ESTATE ACTIVITIES


Proactive promotion W


hile some landowners have never forgiven the BBC for its highly successful Monarch of


the Glen TV series for giving the public a stereotypical, outdated and ridiculously romantic image of life on a Highland estate, new research shows that they only have themselves to blame! The research, carried out on behalf of the SRPBA and Scottish Estates Business Group (SEBG) to understand public perceptions of land ownership in Scotland, shows there is a serious disconnect between the public’s view of the countryside and the part that landowners play in its management and conservation. The study concludes that much more proactive engagement is needed by landowners and estates to show the public how their activities nurture “the great outdoors” and support local communities. The large majority of the public certainly appreciates and enjoys Scotland’s rural land and they even take pride in its natural and cultural heritage, but they are mostly unaware of the landowners’ stewardship input.


Making the most of your assets


How landowners and estates can take a proactive approach to publicising the positive work they do in the countryside:


LOCALLY ◆Use personal contacts, local press and “ambassadors”, such as regular visitors and estate staff, to foster a sense of caring and sharing of natural resources. This should include


42


Research indicates that landowners need to blow their own trumpet more to show there’s more to estates than simply ‘hunting, shooting and fishing’


Indeed, when asked to say how much they know about the roles of Scotland’s estates and landowners in the countryside, two thirds said they knew “very little/ virtually nothing” or “nothing at all”. In fact, the research highlights a general collective view that people believe it is nature itself that shapes and maintains the landscape! Few would think to question how Scotland’s countryside would look if left untended, which means that landowners are unlikely to be recognised as the real guardians of the countryside. However, this represents a real public relations opportunity for landowners, as the research shows the public is very supportive of activities that help enhance the quality of the countryside and promotes sustainable development of communities. This would be a very rich vein of goodwill to mine for landowners if they can only


announcements of specific initiatives such as open days, events etc. Use this as an opportunity to convey a sense of welcome, shared benefit and shared responsibility. ◆Use physical signposting wherever possible to actively script and direct the public’s welcome. ◆ Foster and promote links with schools and young people that can build awareness of the countryside, educate on the contributions of estates and engender positive appreciation among future generations.


do more to publicise their work and show how it benefits the countryside. The research report states: “There is an evident appreciation for the rural landscape among the Scottish general public and perceived need for ensuring some form of custodians are in place to tend to it.” This is supported by the research where 94 per cent of people questioned agreed that Scotland’s rural land and countryside is an important part of our tourism offering. Some 93 per cent agreed that Scotland’s


rural land and countryside is an asset for everyone who lives in Scotland, and 86 per cent agreed that sustainable rural development is important to the social, economic and environmental prosperity of Scotland.


Although the survey highlighted the


general public’s lack of awareness of land ownership matters, it did illustrate their


NATIONALLY ◆ Use positive PR opportunities to counter occasional media comment on negative issues surrounding access. ◆Develop a consistent branding such as one of the straplines tested in the research that can be used in support of individual estates’ brands. ◆ Post your estate activities on the ‘You're Welcome’ website which is run by SRPBA and the SEBG. It’s a great source of information for the public about estates and it’s free. www.enjoyestates.org


FOR EXAMPLE: ◆ Sharing Scotland’s rural heritage ◆ Providing free access for all in the Scottish countryside ◆ Enjoy Scotland’s countryside ◆ Welcoming people to Scotland’s countryside ◆ Caring for the Scottish countryside.


Note: ‘Custodians of Scotland’s countryside’ was also positive, but the term custodian has connotations of pretentiousness and aloofness.


LANDBUSINESS ISSUE 36 JUNE-JULY 2010 WORDS: TIM POWER


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56