Welcome to the Cairngorms Activities Teachers’ Area – your hub for planning school day visits and residentials in the Cairngorms.
Consider this page your outdoor learning toolkit (minus the midges and muddy boots). It’s packed with key documents, guidance and links to help with your due diligence, risk assessments and trip planning – so together, we can make every visit as safe, smooth and rewarding as possible.
Licensing & Insurance
These elements are the backbone of a safe, responsible experience, ensuring every activity is conducted within a framework of security and professional standards.
Activities Insurance. Our liability and equipment cover is provided by Activities Industry Mutual, a specialist insurer for the outdoor sector. Our policy provides comprehensive support, advice and cover for the activities we offer. Download our Insurance Certificate
Adventurous Activities Licensing. We provide licensable activities and are inspected by the Adventurous Activities Licensing Authority (AALA), part of the Health and Safety Executive. Download our AALA Licence
Approvals & Affiliates
There are many organisations that help establish best practice in Outdoor Adventure and Education. Below are some of the governing bodies, schemes and organisations that Cairngorms Activities is affiliated with or recognised by.
Risk Assessments & Staff
Risk assessments are an essential part of outdoor activities to ensure safety and identify potential hazards. They support your own school risk assessments and help us plan activities and respond effectively to any incidents.
View our Risk Assessment Folder / coming soon
Staff qualifications and training are fundamental to ensuring competence and confidence among those leading your activities. Our staff hold appropriate technical and coaching qualifications and receive in-house training to maintain high standards of safety and customer care. All instructors are checked through Disclosure Scotland as appropriate for their role, and first aid training is included as part of their qualification process.
Residential Programmes for Schools
Booking and payment terms. Once we receive your enquiry, we check availability for your group and preferred activities, create a draft programme, and provide a quote. Confirmed bookings typically require a signed booking agreement and a 10% deposit, with an interim payment due 16 weeks prior and full payment 4 weeks before arrival. (We’ll confirm the exact terms with your booking.)
Where you’ll stay. We have a comfortable bunkhouse and a cosy bothy on site, giving you flexible options for different group sizes and staff arrangements. During the summer months, we can also expand bed spaces by adding bell tents in the grounds, creating a camp-style feel while keeping everyone close to the main facilities.
Day Visits for Schools
Booking and payment terms. For day visits, we’ll work with you to choose suitable activities, timings and group rotations. Once you’re happy with the outline programme, we’ll confirm your booking and share our payment schedule and terms.
Our site and activity options. Cairngorms Activities is based in a stunning rural setting with access to water, woodland and open space, making it ideal for a mix of land- and water-based sessions. Depending on the season and your group’s aims, we can build a day that might include paddlesports on the river or pond, archery, bushcraft, team challenges, problem-solving tasks or guided walks in the local area.
We can offer flexible catering options for day visits – from simple hot drinks and snacks to more substantial meals – or we can provide covered space and time in the programme for pupils to enjoy their own packed lunches.
Planning a school trip with us couldn’t be easier!
Downloading our schools brochure is a great place to start.
Download our schools brochure Plan your adventure