Dream Job Alert – Walk Along Beaches on Beautiful Scottish Island

If a picture paints a thousand words, the photograph above of a pristine beach in Scotland's Outer Hebrides might just help explain the attraction of this particular dream job alert.  You'll be expected to walk along the numerous idyllic beaches on the island of Uist and help look after them.   The role of Visitor Management Ranger might not sound too dreamy but the requirements of the job together with the location make this a very cool job indeed.

As the job description details, 'Uist has a unique and fragile environment with designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Special Protection Areas and National Scenic Areas'.  Therefore maintaining this environment for the benefit of residents, visitors and of course the wildlife on the island is an important task.

The Visitor Management Ranger will be expected;

'To help maintain the beautiful beaches, organising weekly beach cleans across the islands and encouraging both locals and visitors to participate will be a main feature of the role. In addition to beaches, any litter hotspots will be identified and cleared during regular patrols of popular walking, cycling and camping locations.

The Hebridean Way is an extremely popular walking and cycling route that runs from Vatersay to Lewis and spans almost 200 miles across 10 islands. A large stretch of the Hebridean Way runs through Uist and the Ranger will be available on the route to help people understand how they can respect, protect and enjoy the special environment. Whilst patrolling the Hebridean Way, an assessment will be undertaken for producing a report that recommends improvements'.

It all sounds wonderful to us with just one drawback, the role is only available for 4 months from the start of July 2022.  Total remuneration for that 4 month period is £9,333 (£28k pro rata) – a very reasonable wage for the opportunity to live in such a lovely place.

Below: a StreetView Image of one of South Uist's ports.  

Apply For This Dream Job Vacancy

If you're interested in applying for this dream job vacancy (and quite frankly why wouldn't you want to apply for it?), here's the link to the website and below we've provided the role's responsibilities, experience required and brief contract terms.

'KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

Plan, organise and host a series of weekly beach cleans across Uist
Patrol hotspots of the Hebridean Way, assisting walkers and cyclists where necessary
Produce a report on the Uist stretch of Hebridean Way with recommendations and costings for improvements required due to high visitor numbers
Interaction with the public to promote the Scottish Outdoor Access Code
Assist the RSPB at the Loch Druidibeg and Balranald reserves as required
Provide ad hoc support to Stòras Uibhist as required

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE

Enthusiastic and with a proactive, positive attitude
Self-motivated with the ability to work alone and with minimal supervision
Previous Ranger and/or conservation experience, or in-depth knowledge of Uist
Experience of community engagement or working with the general public
Ability to communicate effectively, building strong relationships to deliver results
A full UK driving licence with access to own vehicle
IT literate and competent user of Microsoft Office products
Applicants must be eligible to live and work in the UK, and resident in Uist for the contract duration
First aid certificate
Basic Disclosure Scotland check (or willingness to complete)

CONTRACT

Fixed term until 31st October 2022
Up to £28,000 per annum FTE (i.e. £9,333 for 4 months)
35 hours per week and some weekend and evening working may be required
The Ranger must be in post by 1st July 2022 to comply with funding requirements
To apply please email your CV and covering letter to info@storasuibhist.com by 1pm on Friday 3rd June 2022. Interviews will be held by Zoom week commencing 6th June 2022. If you are unsure if you meet the criteria but are passionate about the role, please still get in touch'.