Adventure Education Trips for Schools

What to expect from a residential with Active Outdoor pursuits

By choosing Active Outdoor Pursuits for your school’s outdoor residential break or activity day, you are guaranteeing them a safe, fun and enjoyable experience. Active are licensed with AALA. We have also been awarded the prestigious five star Visit Scotland Outdoor Activity provider badge and are a British Canoeing approved paddlesports Centre. We are proud to work positively with schools and  authorities from throughout Great Britain.

For details of what we offer for schools, including example plans of our weekend and 5 day activity breaks and activity programmes download our schools brochure below.

Get Active on one of our fun and adventure packed school’s outdoor residential Activity breaks in Scotland.  It’s all about challenge and teamwork, while experiencing new activities in a new environment. We deliver programmes that will help develop confidence and resilience in young people. We believe that the many benefits of school’s outdoor adventure Education will be visible and tangible back in the classroom.

“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks” John Muir

Our engagement and encouragement for the love and passion of the outdoors is highlighted throughout all our activities and residentials.

We offer schools and groups the option to partake in the John Muir Award at the Discovery Level as part of the schools outdoor education residential week.

What does this involve? 

The John Muir Award Scheme is an environmental award to encourage and promote enjoyment in the outdoors for all.  There is no additional cost or work required by teachers for this but we do ask for you join in and complete the award alongside the pupils.

A colourful and fun booklet is given to the pupils and at the end of each activity day they write about what they have discovered that day in relation to nature, wildlife and the great outdoors.  On the final day of the residential break those completing the award prepare a short presentation about their week and what they have learned about the great outdoors.  All participants receive a certificate at the end of the week.   We encourage schools to take back with them the knowledge they have learned and share this within their school and other school years.  This is useful if the school is looking to progress to the Conserve Level.

Where are we Based?

A hub for outdoor adventure activities, Cairngorms Adventure Centre not only provides schools with adventure activity outdoor residential weeks, days and snowsports breaks but is home to worldwide recognised Instructor Training Courses and adventure journeys taking you across Scotland by foot, bike and boat.

The Cairngorms Adventure Centre sleeps up to 72 people over two floors.  The centre has a large dining room for the catering of pupils and groups along with social lounges for reviews, relaxing and self reflection time.

A typical schools outdoor residential week includes a range of different land and water based activities.  The example programme above gives you a flavour of a weeks’ adventure residential with Active. The programme is entirely flexible and can be tailored to suit various age’s, abilities and to fit with the desired outcomes of your school  For sample menus & catering options please refer to our schools brochure.

2024 Prices:

• Weekend Residential – £149.00 + VAT per person.
  • 2 x full day activities (Saturday and Sunday).
  • Accommodation Friday and Saturday nights.
  • Catering starts with breakfast on Saturday and finishes with a packed lunch on Sunday.

• 3-Day (2-Night) Residential – £219.00 + VAT per person.
  • Monday to Wednesday, or Wednesday to Friday.
  • 2 x half day activities and 1 x full day activity.
  • 2 x evening activities.
  • Accommodation for 2 nights.
  • Catering starts with evening meal on day 1 and finishes with a packed lunch on day 3.

• 4-Day (3-Night) Residential – £279.00 + VAT per person.
  • Monday to Thursday or Tuesday to Friday.
  • 1 x half day activity and 2 x full day activities.
  • 2 x evening activities.
  • Accommodation for 3 nights.
  • Catering starts with evening meal on day 1 and finishes with a packed lunch on day 4.

• 5-Day (4-Night) Residential – £329.00 plus VAT per person.
  • Monday to Friday.
  • 1 x half day activity and 3 x full day activities.
  • 3 x evening activities.
  • Accommodation for 4 nights.
  • Catering starts with evening meal on day 1 and finishes with a packed lunch on day 5.

Prices include:

• Full board accommodation
• Instruction / facilitation of activities.
• Safety and technical equipment
• In-course transport
• Presentation / review on the final morning with certificates for the pupils.

For groups of 20 or more pupils, we offer one free teacher place for every 10 paying pupils.

Email us at for more information.