An exciting (but slightly outdated) announcement! At the start of summer, I successfully interviewed for a new role as a Lecturer in Ecology at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC). I’m now six weeks into my new job and loving it!

A big part of the appeal is that the staff have all been so lovely and helpful. From lunchtime gossips to helping set up classrooms to meme-filled Whatsapp group chats, I feel like I’ve struck lucky with all my new colleagues! The work itself is also an exciting change – smaller class sizes mean I can give my students more attention and support, which is super rewarding. I am teaching a more diverse range of subjects, including venturing back into the terrestrial realm! Requires a bit of extra reading, but this already paying off through interesting facts and new research ideas.

Of course, a big side bonus of this new job is the location… Not only back in Scotland, but back to my hometown of Aberdeen! It is wonderful to be back near family and friends, especially after the lockdown restrictions of the past 1.5 years. We’ve moved to a small village on the coast, and Monty dog is loving his daily beach walks! We’ve been practicing his “watch” command in anticipation of new wildlife-watching opportunities! We’ll make a marine biologist of him yet!

So whilst it was sad to leave Portsmouth, we are very much looking forward to new adventures up north!