FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Yes. Our professional staff are qualified through Mountain Training UK and British Canoeing.  Ridgway Adventure holds a license issued by the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority (AALA). AALA lay down specific requirements that all license holders must meet in terms of their staff’s qualifications for the activities that they offer. Above and beyond AALA’s recommendations, we run an intensive induction course for our staff focusing on the environment that they will be working in, the company operating procedures, health & safety and risk assessments. We complete background checks on all of our staff through the Disclosure Scotland PVG scheme. We work with high ratios of staff to ensure the best possible experience.

Our Norwegian style wooden long building, on the edge of the sea loch, houses a spacious sitting and dining area with a wood-burning stove, commercial kitchen, bunkrooms with hand basins vary in size to accommodate 2-8 young people, male and female bathrooms have 8 showers and 7 toilets with separate facilities for our staff.  A number of other wooden cabins are home to our cook and instructors and we have an efficient drying room for kit and equipment.

Our bunkrooms are spacious, clean and well lit, all with windows to let the fresh air in and glorious views. All rooms are on the ground floor. Some rooms are in our main building and others are cabins, a stone’s throw away.  All bunk beds are made up with clean sheets and duvets when you arrive.

We ask teachers to allocate pupils to bedrooms and teams before they arrive.

When at the Adventure School, each evening they will either be learning something in preparation for the next day’s activity, which is supervised by our staff. Pupils are then handed over to teachers, when there may be some supervised social time. Volleyball, table football, card games. Teachers supervise bedtime and are on hand overnight. We do not have mobile phone signal, television or wifi. When wild camping, our staff supervise until bedtime and are on hand overnight. On survival island, pupils know where our staff are based if required.

There is no landline or internet access at the adventure school. There is mobile phone reception close by if teachers require this. If you need to pass on a message this is possible through Rebecca by email or phone.

Teachers will advise on this.

We live in a remote area of Scotland, off the main road, at the end of a gravel track. We ask that passers-by do not come into the adventure school or close to our buildings when we have guests staying with us. We suggest that valuables or items of significant sentimental value are not brought on the holiday. There are always teachers and a duty instructor who will be available at any time of the day and night.

The food is delicious, home-cooked, nutritious and plenty of it! There is a cooked breakfast, packed lunch and two-course hot evening meal of either soup and main course or main course and dessert each day.

Yes. We have a nut-free kitchen and can cater for most special dietary requirements, as long as we know about them well in advance, as we are not near the shops. Please enter all details on the medical form that will be provided to you by your school’s staff and speak to Rebecca, she will be happy to help.

We are masters at looking ahead at the weather forecast!  If it is not suitable to run an activity, usually because the wind is too strong, we will either change to an activity that suits the conditions or in the event that the weather conditions are hazardous, we have a range of suitable indoor activities. Ridgway Adventure’s activity programme has been developed to suit the varied weather conditions during a Scottish summer.

Young people are never forced, but we do encourage them to attempt all parts of the activity programme, which is specially designed so that everyone can achieve and have a fun time during their time with Ridgway Adventure.

We supply all the technical equipment for the activities that we offer. We also hire waterproof jackets and trousers, walking boots, sleeping bags, sleeping mats and rucksacks if required. We do need to know requirements prior to arrival. Please see the kit list, which will be sent to you through school.

There is no need to bring your wet suit as we supply good quality, clean wet suits. If you have a skin allergy you may like to bring your own.

We wild camp at the base of the mountains, not in a campsite. We ensure that the facilities at the camps are hygienic and that everyone is familiar with the routine of keeping themselves and the facilities clean. There is a ‘long drop’ style lavatory on survival island.

Ridgway Adventure’s staff are first aid trained and full first aid kits are taken on all activities. When away from our base a support vehicle is available. We are situated between our two local Doctors surgeries; Kinlochbervie 8 miles north and Scourie 8 miles south. The Doctor will come to the adventure school in an emergency. There is an ambulance at Kinlochbervie and air-ambulance available if needed. Inverness is our local Hospital.

Midges are tiny flying insects that can come out in very calm summer weather. They are an irritation rather than a danger. Midges usually appear sometime in June, depending on how warm spring has been. We will lend everyone a midge head net. A charge will be made if it is lost or damaged. We also have ‘child-friendly’ insect repellent and will encourage the pupils to share a bottle amongst their group if it is needed. There are ticks in the Highlands, as there are in many other parts of the world. We will talk to the children about preventing tick bites when they join us and encourage them to check themselves regularly. We have special tweezers for their safe removal and our staff are well trained in this. Some ticks in the UK can carry Lyme’s Disease. We haven’t come across any cases here in 50 years but parents should be aware of it, and its symptoms. It is easily treated with antibiotics if the symptoms are spotted early and there is a link below with more information; NHS Lyme Disease Information

Items of clothing sometimes go astray, it is best if all kit is named so that it can be identified. Please take everything home with you. We are not close to a post office and there is a charge for any returns.