Adventure Education Trips for Schools
Experienced and highly qualified instructors sharing the best that the Highlands has to offer in outdoor adventures and experiences for younger minds.
Learning, challenge and adventure in the Cairngorms
At Active Outdoor Pursuits, we believe some of the most valuable learning happens beyond the classroom.
Our five-day residential outdoor education programmes give pupils the opportunity to experience real adventure, explore the magnificent Cairngorms National Park and discover what they can achieve when they are challenged in a new environment.
Based at Craigower Lodge Outdoor Centre in Newtonmore, our programmes combine a wide range of land, water and mountain activities with the experience of living and learning together. Pupils develop confidence, resilience, independence, communication, teamwork and problem-solving skills — qualities that support successful learning at school and help young people become capable, confident adults.
For more than 25 years, we have helped primary and secondary schools create memorable residential experiences that have a lasting impact on pupils.
Challenge yourself. Discover the outdoors. Learn together. Grow in confidence.
To discuss options and availability, please get in touch:
Your school residential programme
Our programmes can be tailored around the age, experience and abilities of your pupils, as well as the outcomes your school wants to achieve.
A typical five-day residential includes:
- 1 half-day activity
- 3 full-day activities
- 3 evening activities
- 4 nights’ accommodation
- Full-board catering
- Experienced activity instruction and facilitation
- Safety and technical equipment
- In-course transport
- Final-morning presentation and review
- Certificates for pupils
Shorter residential programmes and activity days are also available, such as:
Weekend Residential
3-Day / 2-Night Residential
4-Day / 3-Night Residential
5-Day / 4-Night Residential
We offer one free teacher place for every 10 paying pupils.
For current availability and to discuss a programme for your school, please contact our team at [email protected].
What to expect from a residential with Active
A residential at Craigower Lodge is much more than a week of exciting activities.
It is an opportunity for pupils to step outside their familiar environment, try new things, overcome challenges and learn more about themselves and each other.
Our programmes encourage pupils to take responsibility, communicate effectively, work as a team and persevere when things become difficult. Whether they are canoeing on a loch, climbing a rock face, navigating through the hills or tackling a team challenge, pupils are continually learning through experience.
The challenges are carefully supported by our experienced instructors, allowing pupils to stretch themselves while feeling safe and encouraged.
The result is a week in which pupils can experience genuine achievement, build confidence and develop skills that can be taken back into the classroom, into their relationships and into everyday life.
Active is licensed by AALA and is a Paddle UK / Scotland approved paddlesports Centre. We have been working with schools and local authorities throughout Great Britain for more than 25 years.
You can find example activity programmes, as well as sample menus, in our Schools Brochure:
Five Days of Adventure.
A Lifetime of Possibilities.
Our five-day residential programme gives pupils time to do more than simply try a collection of activities.
Four nights away from home provide time to settle into a new environment, build relationships, develop independence and progressively take on new challenges.
A typical week combines a range of land and water-based activities, with programmes tailored to the age, ability and needs of your pupils. Our instructors will facilitate activities that will see your pupils develop in many ways.
Challenge themselves — Try activities and experiences that may be completely new to them.
Work together — Develop communication, cooperation, leadership and trust.
Solve problems — Think for themselves, make decisions and adapt to changing situations.
Build resilience — Learn that perseverance and a positive attitude can turn difficult challenges into achievements.
Grow in independence — Take greater responsibility for themselves, their equipment and their contribution to the group.
Reflect on their experiences — Recognise what they have achieved, what they have learned and how they can apply it beyond the residential.
The programme is flexible and can be adapted to suit different ages, abilities and the particular outcomes your school wants to achieve.
The Cairngorms – an extraordinary outdoor classroom
Craigower Lodge Outdoor Centre sits in Newtonmore, within the magnificent Cairngorms National Park.
This is more than simply a beautiful location for an activity week. The mountains, rivers, forests, lochs and changing Highland weather create an environment in which pupils can learn through direct experience.
The Cairngorms provide opportunities to explore the natural environment, understand the landscape around them and develop a deeper appreciation of Scotland’s outdoors.
Most importantly, the environment creates challenges and experiences that cannot be replicated in the classroom.
For pupils, it can be a chance to discover that they are capable of more than they thought.
For teachers, it is an opportunity to see pupils learn, communicate and support one another in completely different ways.
Adventure with a purpose
Our wide range of adventurous activities gives schools a programme that is challenging, rewarding and educational.
Activities can include:
Water: canoeing, kayaking, SUP, white water rafting and other paddlesports.
Mountain and rock: climbing, abseiling, hillwalking, gorge scrambling, orienteering.
Adventure and teamwork: problem-solving, team challenges and activities designed to encourage communication and cooperation.
Winter: All of the above plus, skiing, snowboarding and winter skills.
Every activity provides an opportunity to develop skills beyond the activity itself.
The aim is not simply to see how far pupils can climb, paddle or walk. It is to give them experiences in which they learn to communicate, make decisions, support others, overcome setbacks, respond to adversities and recognise their own capabilities.
Outdoor experience Skills and learning
Kayaking & canoeing – Communication, coordination, balance, confidence, decision-making.
Mountain & hill activities – Resilience, perseverance, physical wellbeing, self-management.
Climbing & abseiling – Trust, courage, problem-solving, personal responsibility.
Team challenges – Collaboration, leadership, listening, communication.
Navigation & exploration – Independent thinking, observation, planning, decision-making.
Living together on residential – Independence, relationships, responsibility, adaptability.
Outdoor Learning that continues back in school
A great residential should not end when the coach leaves Newtonmore.
The confidence gained from overcoming a difficult challenge, the ability to work successfully with others, the independence developed by living away from home and the resilience built through trying something unfamiliar can all have a positive influence when pupils return to school.
Outdoor residential education gives young people opportunities to become more confident learners, responsible members of a group and active contributors to their community.
It can also complement the development of the internationally recognised qualities valued by schools following programmes that place importance on communication, reflection, collaboration, risk taking and managing, balanced development and the confidence to approach unfamiliar challenges.
Our aim is simple: We want pupils to return home not only with memories of an amazing week in the Highlands, but with a stronger belief in what they can achieve.
More than activities – A life changing experience
Living together, taking part in activities, sharing successes and overcoming challenges creates a unique sense of achievement within a group.
There will be excitement, laughter and adventure, but also quieter moments to reflect, talk and recognise progress.
On the final morning, pupils have the opportunity to review their experiences and celebrate their achievements, with certificates presented to recognise their participation.
It is a chance to look back at how far they have come during the week — and to recognise that the person who arrived on Monday may not be quite the same person leaving on Friday.
Craigower Lodge Outdoor Centre
Craigower Lodge Outdoor Centre provides a comfortable base for school residentials in the heart of the Cairngorms.
The centre accommodates up to 72 people and provides dining facilities, social areas and spaces for group reviews, relaxation and reflection.
Its location in Newtonmore gives schools easy access to an exceptional variety of mountain, water and outdoor environments, making it possible to create varied programmes throughout the year.
From the centre, pupils can experience the Cairngorms not as spectators, but as active participants — exploring, learning and challenging themselves in one of Scotland’s most remarkable landscapes.
Why Active Outdoor Pursuits?
- 25+ years of experience working with schools
- Based in the Cairngorms National Park
- Experienced, qualified outdoor instructors
- A wide range of land, water, mountain and winter activities
- Programmes tailored to age, ability and school objectives
- AALA licensed
- Most importantly, we understand that schools are entrusting us with far more than a group booking.
- They are entrusting us with their pupils.
- Our goal is to provide an experience that is safe, professionally delivered, genuinely adventurous and educationally valuable — one that pupils remember for years and teachers can see the benefits long after they return to school.
- Give your pupils an experience that can change what they believe they are capable of.
Talk to Active Outdoor Pursuits about your school’s next residential outdoor activity break.
Snowsports Activity Days & Weeks
Active offer everything from 1 day coaching to multi day snowsports trips and coaching across Scotland. Ski and snowboard lessons suit beginners to advanced levels. We offer the UK Snowsports Awards to all schools, which accredits pupils for their learning and can lead to long-term performance development.
Bring your school to Cairngorms Adventure Centre this winter for a fantastic winter schools outdoor residential break. We offer both skiing and snowboarding residentials, weekends and days. All residentials and activity days include equipment hire. Fully inclusive residential packages are available with catering options.
Activity Day Trips
Take your pupils on a day trip they will remember forever! Our adventure days are extremely popular with staff and pupils alike. Choose one single activity to develop skills or select multiple taster activities.
Our adventure days are available at many venues across Scotland and are within easy travelling distance of most schools. We may also be able to provide transport to and from your school. These trips are quick and easy to organise. We provide the technical equipment and the expertise, all you need to do is show up and get involved.
Activities include: canoeing, kayaking, white water rafting, gorge scrambling, team building, hill walking, mountain biking, climbing & abseiling, problem solving, canyoning and many more…
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award
Furthering Outdoor Education, Active Outdoor Pursuits has over 25 years of experience in facilitating The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Expedition section. We are an approved expedition and activity provider.
Training, supervision and assessment can be provided by our staff for the expedition section of the DofE programme, as well as training in the skills and physical sections.
We also give young people the opportunity to complete the Gold Residential section of the programme with a multi activity or a snowsports residential.
Further Reading:
Why Choose the Cairngorms for Your School Residential?
Outdoor Instructor Training Course FAQs
