Gillian Fraser, Gardener
A love of all things outdoors and a qualification in Horticulture brought Gillian to the position of gardener at the Scottish Police College.
Gillian spent several years working as an assistant manager in a supermarket but knew her heart wasn't in it and that she wanted to be somewhere else. As Gillian explained her green fingers were not always so evident.
"Working in the supermarket just wasn't for me and I decided to join my dad who has a plant hire company. I worked there for just over three years delivering work platforms around Scotland. I had no experience of gardening and it wasn't until my dad passed away that I decided on the spur of the moment to get a qualification in horticulture. I took a year out and did a National Certificate and the rest as they say is history.
"Work at the College is extremely varied and busy. I get involved in all aspects of estates maintenance such as grass cutting, planting, hedge cutting, road sweeping, greenhouse duties, dealing with an unexpected emergencies and flower arranging for events that are held here. By far the biggest challenge is getting outdoor work done while the weather is favourable! Machinery breakdowns can hold up production too.
On hot summer days, many of us have no doubt wished to have a job which exposes us to the great outdoors and Gillian agrees.
"The best thing about this job is the freedom of being outside, the nature about here is fabulous. There is so much wildlife in and around the college from squirrels to oyster catchers, not to mention the changing of the seasons. The grounds are beautiful and I love the variety of the job. It's a really friendly place to work which makes it the ideal job for me."