Are you interested in the future of Scotland’s rural estates and the role the next generation will play in shaping them?

Join us for the brand-new NextGen Game & Estate Management Discussion, sponsored by Strutt & Parker, bringing together industry leaders, estate managers and rural business professionals to explore the future of Scotland’s countryside.

Taking place on Friday 4th July, the discussion will examine the opportunities and challenges facing rural estates, land management and sporting businesses in an evolving economic and environmental landscape.

Chaired by William, Viscount Stormont of the 19,000-acre Scone Palace Estate, the session will offer a unique insight into how Scotland’s rural businesses are adapting for the future and the opportunities available to the next generation.

Whether you have a professional interest in the sector or simply want to learn more about the future of rural Scotland, this free-to-attend discussion promises to be both informative and engaging.

The Future of Rural Estates: How Scotland’s Next Generation Will Shape the Countryside

Scotland’s rural estates play a significant role in supporting employment, businesses and communities across the country. As the sector adapts to changing legislation, climate pressures and shifting economic priorities, ensuring the next generation is equipped with the skills and opportunities to succeed has become increasingly important.

The session will provide valuable insights for estate owners, land managers, farmers, gamekeepers, rural entrepreneurs and anyone interested in the future of Scotland’s rural economy. Attendees will hear from experienced professionals working across the sector and gain a greater understanding of the innovations and opportunities shaping modern estate management.

William Murray, Viscount Stormont | Owner and Strategic Lead of Scone Palace & Estates

Event Details

Date: Friday 3 July 2026

Admission from: 8:30am

Discussion begins: 9:00am

Location: Scottish Venison Cookery Theatre

The discussion is free to attend for all Scottish Game Fair ticket holders, but spaces are limited and advance registration is required. Book your place here

Meet the Panellists

Further panellists joining the NextGen Game & Estate Management Discussion will be confirmed shortly.

William, Viscount Stormont
William, Viscount Stormont Owner and Strategic Lead, Scone Palace & Estates

William, Viscount Stormont is the owner and strategic lead of Scone Palace & Estates, a modern diversified rural family business operating across the tourism, farming, forestry, fishing, and property.

Scone Palace welcomes over one hundred thousand visitors each year and is renowned as the crowning place of Scottish kings with a history stretching back over fifteen hundred years. Macbeth and Robert the Bruce were crowned at Scone, and the last coronation was of Charles II in 1651.

With an undergraduate degree at Durham University, various roles abroad and an MBA from Oxford, William’s formal education and early career in business built the skills required to manage such a large and unique business.

As custodian of the 400-year-old estate using two main visionary principles of stewardship and responsibility, William plans to lead the family business into the next century with generational investment plans to protect and sustain the heritage and history of Scone Palace & estates.

2026 will be the 60th anniversary of Scone Palace welcoming visitors and William and his team will celebrate preserving heritage but also innovation so that the history of Scone is available and accessible for all beyond the next 60 years.

Tom Ham
Tom HamChief Executive Officer, Calton

Tom Ham is the founder of Calton, a financial planning and investment management firm headquartered in Edinburgh with offices in London and the Scottish Borders. After two decades working in national firms, he established Calton to be a business that nurtures long-term client relationships. He now leads a team of experts in retirement planning, tax-efficient investing and succession planning for families and businesses.

Alastair Orr Ewing
Alastair Orr EwingDirector, Scottish Land and Estates

Alastair served for 10 years as an Officer in the Scots Guards and held a number of leadership roles, deploying internationally including on operations to Afghanistan and Iraq. After the Army he started a career working in Private Equity and Venture Capital and has had roles in both investing in and running early stage companies (in turnarounds and growth roles). He is currently the COO of Gitlife Biotech, an early stage company commercialising technology out of Newcastle University. 

In his own time, Alastair runs Cardross, his family’s estate located on the foothills of the Trossachs and bordering the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. Alastair’s family have worked to diversify Cardross which is made up of agriculture, sporting, tourism and events and Cardross is also broadening its conservational and environmental efforts with NatureScot.

Alastair is passionate about sustainable and enterprising land management and enjoys mentoring businesses and their leaders to achieve their goals. 

Dr Nick Hesford
Dr Nick HesfordGame & Wildlife Conservation Trust, Scotland

Dr Nick Hesford is Director Scotland at the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT), where he leads the charity’s scientific, policy, and advisory work across Scotland. A conservation scientist with a background in biodiversity and community ecology, he has worked on a range of applied research projects focused on farmland and upland habitats, birds and wider landscape management. Nick works closely with land managers and policymakers to ensure robust science informs practical conservation and sustainable land use across Scotland.