A winter Mountain Leader refresher course delivered by SOTRG was extremely useful prep. The course was delivered in a succinct and bespoke manner, taking into account all of our needs. Despite challenging conditions (although we did have The best sunset and inversion that I've seen all season!), Ian was able to find venues that suited all of the skills that we wanted to extend. The hints, tips and advice that were shared leaves me in no doubt that I would fully recommended anyone to signing up for this refresher or indeed, any other course delivered by SOTRG. Thanks very much. Cath

A Fantastic 6 days of Winter Mountain Leader training delivered by Ian Stewart and Sandy Paterson at SOTRG. They were thorough in their approach to the syllabus of the award and allowed all of us to explore and further our own skills in the UK Winter Mountain Environment. Ian and Sandy's strengths lie in being able to demonstrate and teach in a succinct and practical way that benefited every individual in the training group. I'm looking forward to progressing to assessment.

Winter Mountain Leader Assessment - Sandy, Ian and Dave created a relaxed, fun, action packed and focused week. Their knowledge, passion, helpfulness and skill of putting candidates into the right mind frame is top notch. Thanks again to the Scotch on the Rocks team.

Having just finished winter ML training with SOTR, I cannot speak highly enough of the experience. It is clear that Sandy and team have put a lot of thought and work into teaching the syllabus in the most effective way, spending as much time out on the hill as possible, and always following up each activity/ day with a thorough debrief. The course location in Newtonmore also proved to be an ideal base; even though the house the course was run out of was full, there were 2 other hostels to choose from in town, as well as a small supermarket (I stayed at the Strathspey Mountain Hostel - also recommended!). Being in Newtonmore gave us the option for exploring areas further afield from Aviemore too. The course instructors were Ian and Dave - both were highly motivated, approachable and were clearly committed to running the week in a way that put our learning at its core. They also have a breadth of experience that further enriched the week. All of the pre-trip comms was with Sandy. Everything was made super clear beforehand, with pre-course documents sent out well in advance. This gave me realistic expectations for the week, and enabled me to read up on the course both before and during the week. All of the key information and slides were sent around to the group immediately after the course too. Top rate course all round!

I just wanted to say a huge thank you to Ian, Dave and Sandy for delivering a fantastic and very professionally delivered Winter Mountain Leader Training week based in the Cairngorms. The course exceeded my expectations, gave me loads of confidence in my winter skills and navigation and the skilful teaching styles from Ian and Dave ensured all areas of the WML syllabus were covered in a practical, relevant and fun way. If you are contemplating pursuing a WML qualification, I would strongly recommend Scotch on the Rocks as a course provider! Rachel

Really good instruction and training from Dave and Ian during the Winter ML training week. Look forward to seeing them again for assessment!

Fantastic experience doing my Winter ML Nav assessment with Dave. At 6 months pregnant from the first contact the guys completely put me at ease. They reassured me the focus was on my navigation and not the pregnancy. I would recommend Scotch on the Rocks to anyone. Big thanks to Sandy and Dave.

I have just completed the winter mountain leader refresher. Sandy is a wealth of knowledge, great teacher and all round good egg. I found the refresher an invaluable insight to the assessment process and what is expected of me. I highly recommend this refresher to anyone who is considering or is booked on WML assessment. You won't regret it!

I did my Summer ML training with Sandy and Bill Strachan (the previous owner of SOTR) back in 2012, and was that impressed with them that I was very keen to have the current team of Ian Stewart (Course Director) and Sandy take me through the Winter ML Training course earlier this month. I was equally impressed by the skill and professionalism both Ian and Sandy brought to bear through out the week while delivering the indepth aspects of the syllabus whilst at the same time keeping things sufficiently informal and enjoyable. As such I would have no hesitation in recommending SOTR guiding for anybody looking to benefit from one or other of the courses they offer.

Did a 2 day Winter ML preparation course with Ian. It was a great course tailored to everyone’s individual goals/aims. There was lots of really useful hints/tips, it has definitely given me more confidence and knowledge going ahead with my assessment!