never thought I would find a job that allowed me to combine my love of the great outdoors with an opportunity to develop a professional career in an entrepreneurial environment. But here I am, based in Perth – the gateway to the beautiful Scottish Highlands – and in my first year as a graduate rural surveyor within a global property company.

Savills is multidisciplined so as a rural graduate you quickly gain an overview of the whole sector. There are limitless opportunities to learn from colleagues in land and rural property, as well as from experts in aspects ranging from commercial investment to residential agency.

My route into rural surveying was certainly not conventional. I began working life as an outdoor instructor in the Cairngorms, believing that one day I might just become the next Sir Ranulph Fiennes. But, aged 25, I reckoned it was time to grow up and I undertook a business degree at Edinburgh University, before joining the MSc Real Estate course at Glasgow University. There I immersed myself in weighty issues such as development economics, finance and investment and global markets.

However, during my Masters, I took up a placement in Savills rural property department in Glasgow, and it was there that I realised that there was an opportunity to bring two of my passions together: the Scottish countryside and property. Rather than managing flats, offices and shops, I could look after rural assets, from forests, farms and salmon rivers to steadings, cottages and grand estates.

I was gaining invaluable experience and making some great contacts with the Savills team and their clients, but all good things come to an end including this temporary placement and it was back to the books. My wife was offered a sabbatical year as a doctor in Melbourne so off we went, and I completed the second year of my Masters via distance learning, which I interspersed with a bit of adventurous travel, kite surfing, sailing and climbing.

Half way through our year in Australia, I was delighted to be invited to interview for a permanent position at Savills. So I jumped on a plane back to the UK, swapped my shorts for a sharp suit and was put through my paces by three rural property directors in a cold Scottish boardroom. Thankfully, the five-day return trip of 20,000 miles and a temperature shift of 35 degrees paid off and I joined Savills rural team in Perth as a graduate rural surveyor in September 2015.

Fast forward to my first day: I arrived at Savills Perth office at 4am to begin a 50-mile charity cycle for Countryside Learning, and realised that from this moment on there would be no ‘typical day’ at Savills.

In the pub or at dinner parties I am often asked what I do. I say I manage farms and estates, but really that just scratches the surface. I can be out in the countryside valuing a chicken shed or reviewing a tenancy for a farming client, organising chainsaw training for staff on an estate or assessing the development potential of an old farm building.

My team’s client portfolio is incredibly diverse, with both arable and livestock farms and estates of all sizes: I love visiting our clients on their own turf and getting to know the people who work there, from the landowners and farmers to gamekeepers and ghillies. It really is important to be able to adapt and to get under the skin of a property; it's the only way to understand the client's objectives and challenges and be in a position to offer solutions and seek out opportunities.

Each day I’m given more responsibility but there is plenty of training available and always someone around to help if I need it. I’m currently focusing on estate management as part of my rural traineeship, but I’m not yet sure where I will end up as there is so much left to learn.

Life as a rural surveyor is proving to be challenging and diverse and I am pleased to have found this career – even if it was via a circuitous route.

Further information

View details of all Savills Graduate Schemes