Lantra Scotland’s ALBAS 2026 winners revealed at glittering ceremony

Scotland’s top land-based and aquaculture trainees were celebrated at Lantra Scotland’s ALBAS (Awards for Land-based and Aquaculture Skills) at the Crieff Hydro Hotel in Perthshire.

Over 200 finalists, event supporters, employers, training providers and industry leaders attended a glittering awards ceremony, hosted by horticultural magazine publisher, writer and podcaster MT O’Donnell.

Industry awards were made for agriculture, aquaculture, environmental conservation, equine, game and wildlife, horticulture, land-based engineering, trees and timber and veterinary nursing.

As well as prizes for Overall Winner, Runner-up and Modern Apprentice of the Year, there were awards for Higher Education, Pre-Apprenticeship, School Pupil, Secondary Schools, Research Project, the Carstairs Mentor Award, the Tam Tod Trophy for outstanding young learner, and the Anna Murray Award for Partnership Working.

Winners and runners up for ALBAS 2026 were selected by an independent judging panel made up of influential figures from across the land-based and aquaculture sector, comprising: Alix Ritchie, Programme Director of Farmstrong Scotland and a farmer in Perthshire; David Knott, Curator of Living Collections, The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh; Emma Staniforth, Work-Based Learning Manager with Forestry and Land Scotland; Jennifer Allison, Senior HR Business Partner with Bakkafrost Scotland and Scott Mason (Chair of the panel), Land Services Officer with Stirling Council.

The evening’s highlights included Summer Edmond receiving the much-coveted Overall Winner Award, the highest accolade of the night, as well as a Higher Education Award for degree-level study. Summer has been studying for a BSc in Equine Science at SRUC Oatridge while running her own business, Cavalier Clipping. She said:

“It’s amazing to win an ALBAS award and to be chosen as Overall Winner is incredible. Thanks to Rowan Tweddle for nominating me and all my tutors at SRUC Oatridge, my family and to Lantra Scotland for presenting me with these awards.”

Overall Runner-up was Betheny Millar from Jedburgh in Roxburghshire, who also won the Agriculture Learner of the Year and Modern Apprentice of the Year Awards. Betheny has been doing an SVQ in Mixed Farming through Borders College while employed as a Farm Worker and Attraction Manager at Kersheugh Farm in Jedburgh. Betheny said:

“Winning an ALBAS award is an incredible feeling, and to be Overall Runner-up is more than I could have hoped for. I’d like to thank Gillian McFadyen my tutor at Borders College for nominating me, and my employer Jasmine Jackson and the team at Kersheugh Farm for giving me an opportunity to work in this sector.”

The Secondary Schools Award in recognition of schools with exceptional standards in rural skills training was won by Wallace Hall Academy with Pitlochry High School taking the Runner-up spot. Wallace Hall Academy in Thornhill, Dumfries and Galloway, runs a Young Agri Leader programme which empowers pupils to carry out a variety of agriculture-themed leadership tasks using a project-based approach.

The Anna Murray Partnership Working Award went to Pitlochry High School Junior Rangers. The innovative programme sees S2 pupils taking part in 25 days of conservation, learning, and volunteering across the Cairngorms National Park with a broad network of partners. Runner up was the Ash Rise project from the Scottish Furniture Makers Association and OWL.

The Tam Tod Trophy went to game keeping Apprentice Hailey Anderson from Duns in Berwickshire, who was also Runner-up for Game and Wildlife Leaner of the Year. The Tam Tod Trophy is made in association with Countryside Learning Scotland to an outstanding young learner and was created in memory of the late Tam Tod, described as a well-loved gamekeeper, ghillie and lifelong friend of the countryside.

Other prizes on the night included the Carstairs Award for Mentoring won by Anna Johnson who works as a youth worker for outdoor learning at Selkirk High School in the Borders. The School Pupil Award went to Wallace Hall Academy student Iona McVey Thornhill in Dumfries and Galloway.

Dr Liz Barron-Majerik MBE, Scotland Director, Lantra, commented:

“Being part of the ALBAS is a real privilege. It gives us the chance to highlight the incredible people during Scottish Apprenticeship Week driving Scotland’s land-based and aquaculture sector forward, while also encouraging employers to think about the talent they’ll need for the future.

She went on to say: “Everyone nominated should feel genuinely proud. The quality of entries keeps rising, which means tonight’s winners represent the very best in our sector. Their impact stretches far beyond their workplaces, as they support rural communities and help protect the environment we all depend on.

We were delighted to be joined at Crieff Hydro by leaders from across industry and skills organisations, including the Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity, Jim Fairlie, and to have MT O’Donnell as our wonderful host for the evening.

Our independent judges, led by Scott Mason, give a lot of their own time to assess nominations and interview finalists, and it’s only with their commitment that our event can happen.

A heartfelt thanks also goes to our supporters, whose generosity ensures the ALBAS can continue to celebrate learners across Scotland. They are: SRUC, Forestry and Land Scotland, Salmon Scotland, Scottish Land & Estates, Tarff Valley, NatureScot Peatland ACTION, HTA, Land Technology, SAOS, Ringlink, Equido, Bakkafrost, BAGMA, and Trail Consultancy.

And finally, after an incredible seven years of involvement with the ALBAS as Scotland Director at Lantra, I will be moving onto a new role as Chief Accreditation Officer at Qualifications Scotland.

It has been an absolute honour to work alongside my talented colleagues, championing skills and opportunities across the sector, and I’m immensely proud of what we’ve achieved together in partnership with our key stakeholders.”

The ALBAS are organised by Lantra, the sector skills council for the land-based, aquaculture and environmental conservation industries. Lantra’s work in Scotland is supported by the Scottish Government.

ALBAS 2026 winners and runners-up:

ALBAS Overall Winner – Summer Edmond

ALBAS Overall Runner-up – Betheny Millar

Modern Apprentice of the Year – Winner: Betheny Millar

Carstairs Award for Mentoring- Winner: Anna Johnson

Runner up: Nigel Gibb

Anna Murray Award for Partnership Working – Winners: Pitlochry High School Junior Rangers

Runner up: Scottish Furniture Makers Association and OWL for Ash Rise 

Tam Tod Trophy – Hailey Anderson

Higher Education Award HNC – Winner: Sparrow George-Buck

Runner-up: Bex Chirnside

Higher Education Award HND – Winner: Fiona Basford

Higher Education Award BSc – Winner: Summer Edmond

Runner-up: Billy Anderson 

Agriculture Learner of the Year – Winner: Betheny Millar

Runner-up: Reuben Salomons

Aquaculture Learner of the Year – Winner: Craig Findlay

Runner-up: Finley Forwood

Environmental Conservation Learner of the Year – Winner: Tony Marshall

Runner-up: Curtis Donnachie

Equine Learner of the Year – Winner: Amelia Radford

Runner-up: Lydia Emmerson

Game and Wildlife Learner of the Year – Winner: Aaron Roberts

Runner-up: Hailey Anderson

Horticulture Learner of the Year – Winner: Sarah Forbes

Runner-up: Maya Lowe

Land-based Learner of the Year – Winner: Danielle Newlands

Runners-up: Liam Clive and Jack Richie

Trees and Timber Learner of the Year – Winner: Hannah Thomson

Runners-up: Daniel Needham and Abi Skidgmore

Veterinary Nursing Award

Winner: Kristie King

Pre-Apprenticeship Award

Winner: Luke Barclay

Research Project – Winner: Rochelle Kennedy

Runner-up:  Karen Keegan

School Pupil Award NPA Skills for Work

Winner: Iona McVey

Secondary Schools Award – Winner: Wallace Hall Academy

Runner-up: Pitlochry High School

To find out more about the ALBAS, visit www.scotland.lantra.co.uk/learner-year