Simon Milne, who has been Chief Executive of the Scottish Wildlife Trust for nearly 10 years, will be moving on in February to take up the role of Regius Keeper at the Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh.

Allan Bantick, the Trust's Chairman, said:

“We congratulate Simon on his appointment to this prestigious role, which bears testament to what he has achieved at the Scottish Wildlife Trust. An enormous amount has been achieved over the past 10 years under Simon's leadership. During this time, the Trust has grown in influence, impact and membership and has led the effort to protect Scotland's wildlife, through a combination of practical conservation, campaigning and an increasing number of partnership projects.

“Our amazing network of 120 wildlife reserves remain at the heart of what we do but under Simon's leadership, and with the hard work and commitment of our members, supporters, partners, volunteers and staff, the Trust has taken conservation beyond the boundaries of wildlife reserves, undertaking ambitious projects for the benefit of people as well as wildlife. This includes the Coigach – Assynt Living Landscape project, recently awarded £3 million by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the largest project of its kind in Europe.

“Another of the highlights has been the Trust's role in the Scottish Beaver Trial, bringing the beaver back to Scotland 400 years after it was hunted to extinction. This, along with our pioneering work to save Scotland’s red squirrels, has really captured the public's imagination and created a lot of interest in the Trust's work.

“Among our many other activities, the Trust's network of members’ groups, children’s groups and Visitor Centres continue to inspire people about wildlife and we are proud to have fought for better legislation to protect wildlife, including the Marine (Scotland) Act and the banning of dangerous pesticides. As we move into our 50th Anniversary year, Simon will certainly be leaving the Trust in a strong position for the future.”
 
Simon, who joined the Trust during its 40th Anniversary celebrations in 2004, will publish a message in the New Year to mark the beginning of the Trust's 50th Anniversary Celebrations and thank supporters for all that they have helped the Trust to achieve during his time with the charity.

For updates on the recruitment process, please visit the website.