Coastal Survival

Scotland June 2014.

Coastal Survivals 6 day complete Coastal Hunter Gather course.

Coastal Survivals 6 day complete Coastal Hunter Gather is the opportunity to fully immerse yourself in the life of a coastal hunter gatherer . Early man & woman once settled & thrived along our coastlines. Through forging a deep understanding of this habitat & developing the means to live from this sustainable resource these ancestors attained an independence through a connection to nature; a way of life almost lost to the hustle & bustle of modern living. This unique course is designed to reconnect you to the coastal landscape & experience for yourself the tools, the techniques and the gastronomic rewards of a coastal hunter. More than any other natural habitat the coast provides year round a rich and & varied bounty that can be yours through the acquisition of knowledge and the application of real techniques that puts natures larder firmly on the table. The course takes place a long the beautiful & rugged coastline of southwest Scotland. Situated only 5 minutes from the beach is your tribal home for the week, an expedition style base camp deliberately designed to give you the thrill of wilderness camping without the unnecessary hardships. Here you will learn how to work as an efficient & successful tribe of coastal hunters, combining effectively both ancient skills & knowledge with established modern fishing techniques.

The first few days of the course sets to establish a foundation for the week ahead. Students learn about the coast as a habitat in its own right & the flora and fauna that are unique to this type of environment. Guided coastal foraging walks will allow you to explore your local hunting grounds for the week and how to confidently identify the huge variety of resources that are available to any savvy coastal hunter - from ancient medicinal plants to wild edible dinner plate delicacies, learn where to look and how to cook. The most prized resource for any coastal hunter is of course the wild bounty of fresh fish & shellfish. Under the expert guidance of coastal survival instructors you will learn about the different species of fish & shellfish that live in abundance in the area and how to harvest them sustainably by techniques that work. Initially introducing you to unique coastal hunting techniques adapted by the coastal survival team from modern commercial fishing, students will learn the principals of beach long-lining, gill-netting & conventional rod and line fishing as a means of reliably putting fresh fish on the table. You will also be taught in making highly efficient fish traps from common beach waste - a valuable skill to have should any coastal hunter find themselves in a survival situation.

Moving from your coastal hunting grounds to the kitchen, Chief Instructor Fraser Christians Michelin cheffing background shows students how to transform wild food & fish into a restaurant standard dish. With a hands-on approach you will learn how to dispatch & process your catch for the table, how to professionally fillet different species of fish & the means of preserving your catch for another day by salting & smoking. Once you have an understanding of these coastal hunting techniques the course advances towards our ancestral past & the age old skills making by hand your own hunting and fishing tools from nature - from learning how to make traditional fish traps from willow; the art of net making to fashioning primitive fish hooks & making line from natural cordage. Students will learn these advanced coastal hunter skills & have the opportunity to utilise their handcrafted tools to successfully catch their own meal.

The coastal survival 6 day complete hunter gatherer course aims to transform you into a competent & confident modern coastal hunter with the skills to not only thrive from your coastal surroundings but also to have the knowledge and confidence needed to safely work through any survival situation the coast can throw at you. This really is the complete package.

Written by Dan the apprentice.

Next years course details can be found and booked at: http://coastalsurvival.com/bushcraft-courses/scotland-course/