Walk leaders in Scotland follow the same training as all Ramblers walk leaders, with access to The Ramblers Approach to Leading Group Walks and our two e-learning modules, Walk Leadership Foundations and Preventing and Managing Incidents.  

In addition to these, and thanks to investment from Scottish Government, the Ramblers runs skills courses across Scotland. These courses build on the e-learning courses, providing practical skills and masterclasses with industry experts in Scotland.   

We are always adding new events and you can see what's coming up online and in your area via the Ramblers Scotland Eventbrite page.

 

Walk Leadership: Next Steps  

In our Next Steps course, volunteers learn the foundations of great map reading and navigation, deal with emergencies and planning, and hear from our volunteer trainers who share their own expertise too. Don’t be surprised to hear trainers talk about top tips for great kit, share their wealth of knowledge about nature and ecology, or point you in the direction of the best local café of that all-important coffee and cake. 

The course is all taught outdoors in small groups of no more than six volunteers. It is 100% practical and, like you, the trainer will be a volunteer. They are experienced in leading walks with the Ramblers. At the heart of this course, is the opportunity for volunteers to learn from each other.  

 

Who is the course for? 

These courses are ideal for people leading leisurely and moderate walks. If you lead easy and easy access walks, you will still enjoy the course and you may think about leading more challenging walks in the future. If you lead strenuous or technical walks, this course will give you the chance to refresh some of the basics although additional skills will be needed.  

 

Entry requirements 

This course is for Ramblers volunteers who will lead walks for our groups in Scotland. We extend a warm welcome to both new and experienced walk leaders. It can be a great way to get started and learn more about the reality of leading walks in Scotland. 

 

What do people say about the training? 

People attend for all sorts of reasons. Natalie Corner (pictured on the right) from Livingston Ramblers caught the walking bug as a teenager and joined a course in Edinburgh.  

She told us “I wanted to gain a bit more confidence and refresh what I thought I already knew and build on that so I can plan and lead more walks for my group with confidence.”  

She was joined by Jacky Figures (pictured on the left) from Edinburgh Ramblers who came away from the day with a new sense of her volunteer role: “Up to now I’ve just been following other walk leaders, but now I can lead on my own. I wanted to improve my navigation skills, but I also want to get into leading more walks for groups. It’s really nice walking with other people.” 

Our training programme is a real testament to the power of volunteering, with most people coming away from the courses feeling more confident in their role and planning to lead more walks, meaning groups across the country can extent their offer to walkers across Scotland.