Tuesday 19 April 2011

Water way to enjoy yourself!




With summer now warming Scotland's great outdoors, and a wealth of long weekends and holidays, now is the time to book a water-based adventure. Whatever your experience or aspirations, Scotland's rivers, lochs and coast offer numerous opportunities for lots of fun. Here we bring you a guide to great water-based outdoor activities for a range of people:

For families:
You only need a sense of adventure and the ability to swim to enjoy the great family adventure activity of Gorge Walking . Wearing a wetsuit and buoyancy aid, participants take to water-filled gorges and have the chance to really let themselves go! Gorge walking can involve a whole range of ways of traversing the gorge, including sliding down rapids, swimming in frothy water, whizzing down flumes and leaping from big rocks into deep pools.

For couples and friends
Canyoning is brilliant fun especially if you're looking for an activity that is more on the adrenaline side of bonkers. Ideal for couples, groups of friends, hens or stags and families with older children, canyoning involves traversing and descending the natural landscape, heading along rivers and down water-filled gorges. Thanks to expert leaders you'll learn how to climb, abseil, swim, jump and swirl around in deep ravines set amid fabulous Scottish scenery. With Highway 2 Adventure, canyon adventurers will experience the thrill of a 75ft abseil into the foot of a gorge followed by an exciting swim down water into a jump pool.

For shore huggers
View Scotland's coast in a new and up-close way thanks to the adventure activity of coasteeering. This sport sees adventurers navigating their way along sections of Scotland's shoreline, using a combination of swimming, scrambling, rock climbing, sea level traversing and jumping. It's fun, exciting, thrilling and a great way to take in the shoreline.

What water-based activity will you choose to do in Scotland this summer?

Thursday 7 April 2011

Spring into outdoors action with your family


Spring is here! Most children are off school – or are about to break up for their Easter holidays – so how about planning a great quality day out in Scotland? Scotland's great outdoors is the ideal environment for enjoying some family time together and there is little to beat a few fun and adrenaline-fuelled activities.

Research has shown that families that take part in fun activities together tend to communicate more and with greater effectiveness. They are also more likely to have fitter and healthier lifestyles. And if parents want to set a good and healthy example to their children, then getting out and about in the fresh air is one of the best ways to go.

A day in the outdoors could be as simple as a walk and a picnic. Cycling is another great activity for families as it is highly accessible for a wide range of ages and abilities. Why not check out Glentrek for some great walking ideas in the Angus Glens?

If you are looking for an activity that is a little different and offers a lot of fun and adventure then why not try one of Highway 2 Adventure's sessions based in the Eastern Highlands of Scotland? There is something for everyone, regardless of your fitness and adrenaline-seeking ideas.

Gorge walking is perfect for families with younger children (aged over 12). Your kids do need to be able to swim confidently but it is possible to tailor each activity to suit the family.

Mountain biking is another great activity for children of all ages, and grown-ups of all fitness levels. Highway 2 Adventure can guide you to the perfect mountain biking location for you. Will you choose self-guided, guided or perhaps a skills based session?

Or how about taking on the challenge of climbing and abseiling? No prior experience is required and the activity can be extremely rewarding when you realise how high you've managed to climb after just a couple of hour's of instruction. A lot of the fun is in the descent, too.

For families with older and more confident children, then canyoning and coasteering make a thrilling choice.

Whatever your outdoor aspirations, let Highway 2 Adventure show you how to have a day of fun with your family.