A WORKER who fought off hundreds of applicants from around the world to land his dream job as caretaker of an uninhabited island has been given the go-ahead to sue his employers for constructive dismissal.
Edward Glenwright resigned from his post as custodian of idyllic Inchcolm Island earlier this year after raising fraud allegations against a ferry operator.
He claims the allegations were not properly investigated, causing him to lose confidence in his employers, Historic Scotland.
He also claims the public body failed to provide him with a safe place of work after he made the disclosure, forcing him to return to face those he had accused of criminal activity.
Lawyers acting for Scottish Ministers, on behalf of Historic Scotland, tried to prevent the employment tribunal from going ahead, claiming there was "no reasonable prospect of success".
However, the judge in the case, Murdo MacLeod, ruled the claim should be allowed to proceed.
Judge MacLeod said: "It is my judgment that the claimant is entitled to a full hearing on the merits in this case based on the claims currently before the tribunal.
"It cannot be said, in my judgment, that the claims have no reasonable prospects of success, nor, for completeness, that the claims have little reasonable prospects of success."
He added that it was in the interests of justice that the case proceeds to a full hearing.
The post on Inchcolm Island attracted 647 applications, from people as far away as South Africa and America, when it was advertised at the beginning of last year.
Nature lover Mr Glenwright, from Whitby, North Yorkshire, worked a full season on the tiny island in the Firth of Forth from March to October last year.
His duties included bird-watching, liaising with visitors and monitoring wildlife in what he described as the best job in the world.
Speaking months into his post, Mr Glenright, who previously worked in Hong Kong and in the Highlands rehabilitating birds of prey, said: "I've had some good jobs but this is the best I've ever had. There aren't many places to live where you can see seals every day."
His only complaint was poor TV reception and a lack of running water. He said: "There is a well at the bottom of the garden and I pump water into a tank in the loft so that I can have a shower. The island being where it is and having no drinking water can cause a logistical nightmare."
However, his delight at landing the job soured when less than a year later he resigned after making the fraud claims.
The allegations are understood to have been investigated by Historic Scotland, who have previously said they took "action that was deemed appropriate".
Mr Glenwright went on to swap his idyllic role for a post helping to look after water buffalo in Romania in sub-Arctic conditions over last winter.
He has been reported as saying: "Living on Inchcolm was the best job in the world. "But being responsible for 170 water buffalo in freezing Romania, I'd recommend to anyone."
A Historic Scotland spokesman declined to comment on the tribunal ruling as the case is ongoing.
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