Two weekends ago was our Lairig Ghru Expedition
3 days of walking through the Lairig Ghru and it was made extra special with a wake up call from reindeers…
If you’re looking for your next expedition we have the 4000s Expedition running 27th-29th August!
https://www.backcountrysurvival.co.uk/courses/expedition/
Upcoming Courses July to August:
July:
23rd – 25th: 3 Day Survival Course
23rd: Survival Mission/Bushcraft Bonanza @ Alvie
For more information follow the link for the following courses:
2/3/5 Day Survival Courses: https://www.backcountrysurvival.co.uk/cou…/summer-courses/
Bushcraft Bonanza / Survival Mission: https://www.backcountrysurvival.co.uk/…/young-people…/
Outdoor First Aid and Bushcraft Competency Certificate: https://www.backcountrysurvival.co.uk/…/training-courses/
Lairig Ghru and 4000s Expeditions: https://www.backcountrysurvival.co.uk/courses/expedition/
“Challenge yourself, it’s the only path which leads to growth” – Morgan Freeman
Have you attended a 3 Day Survival Course with us or an equivalent course with another provider and are looking for your next challenge? Well, get yourself booked onto our first 5 Day Survival Course!
Running 26th-30th August, the first day will see you go over revision from the 3 Day course then from there the rest of the course will follow a survival scenario where you will have to survive for 4 days. A brilliant course to put your knowledge and skills to the test 
Head to our website to find out more details and book your place.
Courses are back up and running in both our Murthly and Alvie sites! With the ever changing circumstances, if we are not able to run a course we will publish an announcement to say so.
Got concerns about booking onto a course and covid restrictions? Check out our updated Terms and Conditions to see what is in place to ensure Covid doesn’t ruin your chances of getting onto a course with us.
Finally some good news and we have a lot to share!
April – All our April courses will be run in Murthly, Perthshire. We have the following courses (also pictured below) available to book on:
For those wanting to focus more on survival skills we have full day survival courses available for Under 18s only and Over 18s, you can book your place following this link https://www.backcountrysurvival.co.uk/…/survival-courses/
May onwards:
1) May will see us back up at our Alvie Estate so all 2-3 Day courses will be back up and running open to everyone from all areas. You can book your place following this link https://www.backcountrysurvival.co.uk/cou…/summer-courses/
2) May will also see our Woodland Skills Leader course going ahead over the 21st – 24th May with Andy Lewis Bushcraft. If you are interested in delivering woodland & bushcraft skills or are a teacher, scout leader, outdoor instructor or youth worker who wishes to deliver woodland skills, such as Bushcraft & Survival activities then this course is for you. Anyone interested will have to email info@backcountrysurvival.co.uk showing leadership experience and other NGBs or teaching/coaching qualifications as well as any Bushcraft/Survival experience. https://www.backcountrysurvival.co.uk/…/training-courses/
Last but no means least, it’s Andy Lewis. He owns Andy Lewis Bushcraft and works with us to offer many of our courses, including the Woodland Skills Leader:
Meet Andy, an adventurer and passionate Survival Skills expert. As a hugely experienced Bushcraft and Survival Instructor Andy has spent time in some of the most remote and extreme environments in the world; including the Nepalese Himalayas and Norway’s Mountainous Hardangervidda wilderness. Andy is a qualified Mountain Leader and a former expedition co-ordinator, he is a full-time professional instructor of the highest calibre, delivering IOL accredited instructor training, regular courses, one-to-one skills training and bespoke, with us but mainly with his own company ‘Andy Lewis Training’ based on the Cheshire border.
“Be prepared and learn skills for life” is the ethos he lives, works and inspires others by
Up next on our “Meet the Team” segment is instructor Neil Foote. From mountaineering routes and North faces in the Alps to extreme endurance races in the most inhospitable places in the world, Including having competed ultra-marathons at a distance of 95 miles non stop. You can be sure that Neil (or any of our other instructors) will not ask you to do anything he hasn’t had to do himself. Originally from Fife Neil’s formative years were spent camping and exploring the local woods and countryside where he lived, learning the skills that would hold him in good stead for the future. Neil has a background in outdoor education and holds his SIA (Survival instructor award) and is one of the founding members of the Survival Training Award Scheme. Neil is also a qualified SPA, Mountain leader, winter mountain leader and UKCC paddlesport coach.
‘Meet the Team’ segment continued with the final member of the Robertson instructor trio; Michael Robertson.Michael has been an instructor at BCS for 3 years, he is a qualified Woodland Skills Leader and a Land-Based Survival Instructor.
Michael grew up as a military child, this saw most of his childhood in the woods or up a mountain. Michael’s teenage years saw him in the Army Cadets which provided him with navigational skills, instructional and leadership skills and helped him pursue his career in the Army. He is now serving as a Royal Engineer, spending his free time rock climbing, mountain biking or instructing survival.
Up next on the “Meet the Team” segment is Instructor and our Social Media Guru, Abigail Robertson. Abi has been an instructor at BCS for 3 years, she is a qualified Woodland Skills Leader and a Land-Based Survival Instructor. Abi grew up as a military child, this saw most of her childhood in the woods or up a mountain. She has been an Army Cadet Instructor for the Black Watch Battalion for 5 years which has allowed for her Adventure Training, Instructional and Navigational skills and experience to be expanded. With a love of mountain biking, rock climbing, hiking mountains and skiing, Abi has a lot of experience in the outdoors.
Next up on our ‘Meet the Team’ segment is Director and Instructor Derek Robertson.
Derek grew up in Northern Perthshire along with Graham Melloy the Chief Instructor and Graeme Stuart and spent his younger days in the woods and hills around Tayside fishing, hunting and shooting as well as learning the outdoor ways from farmers, gamekeepers and woodsmen and did his first survival course with the Army Cadets in 1986. His love of survival continued with a full career in the Army serving in all corners of the world. He holds the Woodland Skills Leader (WSL) and Land-Based Survival Instructor (LSI) awards as well as mountaineering, skiing and teaching qualifications.
One of Derek’s favourite survival quotes is “Learning is not compulsory…neither is survival” – W. Edwards Deming
It’s always good to know who you’re booking onto a course with, so we are going to do a ‘Meet the BCS Ltd Team’ segment starting off with Director and Chief Instructor Graham Melloy.
Graham grew up in Northern Perthshire and spent a lot of his formative years fishing, hunting and shooting as well as learning the outdoor ways in the woods and hills along the River Tay from farmers, gamekeepers and woodsmen and did his first survival course with the Army Cadets in 1986. His love of survival continued with a full career in the Army where he completed several SERE courses including the Land Survival Instructor Course and the Unit SERE Instructor Course. He has been a navigation instructor for over 20 years and has navigated in all corners of the world. He holds the NCFE Defence SERE Advanced Survival Instructor Award, the NCFE SIA Level 4 award as well as winter mountaineering and teaching qualifications.Graham has conducted survival training in various corners of the globe including the South Atlantic, Europe, Mediterranean, Middle East & Asia and Africa.
Due to the current situation, all courses in March have been cancelled. We will are waiting until the next announcement from the First Minister which will give us confirmation over whether our April courses will be going ahead.
Dates are now up for our 2 Day Winter Skills and 2 Day Winter Survival Courses.
Winter Survival Course: The aim of this course is to learn the skills and knowledge to survive in colder winter conditions whilst using the PLAN-M format (Protection, Location, Acquisition, Navigation – Medical). This will all be done whilst experiencing Scottish Winter conditions which will make everything more challenging than our 2 Day Summer Survival Courses.
Winter Skills Course: Interested in winter mountaineering? This course is for you. The aim of the course is to provide participants with the confidence to effectively plan days out in the mountains during winter conditions whilst wearing the correct clothing and using the appropriate equipment. The course will also cover various techniques in ice axe use, self arrests, emergency shelters and more.
To find out more information and to book yourself onto a course head to https://www.backcountrysurvival.co.uk/courses/winter-courses/
It’s November, that means we can start talking Christmas 
Want to gift somebody a unique experience? Is a family member/friend keen on the outdoors? Or maybe, someone is just looking for something fun to do?
Our Gift Vouchers are also a great gift for young people and can put towards a course with us. We will have kid only and parent and kids courses in 2021. Keep your eyes peeled for dates
“Teaching children about the natural world should be treated as one of the most important events in their lives.” – Thomas Berry
The BCS Ltd Team have been busy in the last couple of weeks, we have moved next door and have a new Bothy now!
As well as this, the weekend of the 11-13th August saw us start running courses again. We hit the ground running by running a 3 Day, 2 Day and 1 Day courses over the weekend.
A successful weekend for all, check out our calendar for the rest of our upcoming courses.
Last month when we announced we were going to be back up and running in August, we sent everyone who was planned to be on a course with us during Lockdown an email announcing all our new course dates to rebook on to.
If this includes you and you didn’t receive an email from us, get in touch with us at info@backcountrysurvival.co.uk
Great news, following Government Guidance and ensuring the safety of our customers and instructors we plan to start running courses from August onwards.
Planning your staycation? Head to https://www.backcountrysurvival.co.uk/courses/ we currently have dates for Survival Courses going up to the end of 2020.
We have been getting a lot of enquiries recently about our courses. As all our courses are based in Scotland we have to follow the latest Scottish Government COVID-19 Guidance. We are currently in Phase 1 of the lockdown relaxation measures and we are hoping that by Phase 3 we will be able to get up and running which we are hoping will be by the end of July/beginning of August time. This also all depends on agreement with the Landowners and everyone following Government Guidance. So, keep safe and follow all the latest guidance so we can fill our calendars with courses in the near future.
BCS Ltd Team
Whilst many were celebrating VE day in 1945 there was still a considerable force fighting in the Far East. What does this have to do with survival YOU MAY ASK?
Well then Jungle warfare is not easy, and the Jungle is a difficult environment, but it can also be your friend as much as being your enemy. From a survival point of view, it is rich in resources to make shelter, fire, provide food and water. You just need to know what you are doing!!
The ribbon in the picture is for the Burma Star that everyone who served there received along with other campaign medals. More commonly known as the Chindits.
Now water would have been an abundant source in the jungle due to the rains and vast water courses running through it. Would the water have been safe to just drink? Well as with anything you must weigh up the risks and make the decision, but in all circumstances, they would have had to filter it and then treat it.
A mug or mess tin would have been what they would have carried in the later stages of the war. The one in the picture is a 44-pattern water bottle mug and the date on it is 1945 and I have been using it for years. This can be used to boil the water after filtration which will
remove all the nasties, but a section of bamboo could also have been used. The following item was developed during WW2 and was primarily designed for the jungle environment.
It is of course the Millbank Bag and is still in service with the military today and still used by special forces in the jungle (as well as others). The bag is small and can be carried on the person with ease. Although they are slower than modern conventional items there are less bits to break!
How do you use one properly? Well that is the best bit it is simple to use. The drill is:
So, the fact that such an item is still in use to this day after 75 years and still producing the goods is a good thing. Plenty of companies have come up with their own version of this but the one in the picture I have had for years and has been used extensively in Africa with results being tested by Environmental Health Technicians and coming up as the same as UK tap water standard. My point? Don’t always buy the latest bit of kit as it may not always be that great and sometimes tried and tested items often provide better results.
Winter brings a number of challenges with it; more specialised equipment, shorter days, extreme conditions and less margin for error in navigation. The rule of 3’s state that without adequate protection, on average, the human body will cease to function after 3 hours.
As well as taking the usual precautions when venturing outdoors, we should always be equipped with spare clothes, group shelters, survival bags and foil blankets should the worst happen and we end up benighted on the hill/forest. Getting to grips with improvising a shelter will mitigate the panic that sets in should the scenario happen for real.
Every environment has a solution to the protection issue, BCS are leading experts in cold environment survival. We offer the unique experience to our clients of spending overnight trips in by far the most inhospitable environment in the UK and perhaps the whole of Europe.
If you are looking at expanding your knowledge into a winter environment then please take a look at our winter courses here: https://www.backcountrysurvival.co.uk/courses/winter-courses/
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