Loch Lomond from Inveruglas
Regular volunteering opportunities
Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park has a volunteer programme with activities designed to help you gain valuable experience, build skills, and of course, have fun and meet new people! You can register your interest for the time being and look out for more information about future opportunities soon, including a Young Volunteer programme.
Whatever your skills or interests, from drone photography to blogging, habitat restoration to identifying plants, you could get involved with the Scottish Invasive Species Initiative (SISI). This project offers a range of volunteering activities in several regions across the north of Scotland.
If you love Scotland’s forests, look no further than volunteering with Forestry Land Scotland. There are chances to get involved with everything from building and maintaining mountain bike trails, to volunteering at a visitor centre, or keeping the sites clean, tidy and litter-free.
The Wild Oysters project is aiming to restore Britain’s seas to health through the restoration of the native oyster. The team have oyster nurseries set up at both Largs Yacht Haven and Fairlie Marina which need monitoring on a monthly basis. This is a great way to get involved in helping to protect local waters and the biodiversity that lives within through volunteering.
At the John Muir Trust, a love of the wild outdoors is the only pre-requisite! When the organisation returns to regular operations, get involved with tasks such as the running of the Wild Space visitor centre in the Perthshire town of Pitlochry, or regular conservation work parties.
Join the Knoydart Forest Trust to help eradicate non-native species such as rhododendrons from the peninsula in the north west of Scotland. This vital work helps the woodlands to recover and recolonise.
The RSPB offer hundreds of volunteering opportunities across Scotland that allow you to get hands on to save nature and create a positive impact on the environment. They offer flexible and residential volunteering opportunities, so there's plenty of way to get involved.
Red squirrel
© Neil McIntyre
Join the quest to save Scotland’s red squirrels. These crafty creatures need your help to protect their habitats! The Scottish Wildlife Trust is accepting applications for volunteers who are passionate about the squirrels and can offer various services for a few days per month.
Help keep your favourite park looking clean and tidy with MyParkScotland. The organisation offers a wide range of ways to get involved with your local parks and recreational areas.
Help take care of some of our beautiful landscapes and fascinating buildings with National Trust for Scotland (NTS). They regularly advertise volunteering opportunities from gardener to guide, ranger to beekeeper!
Handa Island
© @katielousunshine
There are lots of volunteering opportunities on the Isle of Handa, an island in the north west, just off the coast of Sutherland in the Highlands with Scottish Wildlife Trust. It’s a stunning nature reserve, home to an abundance of wildlife. You can volunteer here for a month or there are a series of ranger placements which are longer term.
NatureScot has opportunities at many of Scotland's National Nature Reserves to help improve our natural environment and inspire others to care for it. Check their website for how to find a variety of volunteer roles.
Embrace the opportunity to live on the west coast, whilst learning and protecting whales and other marine mammals. Based on the Isle of Mull, there are numerous roles available with Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust depending on your experience, including research and education assistants, lighthouse volunteers, work experience and live aboard data collection.
Killantringan and Knock Bay
One day volunteering opportunities
Protect the planet as you paddle Tayside’s waterways with Litter Free Paddle Trips. What could beat a day of free kayaking?! Make new friends as you keep the east coast waters sparkling clean. Keep an eye out for future days out on the water.
Keep Dumfries & Galloway’s coastline as clear as can be with D&G Eco Warriors, a group who organise beach cleans in the area. Keep Scotland Beautiful also arrange beach clean days across Scotland, so you can care for your coasts wherever you are!
Loch Affric
© VisitScotland / Paul Tomkins
Week-long opportunities
Revitalise the wild forests of the Highlands with Trees for Life. The Conservation Weeks are fully booked for spring 2023, however look out for further opportunities with these week-long volunteer holidays, as well as volunteer days and other events. In the meantime, you can plant a tree or donate to the cause.
Please keep checking the organisations’ websites in advance for future volunteering opportunities as these are all subject to change.
DONATE TO A CAUSE OR JOIN A CHARITY
Why wait for your working holiday or volunteering day? You can always donate to these charities and help and protect Scotland’s beautiful landscapes, wildlife and natural habitats.
