Signpost Surveyor

Purpose of the role

From cast iron ones dating back to the 1880’s to more modern ones, ScotWays has over 3,000 signs on paths throughout Scotland. We keep records of all of them including what condition they are in. Signs occasionally go missing, are damaged, or simply wear out and need attention. By regularly surveying our signs we can keep our records accurate and deal quickly with damaged signs. Your role is to help survey our signs, and to record and report the findings to us.

The activities that you may be involved in include:

• Visiting roadside and off-road signs, some of which may be in remote areas.
• Surveying each sign following a systematic process.
• Taking photographs of the sign, both close ups and to show the location.
• Recording an accurate location for each sign.
• Recording the condition of each sign and identifying any repairs needed.
• Reporting the results of each survey.
• Undertaking a one-off survey or agreeing a group of signposts to check annually.

You will need:

• A desire to improve outdoor access.
• The fitness to walk to your chosen signs.
• Clothing and footwear suitable for practical work.
• Basic map reading skills.
• A smartphone or camera.
• The ability to work alone in a safe and structured way.

We will provide:

• Training in surveying a sign and how to report your findings. The training may be online by self-service webinar or in person.
• A list of signpost locations to survey, to meet your preferred area and number of signs.
• Survey forms.
• ScotWays insurance cover for the work asked of you.
• Reimbursement of agreed expenses.
• The chance to make a different to outdoor access in your local area.
• The possibility of working with others on larger projects.

If you have some spare time and you’d like to help ScotWays with this role, please get in touch with Neil Birch, the Access Officer responsible for volunteering. He will arrange a chat with you and discuss how volunteering for ScotWays works.