Helping It Happen Awards honour deer stalking trainers at 10 years

A women-led deer stalking training company was among the winners as the Helping It Happen Awards marked their 10th anniversary in Edinburgh on Thursday night. Hind Sight, which teaches deer stalking, butchery, rifle safety and ecology in courses led entirely by women, received one of the night’s three Heart Awards at the Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) ceremony.

Who won at the 2026 Helping It Happen Awards?

Emma Ruxton of the Royal Northern Countryside Initiative was crowned Rural Champion, taking a £10,000 prize presented for the first time by the Royal Countryside Fund to mark the awards’ 10th year. The charity helps young people understand farming and food production.

The Award for Outstanding Contribution to Rural Scotland went to Lady Claire Macdonald, the cook and food writer who championed locally sourced Scottish ingredients long before it became fashionable. The Conservation Award went to the River Dee Trust for its One Million Trees initiative, planting for critically endangered Atlantic salmon and freshwater pearl mussels in the Cairngorms.

The fieldsports thread through the winners

Alongside Hind Sight, which is preserving countryside skills while opening deer management to an under-represented demographic, the Rural Property Award went to Penicuik House, whose hospitality income funds landscape restoration on the wider ground, and a Heart Award recognised Philiphaugh Garden and Events, the Borders sporting ground whose walled garden now employs local people and welcomes thousands of visitors. Organised by SLE with headline sponsor NatureScot, the ceremony has honoured 94 recipients since 2017, backed by 1,000 case studies from across rural Scotland.

What did the organisers say?

Sarah-Jane Laing, chief executive of Scottish Land & Estates, said: “At a time when rural Scotland faces significant economic, environmental and social challenges, these awards demonstrate the scale of innovation, resilience and leadership being shown by individuals, businesses and community organisations across the country.”

Claudia Rowse, NatureScot’s deputy director of green economy, said: “This year’s nominees reflect the positive and sustainable work that so many individuals, estates, farms and rural businesses are doing to support their communities and nature.”

What happens next

Other winners included Crown Estate Scotland, Charlesfield Farms, forester Jillian Kennedy as Rural Rising Star, the Royal Highland Education Trust, Change Mental Health, Neidpath Farms Agroforestry, Ovis Wool Pellets and Farmstrong Scotland’s Blether Together podcast. The full winners’ list is on the Helping It Happen site, and nominations for the 2027 awards open next year.