Active Spirit, based near Aviemore in the centre of the Cairngorms National Park in the Scottish Highlands, provides a friendly and relaxed opportunity for you to explore a wide range of Outdoor Activities in spectacular surroundings.
Watersports
Watersports
What is it?
Watersports can include a big variety of activities, all taking place in or on a body of water. Some examples are waterskiing, surfing, paddleboarding, synchronized diving/swimming and sailing; the basis of any watersport is how to best interact with the water to achieve a goal.
What does it involve?
There are a lot of different things involved in watersports as it's a very varied area! It can include aspects such as completing a course in the fastest time, scoring the highest amount of points, but the basis of all watersport comes from having a good time in the water.
Why do it and what are the benefits?
Having a go at watersports can be a lot of fun, a great learning experience and is excellent for exercising while having a good time - also, students being taught a new skill all together will make for good bonding amongst the group.
What equipment do we need?
You will always need to ensure that students taking part in watersports have appropriate attire - sometimes normal swimwear will be enough, but you may need more specialist equipment such as wetsuits for some sports!
Who is it suitable for?
Some watersports require a lot of skill and overall bodily strength, so certain activities may not be suitable for younger students - make sure to be aware of the needs of your group.
Costs?
Because of the immense variety of watersports of available, the costs of taking students on trips to try them out will vary greatly! For example, access to a swimming pool with some diving boards will cost a lot less than going sailing.
Issues/Things to think about? (unsuitable for age groups, medical conditions etc)
Young children should always be supervised around bodies of water, but each activity provider should supply trained staff - just make sure to be aware of the individual dangers of each type of watersports!
How do we include?
Inclusion of those with disabilities will entirely depend on the type of watersport - some activities such as waterskiing or surfing require a lot of independent thought and movement and may not be as suitable. Choose your pursuit carefully to cater to the specific requirements of your students.
Doing it abroad?
Watersports are popular all over the world, but there is obviously going to be less demand for it in land-locked countries with less natural bodies of water to practice it on! Coastal regions are the most likely to have watersport activities based there, but always research your destination before setting off to see whats available.
Main website:
Because of the variety of watersports available, it is best to look at individual websites for each kind of sport.
Venues with this Activity
A very warm welcome awaits you at Glencoe Outdoor Centre, set amongst the spectacular loch and mountain scenery of Glencoe in the Scottish Highlands, an area of outstanding natural beauty. Surrounded by fabulous terrain for adventure activities, with most available “on the doorstep”, we offer a broad range of outdoor pursuits, on both land and water.
The sportscotland National Centre Cumbrae is surrounded by safe water with easy access to the open sea. The centre’s island position offers exceptional facilities for watersports enthusiasts of all levels and offers an impressive range of modern equipment, a team of highly qualified instructors, excellent shorebased accommodation and catering facilities.
Herbridian Pursuits established in 1989 is based in Oban on the north coast of Scotland. They offer a wide range of sea and mountain adventure.
Venturing Out is a mobile adventurous activities provider offering high quality, affordable outdoor activity experiences to a broad client base. We are based in East Lothian, close to the magnificent city of Edinburgh.
Rockhopper offers half, full or multi-day sea kayak trips through some of the most spectacular coastal, mountain and island scenery in Scotland!
We are Scotland’s National Outdoor Training Centre located in the heart of Cairngorms National Park. Learn, develop or qualify in an adventure sport of your choice. Our goal is to inspire adventure by teaching beginners, coaching intermediate/advanced and delivering training and assessment courses for leaders and instructors.
We have been providing exhilarating outdoor activities, residential activity holidays and activity courses for nearly 30 years. We have an exciting range of outdoor activities: Kayaking, Coasteering, Sailing, Gorge Walking, Canadian Canoeing, Climbing, Abseiling and more.
Compass has been offering warm hospitality for over 40 years to schools, families and groups of all ages. We are confident that your stay with us will be an unforgettable one. Set in the Cairngorm National Park in the midst of rolling hills, clear lochs and rugged mountains,
Established in 2001, Can You Experience Co. Ltd has quickly become a reputable and successful outdoor activity operator and provider, situated at breathtaking, world famous, Loch Lomond in Scotland.
Boots N Paddles offer adventurous days out & weekends, adventure holidays and activities throughout Scotland, all year round. As a fully mobile outdoor activity provider we can bring the activities to a location near you.
We offer tailor made programmes for groups from across central and southern Scotland either at our James Hamilton Heritage Park watersports centre or via our peripatetic service at the Outdoor Resource Base.
EBO specialise in outdoor pursuits, extreme sports, military adventure training, team building and outdoor instructor training courses. Outdoor activities are available in Cornwall, Devon, Wales, and Scotland.
James Hamilton Heritage Park is a 4 Star Visit Scotland accredited activity centre. The park features a 16 acre loch which provides beautiful and tranquil surroundings for our exciting range of water sports, from canoeing to windsurfing. The distance around the loch perimeter path is 1.2 kilometres (3/4 of a mile).
Caring for young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties
Wilderness experiences has been registered with Ofsted as a provider of education for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) since 2001 as a mobile children's Home, based in Carlisle, Cumbria on the edge of the Lake District National Park and just south of the border with Scotland.
Wild things! is a Scottish environmental education charity working in Moray, Grampian and the Highlands. Since 2003, Wild things! has enabled over 7,000 children, young people and adults to learn from and be inspired by their local natural environment and the remote wilderness regions of Scotland.
Thee Visitor Centres and Country Parks provide a great place to enjoy ‘wonderful water, walks and wildlife’ all year round in the ancestral homelands of the Clan Semple at the gateway to Scotland’s largest Regional Park.
A leading Outdoor Learning Centre in Scotland, we strive to inspire maximum personal growth in thousands of visitors every year. Our experienced and qualified instructors are passionate about developing self-awareness and confidence through challenging individual and team experience in an exciting, enjoyable, yet safe alternative environment.
Enjoy the wonderful settings of our sites based in Moray in the Scottish Highlands, school groups are welcomed to experience the stunning rivers, lochs and coastline of our corner of Scotland.
Experience inflatable kayaking or canoeing on the River Spey which flows through the heart of Moray and Speyside for your introduction to quiet and moving water with fun rapids.
Our outdoor activities and schools programmes offer powerful and meaningful outdoor learning experiences for school children. We understand the importance for children to be exposed to, and enjoy, outdoor environments and no one can underestimate the effect it can have on our young people.
Venture Scotland UK runs an outdoor-based personal development programme for young people aged 16-30, who face complex and difficult problems.
We build the confidence and skills of young people and aim to empower each individual we work with to make positive and lasting changes in their lives.
Wilderness Scotland is Europe’s No.1 Adventure Travel Company specialising in offering an inspiring range of holidays, journeys and wilderness experiences in the most remote and beautiful regions of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.
Thousands of visitors every year come to enjoy the huge range of activities available from sailing to sunbathing, birdwatching to bicycling, water ski-ing to watching the world go by.
Have a go at the ancient sport of archery. Go afloat in a kayak or an open canoe. Join one of our coastal scrambles along the Chain Walk, or sample abseiling from our purpose-built tower. Head off to explore the East Neuk on our mountain bikes, or have a peaceful game of putting, while the kids enjoy our bouncy castle.
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The Bushcraft Company offer residential school trips with a difference, taking students into the wild and giving them real back-to-nature experiences they will never forget.
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