Deputy Gardener

Job Titles: Deputy Gardener
Responsible to: Senior Gardener

Salary: Up to £23k per annum depending on skills and experience. 

Background 

We are a thriving, commercially-managed estate on Morvern, owned by the Raven family, and spanning some 30,000 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 19^th century, Ardtornish has a walled kitchen garden which incorporates an orchard, several polytunnels 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.

Principal Tasks 

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

Ensuring the conservation, practical maintenance and development of the 25-acre garden.  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. Plantsmanship, including: Identification, recording and labelling of individual plants and more notably our extensive rhododendron and eucryphia collection for which our garden is renowned.

Essential Criteria – Requirements for the post holder

Relevant Experience: 3-5 years hands on experience

Knowledge of working in a rural; remote environment

Experience in the full range of horticultural practices

Experience in using and maintaining a wide range of machinery, tools and equipment

Qualifications/training: salary would be dependent on these

Minimum of NVQ level 2 in horticulture or equivalent/relevant experience

Chainsaw license

PA1 and PA6A Pesticide Certificate

Strimmer’s; Brushcutters; hedge cutters and scarifiers

Full clean driving licence

Special Knowledge:

Ability to identify trees and shrubs

Ability to use a wide range of mowing equipment including ride on mowers

Disposition/attitude:

Able to work within a team

Able to demonstrate a commitment to a high standard of customer care

The capability to produce work of a consistently high standard

Physical Requirements:

Capable of carrying out manual tasks sometimes of a physically demanding nature in all weather

Desirable Criteria – Additional requirements relevant to the post

Up-to date Health & Safety qualifications

Experience of driving utility tractors, telehandlers and other plant

Licence to tow a trailer

Working conditions

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

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

To Apply

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