Aspen Outdoors Ltd

21/06/2024

Well done to St Margaret Mary's on successfully completing their gold practice expedition between Weem and Dunkeld. They are definitely ready for their qualifier!

16/06/2024

Well done to the Shawlands Silver participants, successfully completing their qualifying expedition in the hills to the north of Dunkeld. Excellent team work, navigation, expedition project and campcraft. Well done.

15/06/2024

Navigation Navigation Award training course available for booking, running this Autumn. Bronze (intro to nav), 7-8 Sept 2024
Silver (off-path nav, focusing on contour interpretation, compass skills and relocation) 12-13 Oct 2024
Gold (advanced navigation) 9-10 Nov 2024

https://aspenoutdoors.co.uk/

15/05/2024

Want to improve you navigation skills for hillwalking? New Bronze and Silver National Navigation Award Scheme courses available for booking.

https://aspenoutdoors.co.uk/

25/04/2024

Here's an amazing story from my recent trip to Shetland. On our walking tours we visit Mousa and Sandwick, the site of the ship wreck. The Mousa Boat

That night was the most dark and desperate as I’d lived. For three days and nights, my five crewmates and I had suffered. Since the capsizing of the Naze of Norway, a terrible gale had driven us ac…

25/04/2024

Revised dates and prices for our 2025 Walking Holidays, to Orkney and Shetland. New date in June 2025!

https://scotlandwalking.co.uk/dates-and-prices/

17/04/2024

Up in Shetland now, with three clients. We explored South Shetland: Jarlshof, Mousa and St Ninian's Isle. Gorgeous weather, sunny and bright with light winds. Wonderful.

https://scotlandwalking.co.uk/shetland-walking-tour/

16/04/2024

One of my favourite walks, hiking out to the Old Man of Hoy. The colour of the sandstone is beautiful: red, rusty orange and yellow. Big dramatic cliff scenery! We cycled out to Rackwick Bay from Moaness, 12 miles return, then hiked to the aold Man (3 hrs return). Hoy always features on our Orkney Walking Tour. The 2024 tours are full, but our 2025 tours are up and open for booking. https://scotlandwalking.co.uk/orkney-walking-tour/

We are off to Shetland this evening!

15/04/2024

Today, on our Orkney Walking Tour we went to the Island of Rousay, hiking along the West Ness coast to Scabra Head. This stretch of coastline is packed with archaeological interest: a broch, Viking Hall, Neolithic chambered cairn. Also amazing cliff scenery: lots or caves, arches and holes. Golden Plovers, razorbills, lapwings and another short Eared owl. Amazing place. https://scotlandwalking.co.uk/

14/04/2024

Today was the start of our first walking tour of 2024, the first of 12 tours happening this year, in Shetland and Orkney, Lewis and Harris, Skye and the North West. Today we visited Skara Brae Neolithic village in Orkney, hiked along the coast to Yesneby, caught sight of a Short Eared owl being harassed by seagulls, and petted some Shetland ponies. Off to Kirkwall now for some shopping and sightseeing.
https://scotlandwalking.co.uk/orkney-walking-tour/

18/03/2024

Fine day paddling the river Endrick today, from Drymen Bridge to Balmaha. Checking out a potential gold Duke of Edinburgh's Award route. We'll be running Canoe expeds this year!

03/03/2024

We had both white out and sunshine today on the Meall nan Tarmachan ridge. Much more snow that yesterday. The team of three clients were learning winter navigation skills. Interesting to see so many people retreating off the hill today, not making it to the summit. Poor visibility, ice and snow giving folk second thoughts.

02/03/2024

Excellent weather and winter conditions today I had three clients out today for Winter Skills on Beimm Ghlas.

23/02/2024

Here's a blog about Alan Dorward, Senior Instructor with Aspen Outdoors Ltd , and his journey towards getting ready for the Winter Mountain Leader Award Assessment.

Alan Dorward is a Senior instructor with Aspen Outdoors Ltd. I met up with him mid February 2024 to talk to him about his forthcoming Winter Mountain Leader (WML) assessment, due to take place the …

14/02/2024

Our five day Winter Skills Residential finished today. 14 Gold Duke of Edinburgh's Award participants did so well coping with the cold snowy conditions, learning lots of new skills and making friends. We'll be running it again next year, Feb mid term 2025. See link https://aspenoutdoors.co.uk/winter-skills-gold-residential-2025/

02/02/2024

Our Winter Skills Gold Duke of Edinburgh's Award Residential has been in such demand this year, we've set up a new one for next year: 15-19 Feb 2025, tieing in with the school mid term holiday. It is open for booking (see link).

Aspen Outdoors Ltd will be running a Winter Skills Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Residentials on the following dates; 15-19 February 2025 Experiencing the Scottish mountains in Winter is an amazin…

26/01/2024

A new Gold National Navigation Award Scheme Course is available for bookings on 16-17 March 2024. This course is well-suited for people who want to improve their off-path navigation skills, become competent at interpreting contour lines, and use relocation techniques on the hill.

https://nnas.justgo.com/workbench/public/events?ref=D1238C0CFCF506657FCEB5A7ECA8520D0A655AE0

11/01/2024

Beautiful conditions on Meall nan Tarmachan today. Popped up to check the snow cover, in readiness for winter events this weekend: Winter Skills with Glasgow HF Outdoor Club on Sat and Winter Navigation with a client on Sunday. More winter events to book on to in Feb and March.

https://aspenoutdoors.co.uk/winter-skills-training-2024/

07/01/2024

Just back from a three day trip to the Cairngorms with the objective of practicing snow holing. Not quite enough snow for a snow hole so we build a snow shelter, digging out a sleeping platform, building tall walls to keep the wind out, and we drapped a tarp over the door too.

If you'd like to learn winter survival skills chrck put our winter skills courses, running Feb and March.

https://aspenoutdoors.co.uk/winter-skills-training-2024/

02/01/2024

Aspen will be running Canoe Gold Duke of Edinburgh's Award Expeditions in 2024, open to participants from across the UK and overseas. Check out the web link for more information.

We will be running Open Gold Paddlesport Expeditions in 2024: A Practice expedition on 1-4 July 2024; and, A Qualifying expedition on 8-11 August 2024. Canoes are an amazing way to travel: explorin…

22/11/2023

Want to learn winter hillwalking skills? Aspen is running a series of winter skills and winter navigation training days, this Feb and March 2024. See the link for more information. £75 per person.

Want to go hill walking in winter? Aspen is running a series of Winter Navigation and Winter Skills Training in February and March 2024. Choose from the following dates: 17 February 2024 – Wi…

10/08/2022

What are your favourite Scottish beaches?

Traigh Mheilein, Huisinis, North Harris I’m not long back from a tour to the Western Isles, guiding for About Argyll Walking Holidays and I’ve been reminded just how stunningly beautifu…

09/08/2022

Here's a write-up about our recent Gold Bushcraft residential. We are running another one from 18-22 August 2022. Please get in touch if your interested in taking part.

During July’s heatwave, me and Jen were running our first Aspen Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Bushcraft residential at Wiston Lodge in South Lanarkshire. Eight Gold participants, from …

01/03/2022

Kangoo Maxi Camper for Sale

After three years, I'm reluctantly selling my camper. Need something a little bigger. Get in touch if your interested, 07427326697. Autotrader advert link below.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/van-details/202202272991550?advertising-location=at_vans&atmobcid=soc5&include-delivery-option=on&make=Renault&model=Kangoo%20Maxi&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=Used&radius=1500&sort=price-asc

21/02/2022

Places available on our National Navigation Award Scheme Tutor Award Course running this Sat, 26 Feb, based at Mugdock Country Park. Aimed at anyone involved in teaching navigation to others, especially useful for those supporting .

https://aspenoutdoors.co.uk/eventscalendar/

Or book directly through NNAS - https://nnas.justgo.com/workbench/public/Events?ref=9CCC1E270C9755069BA66BEAC756652B18464B8C

27/11/2021

I'm in Llanberis, north Wales, today, getting ready to deliver some bushcraft / weaving training for the BAIML conference.

13/10/2021

Another The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Gold Qualifying expedition, this time in the Eastern Cairngorms. Started out near Tomintoul Distillery then did a loop out Glen Brown, into Glen Loin, Glen Buig over some hills and then back to Tomintoul along the River Avon. Lovely colours just now as we transition into autumn. Well done to the group for completing what was a great route which challenged everyone with some lovely days off-path in the hills.

12/10/2021

More photos from this week's Gold Qualifying expedition in Perthshire.

12/10/2021

Alva Gold participants going great on the qualify g expedition today.

08/10/2021

Awesome day running outdoor learning CPD for teachers from Abercorn Secondary School today. Tree and plant identification, weaving, rope making, nature art, play dough. A king, setting up tarps. What a creative bunch!! Love the dolphins.