Achieving the Scottish Mountain Leader Award
Achieving your ML Award: A Step-by-Step Guide
The Scottish Highlands are renowned for their rugged beauty, challenging terrain, and ever-changing weather conditions. For those passionate about the outdoors, becoming a Scottish Mountain Leader (SML) or Winter Mountain Leader (WML) can be a highly rewarding journey, both professionally and personally. Whether you’re an experienced hiker or looking to turn your love for the outdoors into a career, these qualifications open the door to leading groups safely through Scotland’s mountains.
In Scotland, the ML Award opens up a wealth of opportunities, as the country’s dramatic landscape offers countless opportunities for outdoor adventure. Whether you’re guiding groups through the rugged Highlands, teaching navigation in the Cairngorms, or leading hikes in the Southern Uplands, the ML Award ensures you’re able to operate safely in a wide range of mountain environments. Many outdoor companies, education centres, and guiding services require this qualification for those leading groups in Scotland’s varied terrain. The award also offers opportunities to progress into more advanced qualifications, such as the Winter Mountain Leader Award or the International Mountain Leader Award, which are valuable for guiding in more challenging environments.
In this blog, we’ll explore the steps to earning your Scottish Mountain Leader (SML) award, followed by the Winter Mountain Leader (WML) award.
What is the Scottish Mountain Leader Award?

The Scottish Mountain Leader (SML) award is a nationally recognized qualification that allows you to lead groups of walkers in the mountains of Scotland, whether in summer or winter conditions. This award is suitable for individuals who wish to guide groups through mountainous terrain, ensuring their safety and enjoyment.
Key Requirements for the SML Award
- Age Requirement: You must be at least 18 years old to begin the process of gaining your Scottish Mountain Leader qualification.
- Mountain Experience: To qualify for the assessment, you need to have significant experience in the mountains. The Scottish Mountain Leader syllabus includes a minimum of 40 mountain days, with 20 of those days in the Scottish mountains.
- Training Course: You will need to complete a 5-day Mountain Leader training course with an accredited provider such as Glenmore Lodge, the National Outdoor Training Centre in Scotland. This course will cover essential topics such as navigation, weather interpretation, group management, and emergency procedures.
- Navigation Skills: Strong navigation skills are a key part of the award. You should be proficient in using a map and compass to navigate across remote terrain, both in daylight and at night.
- First Aid: A valid 16-hour outdoor first aid course is required before assessment. This training will equip you with the skills necessary to handle emergencies in the mountain environment.
- Assessment: After completing your training, you’ll need to undergo a 4-day assessment, which includes practical and theoretical elements. The assessment focuses on your ability to lead and manage groups in various mountain environments, including both day and night navigation, weather planning, and emergency response.
Training with Glenmore Lodge:
Glenmore Lodge, located in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park, offers excellent training and assessment opportunities for those working towards the Scottish Mountain Leader award. Their courses are led by highly experienced instructors and are designed to ensure you gain the skills and knowledge needed to lead in Scotland’s often harsh and unpredictable mountain conditions.
In addition to the core aspects of the course, Glenmore Lodge emphasizes leadership, environmental awareness, and risk management. They also offer a range of other courses, including navigation and first aid, to help you fully prepare for your qualification.
You can check out their full list of courses here: Glenmore Lodge Scottish Mountain Leader Course
How to Get Your Winter Mountain Leader Award

Once you’ve gained your Scottish Mountain Leader qualification, you may choose to take the next step and become a Winter Mountain Leader (WML). The Winter Mountain Leader award builds on the summer skills learned during the SML training, but focuses specifically on the challenges and risks presented by winter conditions in the mountains.
Key Requirements for the WML Award
- Pre-Requisite: You must have successfully completed your Scottish Mountain Leader qualification before beginning the Winter Mountain Leader training.
- Winter Experience: A minimum of 20 winter mountain days (where winter conditions are encountered) is required. This should include a variety of conditions, such as snow, ice, and low visibility. It’s crucial to have experience of both ascent and descent in winter conditions, as well as winter navigation.
- Winter Skills Training: Before undergoing WML training, you should complete a winter skills course to learn the essential techniques for snow and ice travel, such as using crampons, ice axes, and learning avalanche awareness.
- Training Course: The Winter Mountain Leader training is a 5-day course that covers a range of topics specific to winter conditions, including avalanche risk assessment, winter navigation, leadership in winter conditions, and emergency procedures in snow and ice.
- Assessment: After your training, you’ll need to complete a 4-day WML assessment. This will test your ability to lead groups safely in the mountains during winter conditions, including skills such as ice axe arrest, avalanche awareness, winter navigation, and managing groups in challenging terrain.
Training with Glenmore Lodge:
Glenmore Lodge offers specialized Winter Mountain Leader training courses, tailored to give you the practical skills and knowledge necessary to lead groups safely in winter mountain environments. The training incorporates real-life scenarios, where you’ll put your winter skills to the test, as well as in-depth sessions on snow and avalanche awareness, making it one of the best places to undertake your WML training.
Use the link below to find out more information about the Winter Mountain Leader Course at Glenmore Lodge
You can find more details about the Winter Mountain Leader courses at Glenmore Lodge here: Winter Mountain Leader Training at Glenmore Lodge
Alternative Routes
For young people looking to pursue a career in the outdoor industry, there are a number of pathways to consider. Institutions like the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) offer degree courses in Outdoor Education, where students can gain a deeper understanding of the theory and practice behind outdoor leadership. UHI is well known for its connection to Scotland’s landscapes and its emphasis on experiential learning.
Similarly, colleges in areas such as Skye provide courses in outdoor leadership, mountain skills, and environmental conservation, which are ideal for those starting out in the industry. These courses offer practical experience in the outdoors, alongside academic qualifications, making them a great choice for those looking to combine hands-on experience with formal education. Whether you’re looking to lead groups, develop your teaching skills, or simply deepen your knowledge of Scotland’s wilderness, these pathways can set you on the right track in the dynamic and rewarding field of outdoor leadership.
Conclusion
Becoming a Scottish Mountain Leader or Winter Mountain Leader is an incredible accomplishment that opens up a world of opportunities in outdoor leadership. With the right training, experience, and preparation, you can successfully navigate the challenging terrain of Scotland’s mountains while ensuring the safety and enjoyment of your groups.
By training with reputable institutions like Glenmore Lodge and seeking guidance from companies like Intrepidus Outdoors, you’ll be well on your way to mastering the skills required for both the SML and WML qualifications. Happy hiking, and may your mountain journey be filled with unforgettable experiences!

Intrepidus Outdoors is an adventure tours and outdoor experience providers, based in Edinburgh, Scotland, that specialises in private and open canyoning, coasteering, mountain biking and hill walking tours.
My Adventure Edinburgh (Part of the Intrepidus Group) is an outdoor tours provider that specialises in canyoning, coasteering, canoeing and hillwalking tours. As well as delivering these adventurous experiences across Scotland, My Adventure is also a provider of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Expeditions where we run bronze, silver and gold level awards for young people.
If you are looking for additional information about adventures from Edinburgh, we have published a number of blogs:
- Tour Information: National Three Peaks Challenge here
- Traditional Scottish Food You Must Try here
- Protecting the Scottish Highlands: Responsible Tourism here
- Top 10 Vegan Restaurants in Edinburgh here
- Ultimate Scottish Roadtrip: 3 Day Guide here
- A Guide to Scotlands Weather and Seasons here
- Best Budget Hotels and Hostels Edinburgh here
- The Best Time to Visit Scotland: When to plan your trip here
- Stag Party Outdoor Adventures Edinburgh Essentials: here
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