“I have been with the Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels for nearly seven years, and I’ve accumulated more qualifications working here than I left school with.”
So says Laura Raeburn, currently front of house manager at the Kingshouse Hotel in Glencoe, a position she achieved after taking part in the Crieff Hydro group’s SCQF accredited Hospitality Supervision and Leadership course.
Laura was speaking on the occasion of five more trainee managers completing the Level 7 qualification, which was delivered over a year-long programme giving them a range of skills and experience in each department of their hotels, as well as opportunities to work at other venues within the Crieff Hydro portfolio.
As with Laura, on completion of their training, participants are going into guaranteed managerial positions with the group.
This year’s successful students are Jasmine Ritchie, Shania Beaty, Georgia Williamson, Ellie Anderson, and Vianney Lemoine, who were presented with their certificates by group CEO and chairman Stephen Leckie and director Fiona Leckie at a recent celebratory dinner held at Crieff Hydro.
Mr Leckie said: “My sincere congratulations goes to Jasmine, Shania, Georgia, Ellie and Vianney as they take the next steps in their careers within the group.
“Our teams continue to lead the way in nurturing new talent within Scotland’s hotel and hospitality industries, and our trainee managers programme is a real testament to that.
“I look forward to watching each of these individuals grow and continue to develop their skills and knowledge within their roles in the years to come.”
Laura herself graduated from the programme in 2022 after being inspired by her mum to embark on a career in hospitality.
“When I finished high school, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do,” she admitted. “University wasn’t an option, so I was stuck thinking: what’s next for me?
“Thankfully my mum Caroline – who is the hotel manager at Peebles Hydro and has worked there for over 30 years – encouraged me to get a job in the hotel’s restaurant, and I instantly fell in love with hospitality.
“I progressed on to become a food and beverage supervisor before moving across to reception, where I found my passion for working in front of house,” recalled Laura.
The 24-year-old, who is originally from Peebles, relocated to Kingshouse Hotel when the venue re-opened in 2019, and soon decided she wanted to take the next steps in her career.
She said: “My mum’s boss and general manager Patrick Diack at Peebles Hydro initially told me about the trainee managers programme, and he along with my mum encouraged me to go forward for the course.
“The course gave me a fantastic insight into every department within the hotel and helped me discover which areas I enjoyed working in the most. It also definitely helped having my mum’s guidance – she is without a doubt my biggest role model.
“There were definitely some departments I was more nervous about working in than others – the kitchen being one of them,” conceded Laura.
“However, looking back, it was undoubtedly one of my highlights – not only was it lots of fun, but it was really interesting for me to see how the kitchen operates and how it ties in with what goes on front-of-house.
“The advice and support we received from the leadership team throughout was utterly invaluable.
“Having the opportunity to get some one-on-one advice from Stephen and Fiona Leckie was amazing, and something which I’ll continue to treasure throughout my career in hospitality,” she said.
“I have been with the Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels for nearly seven years, and I’ve accumulated more qualifications working here than I left school with.
“I would recommend a career in hospitality to absolutely anyone – it’s equipped me with skills for life that I know I will carry with me forever.”
