Winter skills in the cairngorms. - Booked on to a two day winter skills course in the cairngorms with John. The amount of information we were able to go through was incredible, John taught us how to read the mountain and look out for potential dangers. Overall had amazing experience, John's passion for the hills was infectious and he ensured we were able to operate on the hill safely and efficiently whilst also still having a laugh doing so. After two days I felt much more competent, and although I'm very much at the start of my mountaineering journey, I feel this course has improved aspects of my movement in ways I would never been able to do independently. I would not hesitate to recommend cairngorm adventure guides and John to anyone thinking about improving their time on the hill!

Valuable learning experience - Just done a 2 day winter skills course with John, and I've gotta say it was fantastic. I learnt so much, not just in terms of movement and footwork, but reading the mountain and using the data and information you gather to make good sound decisions. And John himself was absolutely brilliant. Great laugh, very serious about anything important, but made the days a really fun engaging learning environment. 11/10 would recommend.

Great guide for winter skills - Cameron was a great guide and teacher, he catered to our skill levels and what we wanted to learn and even managed to find us some snow to practise everything on! Super enthusiastic, knowledgeable, kind and calm, very good at encouraging us even on a soaking wet day on the hills. Would definitely recommend :)

Intro to winter mountaineering course - Simply one of the best courses I've ever attended. We had done some winter walking experience and a lot of summer, but wanted to transition to more challenging routes, and weren't quite sure of what specific skills we would need. The small group (4:1) of the intro to winter mountaineering course was perfectly pitched to our group very much taking into account prior experience and building on that, not lingering on the unnecessary and focussing on what we needed to develop. Dave was friendly, approachable and a fountain of knowledge about this environment encouraging questions from kit to guidebooks. Couldn't ask for a better course run by better people. We learnt how to effectively use the tools/ropes and safely operate in the winter mountain environment and now feel confident to get back out there and build on this. Thank you!

Two incredibly varied days out with a clearly knowledgeable guide - We had the pleasure of two days with Dave from Caingorm Adventure Guides. One day of Scottish winter climbing with a mixed group of ability and one day of specific mixed and ice climbing. Both days were incredibly well pitched to we were after as a group and managed to teach all a plethora of new skills as well as hone what we already came with. Dave himself was a knowledgeable and highly skilled guide but more than that quickly felt like one of our group. We will definitely be booking up again!

Winter walking through the Cairngorms - Having taken a couple of days off and being determined to climb in the Cairngorms the weather was not ideal on 30 October. I swayed as to whether I should go up at all especially as I’m more a summer walker (for mountains at least). Luckily Dave was available and we took a last minute decision to tackle Ben Macdui. Best decision ever was to do so under Dave’s guidance. There were some really tricky bits as the boulders had frozen over with just enough ice covering them to make them super slippery. Dave was patient and let me decide how far I wanted to take the walking and I never felt any pressure to continue or otherwise. Given the possibility of (a) getting lost or (b) giving up were both pretty high I’d say it’s definitely worth considering a guide to make a hike a pleasurable experience. Apart from his navigational skills on our climb Dave was chatty and informative. I’d have totally missed the ptarmigan going through a colour change had he not poin them out. I feel so much more confident and equipped in tackling winter higher walks now having learnt so many safety features. Reaching the trig point of Macdui in these unfavourable conditions was awesome. There were points I’d have turned back had I not had Dave by my side. Instead now I’ll cherish the memory of icicles dangling off the lichen and there being nothing but a cold frosty wind cutting through us. I would highly recommend Dave for his professional instruction and superb skills in making a challenging situation manageable and fun.

The best guide in the Scottish Highlands - This June (2023), we traveled to Aviemore in the Scottish Highlands. The town has a relaxed atmosphere and some great restaurants, but it's primarily known for its ideal location for hiking and skiing, as the locals have informed us. We were fortunate to have a helpful Airbnb owner who introduced us to Dave, the owner of Cairngorm Adventures Guides. Dave was an excellent hiking guide who took us on incredible hikes in the Highlands while ensuring our safety and entertainment. He was considerate of our hiking experience level and adjusted the pace accordingly. Despite hiking over 6 miles and up and down beautiful trails, including reaching the top of a decently sized mountain, we maintained a comfortable and enjoyable pace. Dave was also friendly and accommodating, making the experience even more pleasant. You can hire Dave or one of his team for a reasonable fee and enjoy hiking in the Highlands. Forget staring at your phone or a map. Let Dave or his team lead the way.