Ranger Service

The Ranger Service was established in 1999 to help visitors to Holyrood Park and Linlithgow Peel to have a safe and enjoyable visit.

Rangers are now also based at Skara Brae within the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site.

The rangers
The rangers have a wide range of duties which include patrolling, surveying, assisting the emergency services and providing visitors of all ages with an opportunity to learn about the many different aspects of the sites including history, wildlife and folklore. Rangers often hold special events at other Historic Scotland sites and within the local community.

Free rangers-led events
The Ranger Service run various events throughout the year for all the family.
These events include themed walks, children's activities, teddy bear’s picnics and Easter specials and aim to raise awareness of the different aspects of our parks.



The ranger service has a flexible approach to working with schools offering a programme of structured activities and self-led visits linked to curricular guidelines. Rangers will be pleased to work with teachers to develop tailored activities suitable for individual classes.
In our work with schools, we aim to:

1. promote understanding of the wildlife, geology and history of the sites
2. encourage a sense of ownership and commitment to the future of the park amongst local school children
3. develop a greater understanding of environmental issues among young people.

Holyrood Park Education Centre
An education centre is available for use by schools, with or without a ranger. It provides wet weather accommodation, toilets and classrooms which are fully equipped for our activities.
If you would like to use the centre, please contact us at least 4 weeks in advance.
Our educational service also extends to College and University groups.

Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site
The World Heritage Site Ranger Service offers a free education service to schools, collages and community groups to promote understanding of the natural, cultural and historic environment of Orkney.

All the topics we offer are flexible and designed to be adapted to the particular requirements of individual groups.

Examples of topics popular with school visits

• Archaeology and History – indoor or outdoor, explore 5000 years of Orcadian history. For example: Neolithic villages, tombs and standing stones as well as brochs, Norse and Pictish settlements and many more.
• Walk on the Wild side – guided walks around the WHS and look at the different birds, wildflowers and the lochs of Stenness and Harray.
• Walk on the Shore – explore the beaches and shore lines of Orkney.