Survival Courses – Aviemore

Our Summer Survival Courses in Scotland run from March to the end of October and take place in the Cairngorms National Park – the largest National Park in Europe and one of Britain’s last true wildernesses – and in Northern Perthshire – the gateway to the Scottish Highlands. All summer courses are run as multi-environmental and cover a wide range of terrains from Boreal woodlands to mountainous and hillside, providing you with a more rounded experience in a range of techniques.

You can book your summer course now with our online booking system, please check course dates for availability. Once you have booked your course you will receive an email confirming the course and payment details. Remember to download the available resources for your course and bring them with you when you start.

We have a range of courses to suit everyone, for more information on our Summer Survival Courses in Scotland please do contact us.

 

 

Introductory 2 Day Survival Course £180.00

The Overview for the Introductory 2 Day Survival Course includes the following:


The prospect of staying out overnight in the shelter you have built yourself brings a serious element to this course, there is also a certain amount of mental stamina needed to complete the course. The emphasis is on staying out of the elements whilst working through PLAN-M. Individual fitness for this course must be of a sufficient level as you will be working hard over the two days. You will be introduced to a number of Survival models and priorities including PLAN – M, Survival pyramid and the rule of 3’s.

Backcountry Survival Ltd also provides the Landbased Survival Instructor Award course which will train and assess individuals and instructors who are looking to gain formal recognition within the Survival field. Please visit our Survival Training page for more information.

 

Difficulty Rating

The Itinerary for the Introductory 2 Day Survival Course includes the following:


Principles & Priorities of Survival

PLAN-M

Survival Triangle

Survival kits & Equipment selection

Cutting tools and safe handling

Protection
Protection from the elements and further harm:

Shelter

  • Emergency shelters, site selection & Safety;
  • Natural shelters;
  • Bedding and insulation;
  • Integration of fire into the shelter.

Fire-Lighting

  • Ignition sources;
  • Fuel selection;
  • Wood choices, fire-lays and when to use them;
  • Lighting in wet weather.

Location
Attracting Rescue , Location Action Plan.

  • Attract, Hold and Direct;
  • Equipment and uses;
  • Search and Rescue Services.

Acquisition
Water

  • Theory;
  • Filters – Improvised and commercial.

Food

  • Game preparation;
  • Trapping and trap building – Strangle – Mangle – Dangle – Tangle’.

Navigation

  • Introduction to map & compass;
  • Natural Navigation methods – Sun, stars and moon.
Date Time Spaces Price Book
12 April 2025 09:30 - 16:00 11 £180 Book Now
10 May 2025 09:30 - 16:00 12 £180 Book Now
7 June 2025 09:30 - 16:00 12 £180 Book Now
26 July 2025 09:30 - 16:00 12 £180 Book Now
9 August 2025 09:30 - 16:00 12 £180 Book Now
13 September 2025 09:30 - 16:00 12 £180 Book Now
11 October 2025 09:30 - 16:00 12 £180 Book Now

Please download these resources for your information


Intermediate 3 Day Survival Course £250.00

The Overview for the Intermediate 3 Day Survival Course includes the following:


The multi-day course is multi-environment. A Group moving from one camp to another

Due to the prolonged time out in the wilderness, weather factors and the long hours spent learning, a good level of physical fitness and mental stamina is required. This course is run in areas where there is no one for miles around.

Where we primarily focus on Survival, there is adequate time to brush up on your “Bushcraft” skills, as these techniques compliment survival and provide added levels of comfort to your experience . For more information on Course content be sure to click “Itinerary”.

Backcountry Survival Ltd also provides the Landbased Survival Instructor Award course which will train and assess individuals and instructors who are looking to gain formal recognition within the Survival field. Please visit our Survival Training page for more information.

Difficulty Rating

The Itinerary for the Intermediate 3 Day Survival Course includes the following:


Principles and Priorities of Survival

Survival Pyramid

PLAN-M

Kit and Equipment

Cutting tools including handling safety

Protection
Protection from the elements and further harm:

Shelter

  • Improvised emergency shelters;
  • Thermal A-frame, Lean-to;
  • Bedding and insulation with natural materials;
  • Integration of fire into shelter;
  • Improving your shelter;
  • Sleeping systems – why and when.

Fire

  • Ignition sources (natural & man-made);
  • Tinder man-made vs natural;
  • Getting the most from your fire;
  • Tinder production;
  • Fire lays.

Location
Attracting Rescue – Attract, Hold and Direct

  • Smoke/Fire signal;
  • Torch/Whistle;
  • Beacons/Strobes;
  • Ground to Air signals;
  • Passive methods of signalling.

Acquisition

Water

  • Finding water sources;
  • Treating water;
  • Man-made and improvised filters;
  • Water purification methods;
  • Water management

Food

  • Wild edibles (seasonal)
  • The law and trapping, live snaring/trapping, fishing and fish traps – Strangle – Mangle – Dangle – Tangle

Navigation

  • Map and compass – Setting a map to the ground;
  • Bearings and contour appreciation;
  • Timing and pacing including micro nav;
  • Natural Navigation – Sun, stars and moon.

 

Date Time Spaces Price Book
11 April 2025 09:30 - 16:00 11 £250 Book Now
9 May 2025 09:30 - 16:00 12 £250 Book Now
6 June 2025 09:30 - 16:00 12 £250 Book Now
25 July 2025 09:30 - 16:00 12 £250 Book Now
8 August 2025 09:30 - 16:00 12 £250 Book Now
12 September 2025 09:30 - 16:00 12 £250 Book Now
10 October 2025 09:30 - 16:00 12 £250 Book Now

Please download these resources for your information


Advanced Five Day Survival Course £450.00

The Overview for the Advanced Five Day Survival Course includes the following:


 

The basis of the course is for the individuals to use the skills that they have learned and practiced on our 2 or 3-day course as well as individual CPD. The first day and a half will be a revision session for those who have attended a course before or an introduction for those who haven’t attended a course. Then they will be moved to a location to go into the exercise phase in the evening following a real-life survival scenario.

Individuals will be given minimum information to allow seclusion and will be visited by instructors to ensure all is okay. There will be emergency equipment with each person including walkies talkie communications.

Due to the prolonged time out in the wilderness, weather factors and the long hours spent learning, a good level of physical fitness and mental stamina is required.

This course is run in areas where there is no one for miles around, it is ran primarily in woodland areas.

This course is open to people who have attended a course with us before and want to put to practice their survival skills in a challenging environment. It is also open to people who haven’t attended a course before but are interested in taking part in a challenging course that will see them learn the skills and knowledge and then put it to practice. This will be a lot more challenging physically and mentally than our 3 Day Survival Course.

If you want to test your survival skills and knowledge then this is the challenge for you.

Difficulty Rating

The Itinerary for the Advanced Five Day Survival Course includes the following:


1st Day will see the attendees go over revision from their 3 Day Course, from there the rest of the course will follow a hands-on survival scenario covering the following:

Principles and Priorities of Survival

Survival Pyramid

PLAN-M

Equipment considerations for travel in the wilds or a foreign environment.

Protection
Protection from the elements and further harm:

Shelter

  • Improvised or man-made will depend on what resources you have or find.

Fire

  • Using fire in a survival setting.

Location
Attracting Rescue – Attract, Hold and Direct

  • The ultimate aim is to be rescued but also being mentally prepared for disappointment.

Acquisition

Water

  • Finding water sources;
  • Treating water;
  • Water management

Food

  • Sourcing wild edibles for a survival situation utilising all resources available.

Navigation

  • Navigating around remote areas to safe ground.
  • The safe crossing of obstacles and route selection.
Date Time Spaces Price Book
4 June 2025 09:30 - 16:00 6 £450 Book Now
10 September 2025 09:30 - 16:00 6 £450 Book Now