We offer a wide range of great value mountain skills courses and climbing coaching workshops, held in locations across Scotland. We also organise talks, lectures and other events during the year to help you grow your knowledge and meet other hill walkers, climbers and mountaineers. Check out the full schedule below and click for more information, booking details and prices.
Please note: We indicate whether courses are fully booked below, but please be aware this is not an automatic update, so the situation may change overnight.
Waiting lists
We operate a waiting list for most events to fill spaces that become available in case of cancellations. Please add your details to the waiting list for any courses and dates that are fully booked that you are interested in and we will be in touch with everyone on the list if any places become available.
Our one day winter skills courses are aimed at people who already enjoy walking in the Scottish hills in summer and winter, and wish to improve their competency and learn the basic skills to enjoy winter in the hills safety.
Area: Cairngorms
Nine hours of intensive winter navigation training with particular consideration to avoidance of avalanche-prone slopes and cornice features. Techniques will include timing, pacing, walking on bearings, aiming off, boxing away from cornice edges, attack points and much more. We will ‘walk into the dark' and experience the challenges of night navigation.
This course is specifically designed to practice navigation techniques after dark so we start at 10am and finish around 6pm.
All course participants must have completed a winter skills training course either with Mountaineering Scotland or another provider and be familiar with the use of ice axe and crampons prior to attending this course. As well as the basic skills of kicking and cutting steps with their rigid winter mountaineering boots.
Area: Cairngorms
Our avalanche awareness courses are designed for proficient winter hill walkers, mountaineers, climbers and ski tourers wishing to increase their knowledge of snow conditions and avalanche risk, to learn which areas to avoid and to improve their understanding of reports and forecasts.
Participants must have attended a winter skills course with Mountaineering Scotland or another provider prior to signing up for avalanche awareness courses.
Area: Cairngorms
This one day course follows on from the Introduction to Avalanche Awareness course, and will consist of an indoor introduction to avalanche theory followed by a practical session on the hill.
Participants must have attended a winter skills course and an introductory avalanche awareness course with Mountaineering Scotland or another provider (or a comparable course) or have extensive personal experience in the winter hills with a good understanding of avalanches, problems, planning and decisions. Please contact us if you’re not sure this course is correct for you.
Area: Cairngorms
This one day course will compare and contrast Crampons with Micro spikes to help you decide what is appropriate and safe in different conditions, how to make decisions and what to do when in doubt.
Area: Cairngorms
Our two day winter skills courses are aimed at people who already enjoy walking in the Scottish hills in summer and winter, and wish to improve their competency and learn the basic skills to enjoy winter in the hills safety. Over the course of the two days you'll gain a deeper understanding of essential winter skills and have plenty of time for practice (weather permitting). Two nights self catering accommodation at Mill Cottage national hut included.
Area: Cairngorms
Our two day winter skills courses are aimed at people who already enjoy walking in the Scottish hills in summer and winter, and wish to improve their competency and learn the basic skills to enjoy winter in the hills safety. Over the course of the two days you'll gain a deeper understanding of essential winter skills and have plenty of time for practice (weather permitting). Two nights self catering accommodation at Mill Cottage national hut included.
Area: Cairngorms
Nine hours of intensive winter navigation training with particular consideration to avoidance of avalanche-prone slopes and cornice features. Techniques will include timing, pacing, walking on bearings, aiming off, boxing away from cornice edges, attack points and much more. We will ‘walk into the dark' and experience the challenges of night navigation.
This course is specifically designed to practice navigation techniques after dark so we start at 10am and finish around 6pm.
All course participants must have completed a winter skills training course either with Mountaineering Scotland or another provider and be familiar with the use of ice axe and crampons prior to attending this course. As well as the basic skills of kicking and cutting steps with their rigid winter mountaineering boots.
Area: Cairngorms
Our two day winter skills courses are aimed at women who already enjoy walking in the Scottish hills in summer and winter, and wish to improve their competency and learn the basic skills to enjoy winter in the hills safety. Over the course of the two days you'll gain a deeper understanding of essential winter skills and have plenty of time for practice (weather permitting).
Two nights self catering accommodation at the Alex MacIntyre Memorial Hut included. Please note, the course price also includes uplift at Glencoe Ski Centre (refundable if not used).
Area: Glencoe
Our two day winter skills courses are aimed at people who already enjoy walking in the Scottish hills in summer and winter, and wish to improve their competency and learn the basic skills to enjoy winter in the hills safety. Over the course of the two days you'll gain a deeper understanding of essential winter skills and have plenty of time for practice (weather permitting).
Two nights self catering accommodation at the Alex MacIntyre Memorial Hut included. Please note, the course price also includes uplift at Glencoe Ski Centre (refundable if not used).
Area: Glencoe
Our one day winter skills courses are aimed at people who already enjoy walking in the Scottish hills in summer and winter, and wish to improve their competency and learn the basic skills to enjoy winter in the hills safety. Please note, the course price includes uplift at Glencoe Ski Centre (refundable if not used).
Area: Glencoe
Our avalanche awareness courses are designed for proficient winter hill walkers, mountaineers, climbers and ski tourers wishing to increase their knowledge of snow conditions and avalanche risk, to learn which areas to avoid and to improve their understanding of reports and forecasts.
Participants must have attended a winter skills course with Mountaineering Scotland or another provider prior to signing up for avalanche awareness courses.
Area: Glencoe
Our two day winter skills courses are aimed at people who already enjoy walking in the Scottish hills in summer and winter, and wish to improve their competency and learn the basic skills to enjoy winter in the hills safety. Over the course of the two days you'll gain a deeper understanding of essential winter skills and have plenty of time for practice (weather permitting).
Two nights self catering accommodation at the Alex MacIntyre Memorial Hut included. Please note, the course price also includes uplift at Glencoe Ski Centre (refundable if not used).
Area: Glencoe
Learn the skills for looking after yourself in the winter mountains when the skis or boards need to come off. This course is suitable for ski and board tourers who would like to gain the knowledge and experience to be able to transition to walking and mountaineering when traveling by ski/board is not possible or not safe due to conditions or steepness.
What will you learn:
Your course will start with a session indoors, ensuring that everyone has the appropriate kit, planning the day taking into consideration the weather and avalanche forecasts. The course will then move outside to cover:
We will aim to cover as much of the above as possible, depending on the snow and weather conditions.
Join us on this course to learn how to rescue someone from an avalanche using transceivers, shovels and probes. This course is suitable for winter hillwalkers, mountaineers, climbers, and ski tourers who have this equipment and would like to learn how to use it quickly and efficiently, or to refresh existing knowledge.
All course participants MUST have completed a winter skills training course either with Mountaineering Scotland or another provider and be familiar with the use of ice axe and crampons prior to attending this course.
We will aim to cover as much of the above as possible, depending on the snow and weather conditions.
Our two day winter skills courses are aimed at people who already enjoy walking in the Scottish hills in summer and winter, and wish to improve their competency and learn the basic skills to enjoy winter in the hills safety. Over the course of the two days you'll gain a deeper understanding of essential winter skills and have plenty of time for practice (weather permitting). Two nights self catering accommodation at Mill Cottage national hut included.
Area: Cairngorms
This two-day course is aimed at members of snowsports touring clubs affiliated to Mountaineering Scotland, and who either aspire to, or are already taking the lead on an organisational role on club trips. This course is suitable for snowsports tourers who have a good level of hill and ski fitness and who are confident on moderate slopes off-piste.
Members are required to supply all their own kit appropriate for a ski tour in the northern Cairngorms. The course is open to all off-piste modes of travel. Please initially email info@mountaineering.scot to discuss suitability of your equipment, especially if you would like to join the course and will not be using alpine touring kit.
The course fee includes self catering accommodation at Mill Cottage, Glen Feshie on Friday and Saturday nights.
Area: Cairngorms
Our two day winter skills courses are aimed at people who already enjoy walking in the Scottish hills in summer and winter, and wish to improve their competency and learn the basic skills to enjoy winter in the hills safety. Over the course of the two days you'll gain a deeper understanding of essential winter skills and have plenty of time for practice (weather permitting). Two nights self catering accommodation at Mill Cottage national hut included.
Area: Cairngorms
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Mountaineering Scotland is a registered trademark of the Mountaineering Council of Scotland Limited
