A wild expedition in Scotland

Date: 20th Oct 2022 Author: Katie Sturgess

Over the summer, DofE Gold participants from Golden Hind ESU canoed the Great Glen Canoe Trail over 3/4 days in Scotland, from Fortwilliam to Inverness. They paddled great lochs and some lively rapids, covering 15 miles a day in their open canoes, loaded with kit stored in watertight bags and barrels in case of a sudden capsize. Each night they found wild camping spots in beautiful locations, and were soon acquainted with the wee beasties of Scotland – the famous midge! To ensure they were capable of undertaking such an adventure independently, our teams trained hard in the lead up to the expedition, learning self rescue techniques and how to navigate rapids. They showed resilience and determination as well as great camp-craft and paddling skills. They had a grand adventure in the great outdoors, well done to them all!

Golden Hind ESU is an Explorer Scout unit for local young people age 13.5-18yrs and we are partnered with the 1st New Cross Scout Group. The Duke of Edinburgh’s award is a youth award recognised by academic institutions and employers. If your young person would like to enrol onto the DofE, we can support them with their progress and take them on real adventures.

One of the teams made this video:

Pre-adventure, loading canoe barrels and drybags with supplies for 4 days, after a long drive from London.

Evening campfire and wild camp on the shores of the loch.

On the final day, before the last push to Inverness!

Well done to Noa, Sam, Alex and Lil – an outstanding achievement and epic adventure.

HM King Charles III has been confirmed as our new Patron, a great honour for UK Scouts.

The King continues a long tradition of the monarch giving their Patronage, dating back to 1912. This was when Scouts was granted its Royal Charter and HM George V became our first Patron.

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King Charles III

Our Patron, HM King Charles III