Operation Cairngorms CIC

13/04/2026

This a great opportunity for those that served to bring the family to OPCG and learn some skills, spend quality time outdoors and create memories!

Contact the team for more details.

Closing date coming soon!

If you are interested in taking part in the VHS family weekend hosted by Operation Cairngorms CIC please get in touch by Friday 17th April. ⛺️⛺️⛺️

04/03/2026

We’re calling in a few favours from the community.

Our Military Ball in Edinburgh this May is shaping up to be a cracking night but we’re still looking for prizes, gifts, and auction or raffle items to help us raise funds.

If you or your business would like to donate something, we’d massively appreciate the support.

Every penny raised on the night is going straight into the Veteran Project Wild Fund helping more veterans spend time at the woodland for some much-needed rest, reset, and reconnection with nature.

And if you’re someone who shares military values, enjoys good company, and fancies a great night out in Edinburgh…

Scan the ticket QR code in the image and come join us.

Good people.
Great cause.
A proper night together.
Let’s make it count.

19/02/2026

2026 kicking off with some great organisations!

If you like the look at this, if you could do with sone time to refocus and join a program with a purpose get in contact.

PROJECT WILD (MALE VETERANS)

Following on from our very successful Families and Female-only Weekends in 2025, LVC is excited to be joining forces again with Operation Cairngorms to offer up to 10 male veterans the opportunity to attend a fun-packed WELLBEING RETREAT from Friday 5th June until Sunday 7th June 2026.

These retreats are set within a tranquil 50-acre ancient woodland in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire. They provide a supportive, restorative, and empowering environment to help men recalibrate and reconnect with themselves and others. These retreats aren't simply about relaxation; they offer genuine opportunities to confront, understand, and transcend life’s challenges, creating lasting positive change. The retreats blend outdoor skill-building with personal reflection at a relaxed pace, ensuring individual needs are met.

First things first this isn’t glamping, but it’s not survival either.

This weekend is fully off-grid, providing an authentic yet comfortable wilderness experience. Facilities include composting toilets, off-grid shower facilities with running hot water, and wash points. Drinking water is brought onsite. Basic electrical needs are met through solar-powered charging stations for personal devices. Accommodation consists of yurts and bell tents. As this is a wilderness retreat and totally off-grid with uneven terrain, it would be unsuitable for anyone with serious mobility issues or wheelchair users.

Depending on the programme and conditions on the day, you may have the opportunity to take part in a mix of hands-on and restorative activities:

• Bushcraft & fire lighting – simple outdoor skills and time connecting with nature
• Archery & axe throwing – safe, beginner-friendly sessions with full guidance
• Foraging & nature crafts – creating balms, energy bites, and woodland keepsakes
• Mindfulness in nature – guided practices for calm and reflection
• Wild swimming – an optional cold-water dip for those who’d like to try
• Nordic braiding & wood carving – creative, hands-on ways to relax and reconnect

THE MEN’S RETREAT IS FREE, and LVC will provide transport.

Please email contact@lvc.scot if you would like to attend or find out more information. You can also call the centre on 0131 660 5537.

19/01/2026

As we move into 2026, I want to share a brief update on Operation Cairngorms CIC.

Towards the end of 2025, we were unsuccessful in securing external funding 0/4. That came as a shock and had an impact on some of the programmes we had hoped to deliver. Like many small military support organisations, those decisions sit outside our control but our response does not.

Our network is strong, but my focus now is on developing new partnerships and supporting the military community through other organisations as a service delivery specialist.

Operation Cairngorms provides proven, veteran-led, nature-based support for serving personnel, veterans and their families. Our work supports resilience, reconnection and recovery in a way that differs from many other offers. We are also fully residential, meaning distance and rural locations are not barriers to access.

This will then enable us to continue to provide our Veterans camps and gatherings which are both very popular but also very much needed.

With that in mind, we’re proud to share some positive news.

We have been chosen as a fundraising beneficiary by the Scottish Military Ball Trust, as they celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the Scottish Military Ball in May 2026.

Support like this goes directly to sustaining Operation Cairngorms CIC and enables us to continue delivering our much-valued veteran camps and campfire gatherings.

Event details are included in the attached information, and we are also very grateful for any prize donations, with all funds raised going directly into veteran support.

Thank you to everyone who continues to support us as we move forward into 2026.

29/11/2025

Claire... lets get the word out or Claire make contact.

BEACON UPDATE: FOUND SAFE

Claire, for whom we recently launched a Beacon Alert, has now been located and we can confirm she is safe.

We want to extend a sincere and heartfelt thank you to everyone who shared information with us. The public response has been extraordinary — people sent in first-hand accounts of conversations, possible sightings, CCTV, and location updates, which allowed us to effectively piece together Claire’s journey from when she went missing to now.

This outcome was only possible because so many of you took the time to look out for her, pass on information, and support the effort. Thank you.

If you'd like to know more about Beacon Alert, please see our website:
https://beaconalert.co.uk/

If you're a veteran or serving member of the armed forces, or you're concerned about someone who is, you can register for the Forcer Protocol:
https://forcerprotocol.org/

If you're going through a rough time, support is available — please reach out.

CALL 999
If there is a risk of harm, it's an emergency.

SAMARITANS
Call 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org.

OP COURAGE
Specialist NHS support for the armed forces community.

ANDY'S MAN CLUB
Free peer-support groups for men across the UK.

More support options:
https://beaconalert.co.uk/getting-support/

13/11/2025

This is the view from the new initiative Project Breakaway, a respite and breakaway house in Aberdeenshire.

Some more questions and answers from message and emails:

●Do we allow dogs?

Yes, however at this time of year there are lots of pheasants around and sheep so we ask they are kept on a lead around the property.

●Do we have to book for 2 nights?

Yes, this is the minimum and offsets both the cleaning costs and provides funds to the give back scheme.

●Is the property accessible?

Unfortunately the door widths are 73cm so not wheelchair specific however there is a a downstairs bedroom and shower making it perfect for those who are less able.

●How do I book?

Contact us via the link below, let us know you aimed dates and we will get back to you soon as possible.

https://lnkd.in/ewwMRkU4

12/11/2025

We’re proud to share the next step in the OPCG journey - Little Corrie, our new respite and breakaway house designed to help people refocus and reconnect.

Tucked away in the countryside near Aboyne, Little Corrie is a beautiful detached home with three bedrooms (each double or twin), a cosy ground-floor room, and both upstairs and downstairs bathrooms. It’s the perfect spot for families, couples, or individuals looking for some peace, space, and time in nature.

💚 Here’s the best bit: for every two bookings, a veteran or serving member stays for free.
So every visit helps us give someone else the same chance to pause, breathe, and reconnect.

🏡 Standard stays: from £150 per night (individual) / £200 per night (family)
🌿 Refocus stays: £550 for 3 nights, including guided outdoor sessions in forest therapy, bushcraft, or reflective work

📖 You can view or download the full brochure here:
👉 OPCG_Breakaway_House

This isn’t a corporate retreat it’s something more personal.
If you’d like to arrange a stay or learn more, get in touch directly:
👉 https://opcairngorms.org/house-booking-enquiry/

09/11/2025

Today isnt about the medals we wear,
Its not about what we did or what we achieved.

Today is for those who gave their all.

Today is about ensuring we share the stories of past to honour those who never came home.

Wars of the past and conflicts of today we continue to ensure they are never forgotten.

OPERATION CAIRNGORMS CIC

'Quis Separabit'

26/10/2025

Another good weekend for the Veteran community, cold water swims, woodland walks, campfire cooking and some greenwood working, discovering hidden talents!

The food was locally sourced thankyou to James and we worked as a team to prepare and cook.

We even had some Reiki sessions by the 'Highland Healer'.

Thank you to those that support us, those that take the steps to step into the woodland and get back to basics and be part of the community again.


Veterans Scotland
Scottish Veterans Residences (SVR)
Veterans Housing Scotland
Community Veterans Support
Lothians Veterans Centre

25/10/2025

Our founder is currently working on the ground with a group of Veterans however with light of recent events he has said the following about the situation.

We are deeply saddened to share that we have recently discovered significant dishonesty from a former local employee. The individual misrepresented key aspects of his background and personal circumstances, including fabricating details about his military service, qualifications, and personal life. These fabrications came to light after the Walter Mitty Hunters Club were alerted to possible discrepancies, and their members were able to validate the concerns.

We want to reassure everyone who accesses our services that at no point was the safety or quality of our support compromised. Our commitment to supporting veterans and those in need remains unchanged. Operation Cairngorms was founded on values of honesty, integrity, and care, and we are determined to uphold these principles in all that we do.

It is deeply disappointing that our kindness and trust were taken advantage of. We supported the individual in good faith, both professionally and personally, only to discover that he had manipulated not only our organisation but also others in the veteran support community.

Our focus remains on supporting those who genuinely need our help, and we thank our community for their continued trust and understanding. If you have any concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us directly. We are here to support you and remain committed to transparency and accountability in all our work.

Thank you for your support and we hope to welcome more Veterans and members of the military family in the future.

Stu Wright
Founder
Operation Cairngorms

15/10/2025

Friday 24th from 6pm - Sunday 26th midday.
This is the next Veterans camp.

We had a great turn out last month and if you want to come back you are very welcome to.

Please click the link and register your place below:

Weekend in the wild for veterans, operated by veterans. Your not roughing it or digging in your spending time outside with a purpose.

10/10/2025

World Mental Health Day 2025

This morning’s about perspective — the bigger picture.
Mental health isn’t a one-day focus; it’s built in the small moments, out here together.

We’re proud to play our part — using the outdoors and community to support mental health, connection, and purpose.
Fresh air. Real people. Honest conversations.

That’s where change starts.