A full-time gardener and caretaker position is available on the Isle of Skye, offering a salary of £25,000 per year along with on-site accommodation. The role is based at Kilmarie House, a 100-acre private estate in the Scottish Highlands, and is being advertised by the Page family.
Job Details and Responsibilities
The successful applicant will be responsible for maintaining the walled kitchen garden, which includes soft fruit and vegetable growing, polytunnels, fruit cages, fruit trees, and herbaceous borders. Additionally, they will manage a two-acre woodland garden featuring rhododendrons, magnolias, acers, and other specimen trees.
Wider estate management duties include fencing repairs, ditch maintenance, and woodland management. Caretaker duties are also required when the family is not in residence.
Accommodation and Benefits
The Page family will provide a recently renovated two-bedroom cottage annexed to the main house. However, the employee must pay for council tax and utility bills. The role includes 20 days of annual leave plus public holidays, a company pension through the NEST scheme, and a housing allowance.
Essential Requirements
Applicants must have a clean driving licence, chainsaw certification, pesticide certification, and quad bike driving skills. At least three years of gardening experience is required, along with machinery maintenance skills for tools such as chainsaws, strimmers, and ride-on lawn mowers. Practical ability for minor repairs around the estate is also desirable.
While not essential, experience with livestock handling would be an asset, as the estate has a small herd of Dexter cattle for conservation grazing.
Living and Working on Skye
The job description emphasizes that candidates must be suited to remote, rural living and should relish the opportunity to live and work in this unique location. The role is advertised on Indeed's website for those interested in applying.
