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Under Gardener

Employer
Ardtornish Estate Company Ltd
Location
Highland and Western Isles
Salary
Up to £20,000 per annum + accommodation
Closing date
18 Jun 2022

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Experienced under gardener

Renumeration package:

Up to £20k per annum depending on skills and experience. Other benefits include a work place pension and 30 days holiday per annum.

It is anticipated that the post holder will live on the estate, so housing inclusive of council tax is also included.

Reports to:

Head Gardener

Purpose

Ardtornish seeks to strengthen its team by appointing an experienced Deputy Gardener, to provide practical support for the gardens’ enterprise.

Background

We are a thriving, commercially-managed estate on Morvern, owned by the Raven family, and spanning some 35,000 acres wrapped around the beautiful banks of Loch Aline. Our diverse business includes renewable energy, tourism, woodland and property management, and farming.

Established in the 19th century, the estate has a walled kitchen garden which incorporates an orchard, several poly tunnels producing fruit, vegetables and flowers, a prominent 25-acre garden that surrounds the Grade A-listed Victorian mansion house, and numerous holiday-let gardens, along with the wider estate hedges and trees.

Company Mission Statement

To run a profitable and business-like estate, to maintain and enrich its natural and cultural heritage, and to develop sustainably its value for the benefit of both the family and the community. To keep the place in good heart, to make it somewhere that feels, looks and is healthy, happy, enterprising and well run. To promote it to visitors and the wider world. To see its natural assets of landscape, wildlife and an increasingly strong community as the foundations of its business success and to ensure that any development does not degrade or erode them.

Duties and responsibilities

Kitchen Garden

  • Responsible for productive growing of all the fruit, vegetables, cut flowers and plants in our 1.5 acre walled garden. To provide a year-round vegetable box scheme to clients visiting our thriving holiday-let enterprise, to the wider local community, and to the estate’s small retail outlet.

Ardtornish Gardens

  • All aspects of practical horticulture to include: managing trees and shrubs, roses, herbaceous plants and bulbs; turf care; pest, disease and weed control; composting and soil improvement; hard-landscaping; path care, plant propagation; tree care, arboriculture techniques.

General

  • Work in a safe, secure and compliant environment including appropriate use of PPE.
  • Ensuring a high standard of customer service as our gardens are integral to the Ardtornish visitor experience.

Qualifications, skills & knowledge

  • A genuine passion for horticulture is essential as is having a flexible approach to work
  • Knowledge of growing fruit and vegetables desirable
  • Basic general all round garden maintenance - including hedging and lawn/turf care
  • Plant identification, propagation and knowledge of pest & diseases desirable but training can be given.
  • Excellent communication skills ideally in a horticultural context.
  • Basic knowledge and experience operating a variety of garden machinery including lawn mowers, strimmer’s and leaf blowers in particular
  • The successful candidate will hold a suitable formal professional qualification in horticulture and landscape management or equivalent with practical experience in horticultural techniques.
  • Chainsaw certificates desirable
  • PA1 and PA6 spraying certificates is desirable but not essential
  • Applicants must hold a full UK driving licence with category E for towing trailers.

Working conditions

Based in the West Highlands of Scotland, with much time spent outdoors, year-round in all-weather conditions.

The nearby village of Lochaline is a thriving community and offers fantastic education opportunities for those with young families.

In addition to this position, we welcome volunteers throughout the year.

Physical requirements

The role is physically demanding and requires good health and fitness levels.

Closing date: 18 June 2022

Please apply in writing with a CV and a covering letter outlining your suitability for this position and send to: kenny@ardtornish.com or by post to the address below.

Kenny McLaughlin

Ardtornish Estate Company Ltd

Morvern

Argyll

PA80 5UZ

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