The Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET)
RHET Ayrshire & Arran Countryside Initiative
Taking the Classroom to the Countryside!
In December 2010, pupils from Newmilns Primary School in East Ayrshire wrapped up
warmly for a snowy trip to the farm. The day at Dumfries House was organised by The
Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) as part of their ongoing mission to give every school
pupil in Scotland the opportunity to visit the outdoors and learn about food, farming and the
countryside.
“Farmer Jim” Holden gave the P4 pupils and teacher Mrs Copland a tour and talked to them
about beef and sheep. They had the opportunity to watch Farmer Jim herd some sheep with
his Kelpie dog, Oz. This class had previously visited a dairy farm and had won this free farm
visit with their farm project at the recent Newmilns Show.
“Woodland Bill” Russell (Dumfries House) led the children on a wildlife walk. They
negotiated the maze to reach the newly built cob house where they learned about the army
camp that used to be on that site. In the outdoor classroom (which stands on stilts) they had
an unusual maths lesson with calculations involving the legs of arachnids and gastropods
and did some bark rubbings.
A highlight of the day for these wildlife detectives was spotting some tracks in the snow - and
the hare that made them! For many of the children it was a rare treat to visit the countryside
and, despite it being the coldest day of the year so far, everyone enjoyed their day.
Louise Welsh, Agriculture Manager at Morrisons added: “We were delighted to have the
youngsters from Newmilns Primary visit our farm on the Dumfries House estate.
“The farm, combined with our supermarket business focused on fresh food, means we’re
well placed to send out a positive message to young people about where their food comes
from.”
Susan MacDonald, RHET Ayrshire & Arran CI Project Co-ordinator said “The pupils had a
great time on the farm and in the woods on a cold, snowy day. I am so pleased that, even in
winter, both children and teachers can enjoy getting out to the countryside to learn about
rural topics.”
All RHET resources and services are free to schools in Scotland. Run as a charity, RHET
receives core funding from the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland
(RHASS), with other operating costs covered by funds from a number of trusts, companies
and funding organisations, including SNH, Lantra, NFU Mutual Charitable Trust and the
Scottish Government.