The Pioneer

Children's Bushcraft Course for 12 - 16 year olds

LOCATION

Aberfeldy

PLACES

2025 DATES

PRICE

£545

BOOK

HERE

This exciting course is based on our flagship Wildwood Wisdom Bushcraft course but is aimed at 12 - 16 year olds. Including all the fundamental bushcraft skills you would expect; fire by friction, how to identify plants and trees and their uses, animal tracking, campfire cookery, cordage making and shelter building, this course is designed to be fun yet informative!

Who is this Wilderness Skills Course for?

Perfect for young naturalists, scouts, those with an adventurist spirit and keen for a week of woodland fun, this course is a great week of nature connection. Its also a chance to get hands dirty and learn some really useful skills!

Led by Forest School practitioner Hannah Knight with a healthy sprinkling of bushcraft tips and tricks from Steven Hanton, this course sets the standard for a whole new generation of wilderness wildlings, competent and at home in the great outdoors.

What Will Kids Learn On This Course?

Knife safety and knife techniques
Beginners wood carving and whittling projects
Knife sharpening
Building a woodland shelter
Water - How to find, collect and make safe to drink
Firelighting skills
Fire by Friction masterclass - Bow-drill method
Reading animal tracks and signs
Cooking on fires - broiling, baking breads, cooking in embers
Natural Navigation
Cordage - making natural string
Plantlore - Plant and tree ID and simple wild edibles
Sensory awareness games

A survival shelter made with leaves and sticks

Kid's Bushcraft Course Details

LOCATION

Aberfeldy

PLACES

2025 DATES

PRICE

£545

BOOK

HERE

This course is run from a spectacular ancient oak wood nestled by the banks of the River Tay close to Aberfeldy in Highland Perthshire, Scotland. The site is quiet and secluded with great camping spots and opportunities to swim in the river. The wood is full of wildlife and we are truly privileged to be able to run our courses from this special site.

Full joining instructions will be sent out in advance of the course.

This site is easily accessible from the A9 and we are only 1.5hrs from both Edinburgh and Glasgow. We are well served by train too, with a station at Dunkeld. We offer a complimentary train pick up service from Dunkeld station for up to 4 clients per course on a first come-first serve basis. There is also a bus service from Dunkeld train station which stops right at the meeting point in Grandtully village.

Wilderness Folk School Bushcraft Courses

Please contact us if you are unsure about any of the items on the kit list

CLOTHING

Underwear/socks for the duration of the course
2/3 pairs of trousers - ideally robust yet quick drying.
2/3 base layers - t shirts or merino wool
Mid- range layer - light fleece or wool shirt
Warm layer - larger fleece/wool jumper
Waterproof and windproof jacket
Waterproof trousers
Warm hat and gloves
Scarf for colder months
1 pair sturdy waterproof boots
1 pair of camp shoes - old trainers are ideal.

OPTIONAL

Binoculars
camera
Books
Knife - no cutting tools are necessary as we will provide all tools

EQUIPMENT

Small day sack (35 litres or so)
Larger rucksack for all gear
Dry bags for waterproofing clothes for day walks
Tent or Tarp and Hammock
Sleeping pad/mat
Sleeping bag, 3 season or two lighter bags
Headtorch and spare batteries
Wash kit, towel and swimming kit for the river (optional!)
Personal medication and small first aid kit
Sun block
Insect repellant - we like Smidge, it works well on our midges
Midge headnet (only in case of infrequent bad evenings) - best are also made by 'Smidge'.
Bowl, plate, mug, knife fork, spoon.
Water bottle
Notebook and pencil

Staff - This course will have a minimum of 3 staff present with the children at all times.
Travel and arrival - Detailed joining instructions will be sent out to you well in advance of the course commencing. This will include where to meet, parking arrangements and options for public transport. The meeting time will at 0900 on the monday morning and parents will have the chance to accompany the children into the woodland camp to help the children set up tents and get settled in for the week. The course ends on the Friday afternoon at 1530.
Accommodation - This course is camping only. Camping is wild but there plenty of excellent flat sites at each location. Each child will need their own tent. All other facilities are provided including large group areas, a kitchen and a toilet.
Food and Drink - All of our courses are fully catered from the arrival day lunch until lunch the final day lunch and we are experienced at providing excellent quality food to groups. We can cater for most common dietary requirements including vegetarians and pescatarians but we ask people with celiac disease or other dietary requirements to inform us on the booking form so we can make sure that we can cater for you. We have an ample drinking water on site.
Weather/conditions. We feel very at home in the outdoors and we will set up a camp that will provide adequate food and shelter to keep kids comfortable in all weathers. We are in Scotland however and so weather can be changeable and unpredictable! Please make sure that your child is suitably clothed as per the kit list and contact us if you are at all unsure about what to bring. Courses will not be cancelled due to bad weather.
Age requirements - 12 - 16 yrs old.
Fitness/ability - Our courses are not strenuous, but they all require a minimum level of fitness. This course involves walks out from camp on woodland paths or over some uneven ground. As a guide, your child should therefore be fit and able enough to cope with walks of up to about 3km over this terrain. There will be a walk of around 1.5km from the parking site to base camp, we will however be able to drive your child's gear in so they don't have to carry it. This course is also a hands-on experience which is designed to be educational and we expect children to get involved and not view the course as a normal holiday or demonstration style event.
Payment - We take a deposit upon booking and the full balance is due 8 weeks before the course. If we cancel the course for any reason (unforeseen circumstances or not enough participants) then we will refund 100% back to you. See our full Terms and Conditions.
Insurance - We have comprehensive liability insurance and risk assessments, but we recommend that you have a basic level of insurance which covers your child and your possessions for adventurous activity - no outdoor activity is free from all risk. All helpers/staff are 'Disclosure Scotland' Checked.
First Aid/Medical - The course leader is trained to First Response Emergency Care level 4 (Ambulance ECA) and will carry a comprehensive first aid kit with the group at all times. Please ensure that your child brings plenty of any required personal medication.
Toilets/showers - We set up a 'woodland composting toilet' - private tent with toilet seat over a big hole. Its hygienic, pleasant, ecologically sensitive to our special sites and private. We dig a fresh hole for every group. On courses longer than a weekend we also set up an expedition style shower and water can be heated up over the fire. Your child must be comfortable using these facilities on their own.

Can parent come? Parents can accompany children into the woodland on the first morning to get set up and settled in, but after that they leave the child at the camp until the Friday when the course finishes. We find that this makes for a better course and ensures that we can tailor the syllabus to children better. Any children who are not settling in well can of course be picked up and taken home, but we discourage parents from visiting children

What happens if I'm late for a course? Please keep us informed on your journey if you are going to be late. We can drive out to meet you at the meeting point later in the evening and bring you into camp.

Where do I park and is it safe? We have a private parking site close to the base camp. Cars are safe and away from built up areas. Full joining instruction will be sent out well in advance of the course.

Do you allow dogs? I'm afraid not. In our experience dogs are very hard to manage around our kitchen and food so unfortunately we have a no dog policy.

Is there phone signal and charging available? On some courses we will have a large powerbank which may be available for charging phones, but you should assume that you will need to bring your own powerbanks for keeping a phone charged. There is good signal at most of our locations.

Do most people come on their own? Yes they do, and enjoy the welcoming atmosphere and like-minded people. We also have many people that choose to come with a friend or family member who also wants to have an awesome time.

Do I need prior experience? Not at all. Some courses are aimed at a more advanced level but this is made clear in the course description. Most courses cater for all abilities including absolute beginners.

Are there any hazards or risks I should be aware of? There's no such thing as completely risk-free outdoor activities. Your course leader has 20 years of experience of bushcraft and running these types of courses so rest assured the risks have been carefully assessed and mitigated as best as is possible. You are in good hands and a full safety brief will be given for all activities. There are ticks present in the woods (like almost all UK woodlands which have a deer population) but you will receive a brief and the risks from Lyme disease are minimal.

Are there midges? Midges are present at our sites but the Aberfeldy area is blessed with a low midge population!! They can be a mild nuisance on still, muggy overcast days from mid-may to late august but are generally not bad and reserved for evenings and mornings.

Can you give advice on accommodation and the local area? Yes of course! We are fortunate to be based in Highland Perthshire, famed for its beauty, history and plethora of outdoor activities to enjoy. We are only happy to advice on other things to do while in the area.

What is your cancellation policy? Full terms and conditions are available here but basically;

You'll get a 100% refund if we cancel the course (almost never for weather, sometimes if there are not enough bookings but 8 weeks in advance of the course)
If you have to cancel then we will always try to refill the course place, and if we can we will refund you in full.
Full course fee is due 8 weeks before course
- If you cancel 4 - 8 weeks before the course you are liable for 50% of the course fee.
- If you cancel less than 4 weeks before the course then you are liable for 100% of the course fee
- This is due to the fact that courses involve a large amount of planning and expense in advance.
- Sometimes we can transfer you to another course if there is availability.