Our 2017 Camp was held on the banks of Loch Tay
We spent the week at the Boys' Brigade's Craggan centre near Ardeonaig. This was a good base for the Boys to enjoy acivities in the surrounding areas. Below is a diary of the week's activities:
Saturday | Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | |
Morning | Travel | Church | Astroturf Football | Hill Walk | Wallace Monument | Kayaking on Loch Tay | Mountain Biking | Home |
Afternoon | Setup Camp | Crannog Centre | Swimming/Treasure Hunt | Hill Walk | Rock Climbing | Crate Climbing | Putting Green | |
Evening | Birks of Aberfeldy Walk | Table Tennis | Chess Competition | Movie Night | Pool Competition | Quiz | BBQ / X Box Comp |
We arrived at the site on Loch Tay in the afternoon. After unpacking and some food, we travelled to the Birks of Aberfeldy. This was a really good walk with lots of waterfalls, the area was inspiration for a poem by Robert Burns.
On Sunday we attended the morning service at Killin Parish Church, then visited the Crannog Centre on Loch Tay. This showed what life was like for those who lived on the Loch during the Iron Age. The Boys had the chance to try out various tools from the time as well as trying to make fire. On Sunday night we started our Inter-Tent games with a table tennis competition.
On Monday we travelled to Aberfeldy where we spent the morning at a local sport centre playing football on their giant astroturf pitch. In the afternoon we went swimming and then had a Treasure Hunt around Aberfeldy. Back at the centre we started our chess competition. Chess was going to feature a lot at Camp with Boys always keen to have a game, even outside in the sunshine!
On Tuesday we travelled to Kenmore where we had our first walk up Drummond Hill. At the top we had great views over Loch Tay and then had lunch by the Loch. We then travelled to Killin and had a walk there and then some free time for our Boys, then a boules competition in the sun back at the centre. In the evening, as the Boys were tired after their walks, we had a relaxing movie night.
Wednesday was our big day out, and we set off early to Stirling to visit the Wallace Monument. As well as great views from the top after climbing the tower's 246 steps, th Boys were able to listen to an actor give a performance covering the history of the area. The Boys then had some free time to explore the centre of Stirling before we travlled to Callander. In Callander the Boys participated in a Rock Climbing session. At night we had our pool competition.
Thursday was an action packed day with the Boys taking part in Kayaking on the Loch. The Boys spent the whole morning kayaking, leaving directly from our own beach at the centre. In the afternoon we visited the nearby Abernethy centre where the Boys got to try Crate Climbing. In the evening we had our great big Camp Quiz, with both Boys and Leaders having to answer a series of general knowledge questions along with music and picture rounds.
On Friday we hired some bikes and went Mountain Biking at a purpose built bike track near Aberfeldy. Boys had the chance to try out their skills on various obstacles and had the chance to try out various jumps on the course. We then had a putting competition on the 18 hole putting green in Aberfeldy. We then finished off our week with a BBQ and our final competition with Boys playing each other on the X Box.
On Saturday, we got up early, packed up and headed back to Aberdeen, looking forward to our comfy beds for a well deserved rest.