School & Youth Groups

2 people in a canoe on lovely loch long in argyll, west coast of scotland
young person on wobbly rope crossing while at treezone treetop adventure course
young people descending into a hole under large rocks while weaseling
a group of young people getting ready to throw throwing axes at a target
a young person reaches the top of a crock climb with big smile on face
a group walk away from the camera on a hill trail with mountainous scene in the background.
someone jump from a rock into the sea during a coasteering session
a young person in camouflage as as part of a bushcraft - manhunt session

Outdoor Activity Experiences for School & Youth Groups

In Your Element offers a host of amazing outdoor activities across Scotland, ideal for schools, colleges, universities or youth groups.

Our main bases are in the Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park, Aviemore & the Cairngorms National Park, Fort William, Loch Ness & Inverness, & at Loch Tay in Perthshire, but as we are a mobile provider, we can offer activities Scotland-wide, e.g. we have been as far north as Thurso or east to Aberdeen or south to Ayrshire.

The activities are ideal for groups of 8 or more and we cater for all abilities for day trips or residential breaks. We have the capacity to cater for large groups of 150+ over a number of days.

Please note that we don’t offer accommodation ourselves, but with with accommodation partners like Hostelling Scotland or Badaguish, near Aviemore we can help you organise somewhere to stay.

“In Your Element has been working in partnership with George Heriot’s School for 20 years to deliver high quality bespoke outdoor education residentials and on-site programmes.

As Head of Outdoor Education at Heriot’s and passionate about providing the best opportunities for those in my care, I’ve developed a huge respect for the way in which IYE conduct their business; focus is always on the pupils’ experience, professional expertise, excellent instruction and I have never been disappointed with the outcomes for our young people.

This is no mean feat when planning week-long residentials for 170 participants where support and planning prior to the event is essential and makes the difference between a damp week away from home or a real positive experience to remember. Even with large year groups such as ours, the individual activity groups feel intimate and bespoke where each participant is valued and given the opportunity to achieve their best.

Consequently, I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending IYE to anyone who values outdoor education and the huge benefits it can bring to our young people.”

Iain Oliphant

Head of Outdoor Education, George Heriots School, Edinburgh

young person smiling while at treezone treetop adventure course
young person squeezing through a tight space between 2 large rocks while weaseling
2 young people pulling arrows from an archery target
a campfire with dutch over hanging over it as part of a bushcraft session
a young person sitting at the front of a canoe looking back at the camera
a group of young people sitting and splashing in a river pool when gorge walking
a group walk away from the camera on a hill trail with mountainous scene in the background.
someone abseiling from a rock with great views as a background
3 throwing axes, stick on a timber aarchery target

Activities For School & Youth Groups

  • Canoeing or kayaking
  • Archery
  • Axe Throwing
  • Bushcraft Skills
  • River Sledging
  • Gorge Walking
  • River Tubing
  • Land & Water-based Team Building Challenges
  • Highland Games
  • Hill Skills and Navigation Coaching
  • Treezone Treetop Adventures (Aviemore and Loch Lomond)
  • Treasure Hunts
  • Mountain Biking
  • Weaselling
  • Multi-day Expeditions, e.g. West Highland Way over 6 days by bike, boat and on foot, or Great Glen Canoe Trail by canoe.

The Benefits of Outdoor Activities and Learning

The experiences aim to challenge individuals, develop new skills, build confidence and encourage team work. Most important of all, the experiences will be fun!

In Your Element prides itself in providing a tailored service, designing programs to suit learning or developmental objectives. Your focus might be solely on adventure, but a team building element or educational topics like Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) can be incorporated into your program.

Experienced Activity Provider

With more than almost 20 year’s of experience delivering successful outdoor activity days for school and youth groups, In Your Element is the perfect choice for a safe, and enjoyable outdoor activity day in Scotland.  Activity days can comprise of one or more activities and include water and/or land activities.

Safety First

Safety is paramount when it comes to outdoor activities and children.  In Your Element is licensed by the Government’s national Adventure Activities Licensing Authority, a mark of assurance that all safety precautions and measures are in place to ensure maximum safety and security for your group. We are licensed to provide outdoor activities for unaccompanied children.

Activities covered by the AALA license include canoeing, kayaking, paddle boarding, gorge walking, abseiling, weaseling, hill-walking, mountain biking.

All In Your Element instructors are appropriately qualified and are trained in first aid.

Our excellent safety record is achieved through regular, comprehensive risk assessments at all our activity venues, routine policy reviews and a high standard of equipment & staff. We can provide copies of Safety Procedures and Risk Assessments, AALA licence or Liability Insurance on request.

Accessibility Needs

In Your Element offers activities to individuals and groups with all sorts of abilities. However, where we can’t include individuals in an activity session due to some accessibility needs, we can partner with Able 2 Adventure, to try and make sure no-one misses out on the fun.

Able 2 Adventure is a mobile outdoor activity provider for people of all ages and abilities based in the Cairngorms National Park, Scotland. This means they use adaptive equipment and a ‘can do’ approach to make the outdoors accessible to all. They offer a large range of outdoor activities as taster sessions, skills courses, multi activity programs or as part of local clubs.

These can be for individuals, families, groups of friends, schools and organisations. Whether you want a fun taster session or would like to develop your skills to go out independently, they have an activity for you. You can find out more about what they do on the Able 2 Adventure website.

Residential Breaks

A fully catered residential option is available for school and youth groups looking to spend more than one day with us.

Together with the Hostelling Scotland, we can provide all the facilities and catering required for a full residential youth group break.

We also work regularly with Badaguish Outdoor Centre near Aviemore, with plenty of accommodation options on site as well as activities on-site and nearby.

Adventure Activities Licensing Authority (AALA) Logo

Activities covered by the AALA licence include canoeing, kayaking, paddle boarding, gorge walking, abseiling, weaseling, hill-walking, mountain biking.

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