the National Trust for Scotland to support its work to enrich and protect Scotland’s landscapes and wildlife. At Glencoe, this support has helped with habitat restoration projects as well as expanding the team to bring in additional rangers like Lindsay Warner. Lindsay is tasked with ensuring that visitors experience the glen’s stunning scenery and wildlife without leaving a negative impact, while also entertaining and educating them about Glencoe’s history and nature on the Land Rover Safari Experience.

Figures from our ranger team show an 18% rise in 2023 in the number of tent campers and a 10% rise in the number of campervans/motorhomes stopping overnight. The rangers have engaged with around 600 people this year, chatting with campers and sharing useful advice on how to ‘leave no trace’. Although this has helped to reduce the amount of littering and irresponsible behaviour in the glen, unfortunately some visitors still leave their mark. Trust staff and volunteers have carried out over 200 hours of litter picking so far this year, collecting more than 200 bags of waste.

Emily Bryce, the National Trust for Scotland’s Operations Manager at Glencoe, said: ‘It’s been great to welcome Jackie to Glencoe and have her experience life as one of our rangers. Their work is essential to our mission of balancing sustainable tourism and access alongside conservation of the flora and fauna that make this special place home.’

Head of Charities at People’s Postcode Lottery Laura Chow said: ‘We’re thrilled that players are able to support organisations like the National Trust for Scotland in their efforts to care for some of our country’s most important and iconic landscapes. Scotland’s National Nature Reserves are home to a diverse range of rare and remarkable plant and wildlife, so it’s great to see the benefits of player support in action. Funding is supporting vital projects such as habitat restoration, species monitoring, and visitor engagement, and is helping to protect these incredible locations for future generations to come.’

Support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery’s Love Our Nature project and other organisations, visitors, members and donors ensure the delivery of the National Trust for Scotland’s vision of nature, beauty and heritage for everyone. These projects contribute to our 10-year strategy, launched in 2022, and support our conservation objectives to stabilise and improve the condition of our estate, enable nature to flourish and enrich Scotland’s protected heritage.

NatureScot’s Better Places Fund, together with many private individuals, has also supported wider conservation work at Glencoe, with funding used to employ seasonal rangers. These seasonal rangers bolster the team during the busy season to assist with daily duties carried out on the nature reserve, such as camping patrols and visitor engagement.