FIELD TRIPS
The Isle of Rum is an amazing outdoor classroom.
We would like to attract school and university groups to come on residential field trips to Rum. Students can learn about:
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Biology sampling and field studies
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Ecology
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Nature Reserve management
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The Deer Project
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Geology
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Glacial landscape
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and much more!
All educational materials, field studies and sampling equipment, etc. have to be provided by the school, and workshops are also to be taught by the accompanying teachers.
If you would like to give your students the opportunity of coming to Rum, contact us and we will do our best to create the best package together, including a possible scouting visit prior to the main event.
A geological excursion guide to Rum.
The paleocene igneous rocks of the isle of Rum, Inner Hebrides. By C.H.Emeleus and V.F.Troll. Edinburgh Geological Society, 2008
This guide is available at the Bunkhouse. It presents a summary of the geology of the island plus 9 Excursions, each with a map and detailed description of sites of interest with images.
Geological excursions
Example of an A-level Biology 3 day/2 night field trip
Day one (half day)
Welcome to Rum: arrival to the island, welcome at the Bunkhouse, walk through the village, health and safety briefing about living on Rum (e.g. limited signal coverage, midges, ticks, etc.)
Lunch and Activity (2h): create teams, scavenger hunt through the village to explore the area; take pictures, be creative, back at the Bunkhouse create a short presentation to show their findings that evening.
If students are self catering, they would take this time to plan their meals and go to the shop.
Afternoon Workshop (1.5h): Sampling Techniques (e.g. random sampling on the grass lawn outside the bunkhouse), species identification (use identification keys or generate their own).
Dinner and sharings of the day: presentations from the lunch-time activity; first impressions; expectations; shout outs.
Remind students to record their stay (pictures, videos, drawings, writing), to be presented on the final day.
Day three (half day)
Breakfast
Morning walk (1.5h) to the Otter Hide and woodland area, discussion of succession, forest management, animals on and around the island.
Chat at the Bunkhouse (1h): with a representative from the Nature Reserve and/or The Deer Project
Final presentations (2h): students finalise their presentation reports, including their short summary of the Field Trip; presentations.
Lunch and goodbyes (1h): prizes awarded for each activity, for creativity, for best humor, best team work, best unexpected moment.
Day two (full day)
Breakfast
Morning Workshop (1.5h): Transects to investigate trampling along the road by the Bunkhouse or by the castle or to investigate the low tide ecosystem on the Kinloch bay.
Day excursion to Kilmory beach: briefing at the Bunkhouse, including distributing equipment, food and water to take for the day.
Walk to Kilmory beach (2h): one staff from the Bunkhouse to function as a guide, students learn about living on a remote island, the Nature Reserve, its management, and The Deer Project.
Lunch at Kilmory beach (30min).
Investigation on Kilmory beach (2h): 30min to explore the beach area and plan investigation using transects (e.g. beach ecosystem at low tide, tidal rocks, seaweed coverage/species diversity, grassland around beach), 1.5h to conduct the investigation, collect results, and start data processing.
Walk back to the Bunkhouse (2h)
Afternoon Activity (2h) at the Bankhouse: process data and write up report presentation for tomorrow
Dinner and sharings of the day: best moments, shout-outs, social games.