Youth group residentials on Loch Goil that build confidence and connection.

Whether you run a Scout troop, a youth project, a uniformed organisation or a community group, Ardroy offers something that is genuinely hard to find: a place that takes your young people seriously, builds the programme around them, and gives them an experience they will carry for years.

We have worked with youth groups since 1969. Our one-instructor, one-group approach gives the instructor time to understand the people taking part and adapt the programme as the visit develops.

One instructor with your youth group throughout the residential.

The thing that makes Ardroy different is not simply the activities. Your group has the same instructor from the first morning to the last, giving them time to understand your young people, adapt the programme and build trust gradually.

For young people who have had difficult experiences of adults, or who do not engage in structured settings, this consistency matters enormously. The instructor who knows that a particular young person needs encouragement before they will try something new is completely different from the instructor who meets them for the first time at the bottom of the climbing crag.

A different environment can give young people new ways to take part. The loch, ancient woodland and distance from everyday routines create unfamiliar challenges, while the consistent instructor relationship provides support. Verified group-leader testimony should show what that looked like for a particular group. 

We welcome all youth organisations and community groups.

Ardroy has a long history with uniformed organisations, including Scouts, Cubs, Guides, Brownies, Boys Brigade and Cadets. We understand how these organisations work and how to make a residential visit fit within the framework of award programmes and group structures.

We work equally with youth projects, community groups, local authority youth services, charities, faith groups and any organisation working with young people. If your group does not fit a familiar category, that is fine. Tell us about them, and we will tell you what is possible.

Many of the youth groups that come to Ardroy include young people facing real challenges in their daily lives. This is not incidental to our work. It is central to it. The lochside setting, the ancient woodland, the physical distance from everything familiar, these create conditions where young people can be different, where what they can do here matters more than what they struggle with elsewhere.

Outdoor activities are built around your youth group's outcomes.

The activities are the vehicle, not the point. Climbing, paddling, navigation and group challenges create different opportunities to practise communication, responsibility, confidence and sound judgement.

Water-based sessions on Loch Goil give young people the experience of moving across a sea loch under their own power. The scale of the water, the wildlife and support from an instructor who knows the group create opportunities to practise confidence, cooperation and judgement.

Land-based activities on the real crags and hillsides above the centre, rock climbing, abseiling, Jacob's Ladder, high ropes and navigation, produce the moments that leaders tell us about years later. The young person who said they would not abseil is now encouraging others.

In Cormonachan Community Woodland, directly above the centre, bushcraft and environmental sessions in ancient Atlantic rainforest give young people a relationship with the natural world that most of them have never had: learning to light a fire with natural materials, working alongside conservation volunteers in a woodland that has existed for thousands of years, being somewhere genuinely wild and discovering they belong there.

Every evening, your instructor leads a programme that brings the group together in a different way, such as campfire sessions, team challenges, and night navigation in the woodland. The evening is often where the quieter members of a group find their voice, away from the physical demands of the day.

Scenario-based programmes

Some youth groups respond particularly well to a scenario-based approach, where a narrative thread runs through the activities across the week or weekend. Groups work together to solve a larger challenge, with each activity serving a purpose within the story. Young people who might be sceptical about outdoor activities on their own terms often become deeply invested in a scenario, and the group investment it creates produces some of the most powerful experiences we see.

Previous scenarios have run with groups from 12 to over 70 participants. We design every scenario from scratch around your group and your objectives.

Weekend visits, extended stays and everything in between.

Not every youth group can commit to a full week, and not every programme needs one. Ardroy is ideally set up for weekend visits, offering accommodation from Friday afternoon through to Monday lunchtime, or shorter formats across a single weekend.

Weekends are popular with uniformed organisations, youth projects and community groups that run within school term dates. We can often accommodate weekend groups even when weekday dates are full, so if flexibility is limited, it is always worth asking.

We can also run outreach programmes where our instructors come to your group rather than the other way around. This works well for discovery days at schools, taster sessions for groups considering a residential, or for delivering outdoor aspects of community programmes in your own area.

Every young person, whatever their background or need.

The challenge-by-choice approach that runs through everything at Ardroy means every young person engages at the level that is right for them. Nobody is pressured, nobody is publicly compared, and nobody is written off. Our instructors are skilled at finding the way in for a young person who does not believe this is for them, because they are alongside that young person all week and have the time to read what each individual needs.

We work closely with group leaders before every visit to understand the composition of the group and any specific needs. Please share as much information as possible so we can prepare properly.

Youth Group FAQs

What is the minimum group size for a youth group visit?

We are flexible and happy to discuss your specific situation. Please get in touch with details of your group, and we will confirm what is possible and what the pricing would look like.

Can we come for just a weekend?

Yes. Weekend visits are a popular format for youth groups, running from Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon or Monday lunchtime. We can often accommodate weekends even when weekday dates are booked up.

Do you have experience with groups that present behavioural challenges?

Yes, significant experience. Many of the youth groups that visit Ardroy include young people who find structured or classroom settings difficult. The outdoor environment, combined with our instructor's approach, often produces a remarkable change in engagement. Please speak to us honestly about your group before you book so we can prepare properly.

Can our group leaders run some of the sessions themselves?

Yes. We offer hybrid programmes where Ardroy instructors lead some activities, and your own leaders run others. This works well for uniformed organisations with qualified leaders who want to be active in the programme. Talk to us about what your leaders are qualified to deliver, and we will design the week accordingly.

Is Ardroy suitable for mixed-gender groups?

Yes. We accommodate mixed-gender groups with separate sleeping arrangements. Boys and girls are in separate rooms, and all accommodation is supervised overnight.

What age range do you cater for?

We work with young people across a wide age range, from primary-age Cubs and Brownies through to older teenagers and young adults. Activities are adapted to suit the age and ability of the group. Please tell us the age range of your group when you enquire so we can shape the programme accordingly.