Lantra Scotland has unveiled the finalists for Lantra Scotland’s Awards for Land-based and Aquaculture Skills (ALBAS) due to take place on 5 March 2026.

Horticulture trainees Maya Lowe and Sarah Forbes have been short-listed for the Awards, alongside youth worker Anna Johnson and college lecturer Nigel Gibb.

Johnson, a horticulture and outdoor learning youth worker for outdoor learning at Selkirk High School was nominated for her “outstanding commitment, expertise, and passion in supporting young people through hands-on outdoor learning and land-based projects,” says her nominator Maddy Pope.

Forbes also comments on her acheivement:

“I’ve always been passionate about nature, and the chance to work with it alongside Scottish history felt extraordinary. Changing career to work outdoors, with my hands and the soil, grounds me every day and lets me support ecosystems.”

“The ALBAS play a vital role in promoting careers within the rural sector, celebrating the achievements of learners and highlighting the importance to employers of investing in skills,” says Lantra Scotland.

Finalists of the ALBAS 2026 were selected by an independent judging panel made up of figures across the sector including David Knott from The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and Emma Staniforth, work-based learning manager with forestry and land Scotland.