A gamekeeping lecturer at UHI North Highland wants to encourage more women to pursue rural careers in the natural world.
Sophie Clark, 27, grew up in the harbour village of Kinlochbervie in the north-west of Sutherland.
From an early age, Ms Clark wanted a job which would involve having a positive impact on the natural environment around her.
She said: “Kinlochbervie was and still is an idyllic place to live and the community is very close-knit.
“I’ve always known I wouldn’t want a job that involved sitting behind a desk all day. I love the outdoors and I always want to feel that I’m making a difference.”
Ms Clark made the decision to enroll in the gamekeeping and wildlife management course at UHI Highland in Thurso and has “never looked back” from that moment.
Gamekeeping involves managing countryside areas used for shooting or fishing with around 3,000 gamekeepers currently working full-time in the UK.
In very remote parts of Scotland, gamekeepers also restore peatland, manage moorlands and plant riparian woodlands to protect salmon spawning pools.
‘Nothing more heartening’
Ms Clark has now become Scotland’s first female gamekeeping lecturer and wants to use her position to urge more women to pursue careers in the natural world.
She said: “I became a lecturer to help encourage more young people and women to pursue a rural career – whether as a gamekeeper, a ghillie or a land manager.
“There are huge opportunities to protect the natural environment and encourage biodiversity while also remaining in your home village and supporting your community.
“The role of a gamekeeper has changed immeasurably in recent years with far greater emphasis on conservation, and in my opinion, this opens the door to more women coming through.
“There’s nothing more heartening than to see lapwing nesting on the land you manage or to hear the beautiful call of the curlew when up on the hills. That’s thanks to gamekeepers providing a rich habitat for wildlife to thrive.”
‘Extraordinary number of wildfires this year’
Alongside her career as a lecturer, Ms Clark also works as a firefighter in the Highlands where she says wildfires are a frequent problem.
“There is always a need for firefighters in the Highland region – it’s another job where you can make a difference and help the local community.
“This year there has been an extraordinary number of wildfires breaking out and gamekeepers are often first on the scene of a wildfire.
“There are so many aspects to rural conservation – I’m in talks with starting a local deerstalking group for women and I help out with sea bird surveys.
“I hope many more women will feel confident about working in land management or gamekeeping. If I can do it, anyone can,” she added.
