Speyside Wilderness Skills

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Speyside Wilderness Skills

Teaching a child how to safely handle a knife and light a fire gives them a trust they thrive on and an opportunity to assess risk. Warm regards

Alan Linee

Speyside Wilderness Skills provides courses to give individuals and groups of all ages the opportunity to develop outdoor knowledge and skills whilst feeling all of the benefits of connecting with nature, including to health & well-being, confidence and self-reliance, here in the stunning woodland environment of Speyside. For our younger generation we know that there is no greater means to learn,

retain information, gain confidence and have fun than the multi-sensory learning afforded by the outdoor classroom. As grown ups it will be a chance to unwind, gain new knowledge, or contribute to group sessions with existing knowledge, in a relaxed environment around a camp fire. The meditative effect of the carving zone when whittling wood crafts in good like-minded company around the fire is hard to beat! Growing up in the countryside in the 70s with a lot of freedom I began my journey making dens and lighting fires, watching animals and using the tools of a woodsman. I have practiced, studied, worked, gained qualifications and taught in the countryside ever since and have a particular passion for the all encompassing, and now very popular, subject of bushcraft. As Speyside Wilderness Skills evolves, plans involve a collaboration of outdoor skilled people in the area to bring their knowledge to the campfire as teachers. There has been meetings with some great people and I hope to meet more of the rich knowledge and skills I know there to be here in Speyside. Whether you are already into the outdoors or wish to get out more, a person planning a wilderness trip, or a person wishing to learn crafts or how our ancestors lit and managed fire, how to track an animal, how to navigate with and without a compass, make shelter and natural cordage, forage for food, how to safely use and maintain the knife, axe and saw, how to fish, how to cook on the open fire, what to carry, how to identify trees & plants and know their uses or how to deal with hypothermia or simply wishing to sleep under the stars, I hope there to be a subject of interest. We shall be learning all of these things and more as well as absorbing the pace of nature and the crackling glow of bone-warming ancient fire where the occasional ember rises to the forest canopy averting eyes and imagination to the constellations..

11/12/2016

Re-drawn with a more logo like tent...
Thoughts welcome...

10/12/2016

Early rough logo sketches ahead of exciting plans for 2017 in partnership with our brilliant outdoor/bushcraft instructor Ann-Marie Butland....

28/06/2016

A very busy mornings sharpening between young bushcraft groups learning some fundamental knife safety and skills.

18/06/2016

We shall be at the Archiestown Fete this afternoon, Saturday 18th June, demonstrating and providing have a go Wilderness Skills opportunities.
Hope to see some of you there.
Best Wishes

13/02/2016

Spoon carving skills will be something we shall be sharing soon around the campfire, along with some banter and a fresh brew...

31/01/2016

Today we are heading to a public fire to learn about the North American Coyote Club from Rhyddian Knight, about the rites of passage for teenagers through wilderness experience and adventure, something that has long and sadly been missing from our modern culture and something we would like to see return.
With our brilliant Forest School Leader Lynne Laing..

29/01/2016

I hope everybody is staying safe in the storm, I am taking the opportunity to write some woodland learning session plans to take to the woods this Spring..
Meanwhile here are 21 very good Winter camping tips from Paul Kirtley of Frontier Bushcraft, a blog that I have followed and learnt much from, I am also studying an online masterclass in Tree and Plant identification with Paul...
Have a read and check out/follow this excellently informative and detailed blog from an outdoor Wilderness Skills Professional..
Best wishes
Alan

25/01/2016

Hello..
I hope the recent high pressure and sunshine brought some welcome light to everybody, back to the wind and rain this week!
We have been busy looking at, and writing session plans and admin for running bushcraft classes here in Speyside, insurance, knives & fire!!
Furthermore, excited to be in conversation regarding delivering bushcraft sessions to a nearby education group, a seperate possibility of a young adventurers group and delivering an engaging skills session to a local primary school, as they head out for a camp this Summer.
Meanwhile, I thought I would share the wonderful Bushcraft Journal that has become a favourite read lately, this is a digital download magazine packed with detailed skills written by professional outdoor instructors,
Maybe something to read this coming stormy week, stay safe..
Best wishes
Alan.

A bushcraft and survival skills magazine that brings you everything you need to enhance your journey outdoors in the natural world.

06/01/2016

Happy new year to one and all, I hope your festive season saw you well and brought some quality time indoors and, of course, outdoors!
This year is a big year for myself in that I have been gearing up towards teaching wilderness skills here in Speyside, Moray. I have a lifelong interest in bushcraft wilderness skills with experience and qualifications in subjects such as traditional rural skills, woodland and countryside management, woodcrafting and bushcraft.
During several years of teaching children rural skills whilst being a ranger and being a scout leader, as well as of course my own progressive learning, I have become more and more passionate about teaching in the great outdoors.
I love the benefits the outdoor environment brings people of all ages and being in the woods becomes more and more wonderful the more we learn, as I continue on my own journey of skills and knowledge I now look forward to sharing skills with others and to kick it all off there is a new name!
Keep an eye on posts for some free training opportunities as session plans and locations are field tested, please show your support by liking/sharing this page to get your name in the hat for this opportunity.

I wish you all an adventurous new year and hope to see some of you in the woods this coming Spring.

Best wishes
Alan

24/12/2015

I would like to wish everyone a very happy festive season and say a big thank you for liking this blog.
Apologies for being very quiet here of late, I have had a very busy year designing and self building a timber framed and clad extension to our home, however I have had a fantastic year in my learning and experiences in the great outdoors too.
Back in the Spring I spent the week down in Sussex with the brilliant Woodcraft School gaining my NCFE level 3 in Advanced Bushcraft whilst in the Autumn, I went on to gain my NCFE level 2 Woodland Activity Leader certificate with a further eight days training.
The highlight though this year was completing the Ray Mears School of Wilderness Bushcraft (Woodlore) Journeyman, where I was able to put skills to the test living off the land, experiencing hunger and the ability to make the right decisions in adverse wilderness situations.
I have been gathering pace for next year as I continue along my journey with plans to begin teaching outdoor skills on a more regular basis, land/woodland has been discussed and great like minded friends have been made over plans to deliver some exciting skills sessions here in Speyside.
This venture will have a new name in the new year and move from a blog to a venture that I have been focusing towards for many years now.
If Bushcraft, Ancestral living/ wilderness skills are of interest to you or people you know please show your support by giving this page a like and a share, it will be hugely appreciated, many thanks..

A very happy Christmas and adventurous new year to you all.

Best wishes

Alan

03/03/2015

This Thursday evening I will be giving a talk and showing my own pictures on the subject of Bushcraft & Wilderness Skills.
I shall cover subjects such as, What is bushcraft, the skills that apply, shelter, fire, water and food as well as navigation, outdoor safety, what to carry and more.
The talk is aimed to hopefully hold something of interest to any person whom spends time in the great outdoors.
I am also pleased to say that children are very welcome too.
Details on poster..
Warm Regards
Alan

16/02/2015

I have begun a one year online masterclass to study in more depth the plants and trees useful
from a bushcraft/wilderness skills perspective.
With many many identification guides available covering hundreds/thousands of trees and plants, the time and library needed is extensive.
I have been studying these subjects for many years and much is not relevant to the fundamentals of bushcraft.. Paul Kirtley is a leading bushcraft instructor, he is very thorough and experienced and has put together a framework to identifying and understanding the trees and plants you need to know for the principles of fire, shelter, food and water in twelve modules.
I can already say, as I work through module one, that this is valuable training for really stepping up your skills a few notches.
If you are serious about bushcraft then take a look at the link, these are core skills..
Warm Regards
Alan

When it comes to mastering tree and plant identification for bushcraft and survival, there are three things you need - The Three Fs...

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