THE SCOTTISH BOREAL

The Scottish Boreal is an immersive 5 day course set in the beautiful Cairngorms National Park in the Scottish Highlands. Under the expert tuition of Zeki Basan of Highland Survival Skills and Billy Souter, students will spend their time living as a cohesive group whilst learning a range of bushcraft and primitive skills. This course offers an exciting adventure into a wild landscape whilst slowing down the pace of modern life by becoming more in tune with the harmony of nature and all that it provides.

The course begins with a short hike to a loch where students will construct a log raft that they’ll use to travel to the basecamp location.

What’s Covered:

Flint knapping and bone tools
Deer and game butchery
Primitive fishing rigs and net making
Fire craft including friction/percussion, tinder bundles and amadou making
Group shelter construction
Primitive glue making and torches
Fibre craft and cordage
Fish leather tanning
Foraging and wild cooking/food preservation

Course Instructors:

Zeki Basan is the founder and head instructor of Highland Survival Skills. Based in the Scottish Highlands where he was born and raised, he is passionate about wild places and has the opportunity to practice outdoor and traditional crafts in everyday life in his remote environment. He leads courses at his home base in the Cairngorms National Park and teaches courses all over Scotland, working with different companies that use his expertise to teach people about the environment.
Zeki teaches people skills that are deeply rooted to the wild land that he is from. Guiding bespoke experiences, whether it be out tracking and hunting in the Scottish Highlands, fishing on the Greenlandic fjords or foraging in the Scottish boreal forest.
Zeki's passion for nature is infectious.

Billy Souter is the founder of Billy Souter Primitive Living based in Derbyshire. As a freelance instructor, he has the privilege of teaching Primitive Living Skills for various established Bushcraft schools and individuals around the UK as well as courses in Derbyshire. Particular skills he enjoys include friction fire lighting, bone working, fibre craft, and tanning, which he finds not only practical but also deeply rewarding. He believes that these skills offer a unique opportunity to connect with our ancestors and the natural world, allowing us to gain a deeper understanding of their struggles and triumphs. Whether it's creating an ember from friction or hand-stitching reindeer hides into a sleeping bag, these skills transport us back in time, mentally and spiritually, and offer a glimpse into the lives of those who came before us.