Annie McKee, Doctoral Student
- MSc in Sustainable Rural Development, University of Aberdeen
- BSc (Hons) in Geography, University of St Andrews
Annie joined the Centre for Mountain Studies in September 2007 as part of the ‘Sustainable Estates for the 21st Century’ PhD studentship team.
Under the supervision of Professor Martin Price and Dr Charles Warren (University of St Andrews), her PhD aims to examine the role of private landownership in facilitating sustainable rural communities in upland Scotland, focusing on identifying best practice in community engagement and the practical steps required to ensure sustainability.
Private sporting estates continue to dominate Scotland’s uplands, and their owners have greatly influenced those living and working on their land. 21st Century land management however, has received little attention in academic literature. Furthermore there has been little consideration of the impact of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 on landowner-community dynamics and minimal discourse on the contemporary ‘estate community’. In an attempt to reverse these knowledge gaps and contribute to Scottish policy on ‘sustainability’, Annie has conducted in-depth case studies on six ‘good practice’, upland, privately-owned Scottish estates. She has explored her research questions through a 'triangulated' method of household questionnaires, interviews with 'key actors' in the local community and estate management, as well as participant observation, recorded in a case study diary. On each estate, Annie has lived and worked with the estate community for 2-3 weeks, volunteering in local pubs, village shops, cafés, community centres, community groups and fundraising events, as well as doing various jobs with estate maintenance staff, gamekeepers, gardeners and housekeepers. This ‘ethnographic’ approach has generated a unique and rich understanding of the threats and opportunities facing rural communities and private landowners in upland Scotland, as well as the key role that private landowners' play in the sustainability of these communities.
Annie aim’s to feedback individual case study findings to each case study estate and interested community members, to hopefully benefit estate-community initiatives. ‘Rural stories’ from case study fieldwork will be translated into best practice recommendations for mutually beneficial landowner-community partnerships that promote estate sustainability. Annie hopes that these recommendations and the findings of her case studies will contribute to policy guidance and support for the future management of Scotland’s estates.
Reports and Publications
McKee, A.J. and Warren, C.R. (under review) The Scottish revolution? Evaluating the impacts of post-devolution land reform Journal of Rural Studies.
McKee, A.J. (2009) Sustainable Estates for the 21st Century Crosscurrents – Kincraig Community Magazine, Christmas 2009: 18-19.
McKee, A.J. (2008) Sustainable Estates for the 21st Century LandBusiness 27 (September 2008): 25.
McKee, A.J. (2008) ‘Sustainable Rural Communities – A think-piece for the MacRobert Trust, Tarland, Aberdeenshire’ Unpublished report, August 2008.
Conference papers, presentations and posters
McKee, A.J. (2009) The role of private landownership in facilitating sustainable rural communities in upland Scotland. UHI Postgraduate Research Conference, Environmental Research Institute, Thurso, 4-6 November 2009. Poster and oral presentation.
McKee, A.J. (2009) The role of private landownership in facilitating sustainable rural communities in upland Scotland. Paper presented to the New and Emerging Rural Researchers session. Royal Geographical Society-IBG Annual International Conference, 26-28 August, Manchester. [View abstract]
McKee, A.J. (2009) Sustainable Estates for the 21st Century: research dilemmas. Presentation at the International Comparative Rural Policy Studies Summer School, Inverness, June 2009.
McKee, A.J. (2008) Engaging with our communities. ‘Communities on the Edge?’ – Landowners’ Conference, 18th November 2008, Floors Castle, Kelso. Workshop facilitator.
McKee, A.J. (2008) The role of private landownership in facilitating sustainable rural communities in upland Scotland. UHI Postgraduate Research Conference, Scottish Association for Marine Sciences, Oban, 5-7 November 2008. Poster and oral presentation.
McKee, A.J. (2008) Sustainable Scottish Estates for the 21st Century. Presentation at ESRC/RSGS Advanced Research Training in Human Geography, Kindrogan Field Centre, 30 August – 2 September 2008.
Calvert, A., Glass, J.H., McKee, A.J. and Wagstaff, P.K. (2008) Sustainable Estates for 21st Century Scotland: An integrated study of upland estates and their role in sustainable development. Poster presented at UHI – Perth College Degree Show, 12 June 2008. [View poster]
Unpublished theses
McKee, A.J., 2007. ‘What is a ‘sustainable rural community’ and how do we achieve it? A case study of Monymusk, Aberdeenshire. Dissertation presented for the degree of Master of Science, University of Aberdeen.
McKee, A.J., 2005 ‘Public perceptions of deer management on the Mar Lodge Estate’. Dissertation presented for the degree of Bachelor of Science (Hons), University of St Andrews.