Scotland covers the country’s rich and diverse landscape from the sprawling Borders, Mountains of the Cairngorms, Glen Coe and the wild North, to the spectacular west coast and islands including remote and windswept Orkney and Shetland Isles. Wilderness, Wildlife and challenge abound in all shapes and sizes. Scotland’s Outdoor community are well spread throughout providing a range of learning experiences and journeys.
Wales is divided into three regions. North Wales stretches Anglesey to the southern boundary of the rugged Snowdonia National Park, the Llyn peninsula to the English border. South-West Wales includes Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire, Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Pembrokeshire. South-East Wales covers the Vale of Glamorgan, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Merthyr Tydfil, Newport, Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen, Monmouthshire, Bridgend and southern Powys and includes the Brecon Beacons National Park.
Welsh translation coming soon...
Northern Ireland is a landscape crisscrossed by uplands and low mountains (Sperrin, Mourne, and the Antrim Plateau). Arguably the most valuable landform is Lough Neagh, the largest freshwater lake in the United Kingdom and one of the largest in western Europe, and the most striking feature is the thousands of interlocking basalt columns of the Giant's Causeway world heritage site. The variety of coastal and inland habitats are home to a wide array of outdoor learning providers.
The North West includes the mountains, lakes and coastline of Cumbria, the Pennines, Howgills and Eden valley, Yorkshire Dales, Morecambe coast and Lune estuary, Trough of Bowland, Manchester and Merseyside conurbation, and the Wirral. There is a strong tradition of residential Outdoor Learning centres in the area, specialist recreational and activity provision, and a vibrant community of freelance practitioners.
The North East covers from Berwick on the border of Scotland, to the west with the border of Cumbria, through the beautiful undeveloped landscape of high moorland in Northumberland featuring its many castles and 64 miles of long distance paths bordering the coastline of the North Sea. Dropping down from the North through Newcastle and County Durham into York and ending at Hull with its Maritime history. Whether urban or rural you are never too far from the countryside or coast.
Situated in the heart of England, just south of Manchester, the Peak District covers the area between Stoke on Trent to the West, Derby to the South and Sheffield to the East. The region is home to a wide cross-section of the outdoor learning community, including residential outdoor centres, specialist environmental and activity centres and a busy community of freelance practitioners.
The Midlands encompasses a hugely varied landscape of both terrain and provision. Not just rivers and lakes, woodlands and moors the Midland's diversity extends from the canals and industrial urban landscapes to wilds of the Marches and the beauty of the Cotswolds. The breadth and expanse of the region means practitioners have a vast array of opportunities to deliver outdoor learning across the whole of the spectrum reaching into the dense conurbations and out to the rural idyls.
The East of England is full of surprises from picturesque countryside with luscious meadows and ancient woodlands, to coastline with sandy expansive beaches that go on and on, with one of the darkest night sky in the country. From the latest in man-made white water rafting Olympic course, dinghy race on Grafham Water to navigating the maritime waterways there is always a challenge!
Wessex is full of character with landscape of open downland, plain and scarp, wooded plateaus, high chalk plains, vales, river valleys, and lowland mosaic and a Jurassic Coast world heritage site. The unique geography and geology of the region is home to a wide array of providers including, commercial residential centres, adventure challenge courses, educational establishments delivering bespoke outdoor courses, voluntary organisations, clubs and individual practitioners.
The South West has a varied terrain offering a wide range of outdoor learning opportunities. We have a coastline that provides a huge amount of activities from Coasteering to Offshore Yachting, moors which host some of the toughest events, Ten Tors and the steepest hills for cyclists riding from John o groats to Lands End. The residential and outdoor education sector is well established with a variety of colleges and Higher Education institutions offering a wide range of courses.
The South of England & Channel Islands includes the beautiful coast, lakes, rivers, downs, open countryside, city centres and two National parks spread across the counties of Hampshire, West and East Sussex, Kent, Surrey, London, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire along with the Isle of Wight and Channel Islands. We have a great array of environments used by our members, from rural open spaces, dramatic coastlines, to open country and city centre provision.
