At the heart of the Scottish Highlands, gaining access to sports and physical activity can often be a challenge, especially for pupils within the more rural areas. However, thanks to the continued efforts of High Life Highland’s Active Schools programme, children across Ross-shire and East Sutherland have been given a fantastic opportunity to get active and try something new. We highlight two recent initiatives – the Cross-Country Winter Series and the Bait Fishing for Beginners sessions – which are great examples of how sport and physical activity are being used to drive rural inclusion and to support children’s wellbeing across the wider region.
The Cross-Country Winter Series
From the forests of Fairburn to the open trails of Dornoch, the Cross-Country Winter Series have given primary pupils a reason to tighten up the laces on their trainers and test themselves on a variety of tough, but definitely fun, 1600m racecourses.
Organised collaboratively by the Active Schools Co-ordinators from East Ross and East Sutherland, this six-event series ran from November 2024 to February 2025, with each race hosted at a different venue – Fairburn, Alness, Invergordon, Dornoch, Inver, and Culbokie.
From the success of last year’s event, this year’s series has seen a fantastic rise in participation from pupils. The Invergordon event alone attracted 236 runners from 21 schools, and the grand finale at Culbokie Woods saw 183 pupils crossing the start line – 95 boys and 88 girls – despite the February weather. In total, an impressive 1,160 pupils took part over the course of the six total races. With students representing 25 different primary schools across the Highland region.
Elissa Stevenson, Active Schools Co-ordinator for the East Sutherland cluster, explained just how much the series has meant to the local communities:
“It’s wonderful to see so many primary children attending these events and representing their school as part of a team. The variety of courses is great and it really challenges the runners, but even in the cold weather and snow, the runners complete the course!”
The series is currently open to all P4–P7 pupils, with each school invited to enter a team of up to eight boys and eight girls per race. While the distances remain the same for each race, the courses themselves vary significantly depending on the terrain – with each event brings a new challenge.
More than just a race, the events have created a real sense of community and school spirit.
“For each event it alternates between the boys and girls running the course first,” said Elissa. “It’s great to see the boys and girls cheering on their teammates across the finish line, as well as the runners’ happy faces.”
Bait Fishing for Beginners: Casting a Line in East Sutherland
Meanwhile, an entirely different kind of outdoor adventure was on offer for students in the East Sutherland cluster – one involving rods, reels, and welly boots!
The Bait Fishing for Beginners programme was launched as a partnership between East Sutherland Active Schools, the Kyle of Sutherland Fisheries Trust, and Davochfin Farm, giving young pupils from the area the chance to try their hand at a new, but infamous, pastime.
The sessions took place in June and were open to any P1–P7 pupils from Dornoch, Bonar Bridge, and Rosehall primary schools who had previously attended the open lunchtime casting sessions. For interested participants, it was a great chance to learn some new skills and move from the playground to the water’s edge – and best of all, it was completely free to attend, thanks to funding from the Kyle of Sutherland Fisheries Trust.
The unique programme offers children from a rural community the opportunity to get hands-on experience of a new activity that’s not always as easily accessible. Whether it was their first time holding a rod or a chance to build on what they already know, the sessions opened up a new world of outdoor activity for some in the region.
For many of the pupils, it was not just the possibility of firing up a passion for a new hobby, but also an opportunity that connects them to the local landscape and possibly encourages them to get out and explore it further.
These two projects are great examples of how sport and physical activity can be tailored to meet the needs of those who live within rural communities. Whether they are sprinting through the local woods, or out patiently waiting for a bite, pupils in the Highlands are being given a meaningful chance to connect with sport and physical activity, their beautiful local surroundings, and most importantly, each other.
