Project Activities | Itinerary | Price | Trip Reviews | Prior Trip Reports
Restoring the Scottish Highlands!
For the past 9,000 years humans inhabited and altered the Scottish highland landscape. Early hunters and gatherers left stone tools and evidence of campsites as they followed deer herds, while farming dates back to 4000 BC. Forests were cleared, non-native plants introduced, and livestock grazing altered vegetation and prevented native trees, shrubs and wildflowers from growing, resulting in significant loss of biodiversity.
Under the guidance of specialists from the National Trust for Scotland (NTS), participants on the Scottish Highlands Volunteer Trips help restore either Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve, home to Great Britain’s rarest alpine plants and ecosystems or Ben Lomond NTS in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, Scotland’s first National Park.
These conservation trips offer a unique opportunity to volunteer under the guidance of NTS, alongside the people whose life’s work is dedicated to protecting some of the most significant Scottish natural ecosystems and historic sites!
Project activities vary each trip, based on the needs of the NTS but typically include planting native trees and shrubs, preventing grazing animals from eating new plantings by installing tree protectors or fencing, removing fencing when plants have grown to the point protection is no longer needed, or removing non-native and invasive plants.
Because the sites are also popular hiking destinations, projects may also include clearing trail corridors, improving drainage, repairing footpath tread, building stone steps, and removing unwanted social trails. On occasion, we also may be involved in historic preservation, such as collecting and processing thatch materials to restore a roof on a traditional building.
No prior experience is required. We will train you in all aspects of volunteering. Past volunteers have included a variety of ages, experience and abilities.
You should be able to hike 1-3 miles a day on both on and off trail including some steeper stretches or uneven terrain, moving dirt and rocks with a shovel, and pulling unwanted plants.
While the Scottish mountains are rugged and scenic they rarely top 3,000 feet, so high elevation is generally not an issue.
As always, safety is our priority.
Please look through the tabs on the left for more details about the itinerary, price, and gear list
ConservationVIP’s May 2026 group will travel to Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve. Ben Lawers NNR is known for its sweeping views and system of footpaths, making it a popular hiking destination. It contains 7 munros (mountains over 3,000 feet in elevation). Ben Lawers is known for the rarest collection of arctic-alpine plants remaining in Great Britain as well as over 600 species of lichen.
ConservationVIP’s September group will travel to Ben Lomond NTS, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. Ben Lomond NTS sits on the slopes of the southernmost munro in Scotland, Ben Lomond, and is a spectacular background for Loch Lomond and the Trossachs NP. Hiking to the summit of Ben Lomond is a popular activity for thousands of people who reside in nearby Glasgow and Edinburgh. The footpath offers spectacular views of the island-filled Loch Lomond below.
Both trips begin and end in Glasgow, Scotland. They are the same length and engage in similar project activities. In the following Itinerary, differences due to the destinations are noted, generally listing Ben Lawers NNR first, followed by information for Ben Lomond NTS.
Day 1: Meet in Glasgow, Scotland.
Welcome to Scotland! Our trip begins in the late afternoon with an orientation where you’ll get acquainted with your trip leaders and fellow volunteers and get an overview of our exciting days ahead. Our group meets in a hotel in downtown Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city and once home to a booming shipbuilding industry. After our orientation, we’ll walk together to a local restaurant specializing in Scottish cuisine. (Dinner and lodging included)
Day 2: Travel to either Killin near Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve or to Rowardennan in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, with some significant stops in between
After breakfast in the hotel, we’ll be picked up by our driver and enjoy a guided tour of some scenic vistas, significant historic sites, and engineering marvels on our way to our destination. We’ll visit the mythical shape-shifting Kelpies, meet and greet some sociable hairy coos (iconic Scottish highland cattle), see the Falkirk Wheel – a Ferris wheel to lift boats between upper and lower canals – and Stirling Castle, one of the more significant sites in Scottish history.
In the afternoon we will check into our lodging for the next 7 nights. At Ben Lawers, our lodging will be the National Trust offices on the main street in Killin. The Victorian era building contains the National Trust offices for the Reserve, employee and volunteer lodging, and a small native plant nursery. We’ll be housed in 2 bunkhouse style rooms. At Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, our lodging is at NTS Ardess Lodge and Ben Lomond Bunkhouse. The lodge is located at the foot of Ben Lomond, adjacent to the Loch and the West Highland Way, a popular long-distance trek.
A hearty vegetarian dinner will be prepared by your private chefs – the trip leaders – who gladly welcome sous and guest chef volunteers! Note that all meals prepared by the trip leaders will be vegetarian. Following dinner, the National Trust rangers will discuss our projects for the next few days. (All meals and lodging included.)
Days 3 – 5: Conservation Project Activities
Trip participants will engage in Conservation Project Activities in either the Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve or Ben Lomond, NTS Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, under the guidance of the NTS rangers.
A typical volunteer project day consists of preparing a hearty breakfast of your choice, packing your lunch, and being geared up and ready to go at 8:30 a.m. As we participate in volunteer projects throughout the day the NTS rangers will provide us with guidance and information about the critically important nature of our projects, and about the history, ecology and local lore of the area. After our projects end for the day, generally around 4:30 p.m., you’ll have time to relax before dinner.
After dinner there is time to relax, read, or tell stories. (All meals and lodging included.)
Day 6: Rest Day
This is our scheduled rest day, although we may alter the timing of the rest day based on the availability of NTS rangers, work projects, or weather. We will have an opportunity to visit local historic or scenic locations, take a hike or just relax at the lodge and local vicinity. (All meals and lodging included)
Days 7-8: Conservation Project Activities.
Continue Conservation Project Activities in the Ben Lawers NNR or in Ben Lomond NTS, under the guidance of the NTS Rangers.
The daily schedule is similar to the project days described above. (All meals and lodging included)
Day 9: Return to Glasgow where trip ends
After breakfast, we will pack up and return to Glasgow, where our trip ends. From there, you can catch a plane home or continue your adventures via bus, ferry, or rail.
IMPORTANT NOTES about the Itinerary:
- Day 1 is the day you should plan to arrive at the meeting point for the trip. This may require departing your hometown one or more days in advance and traveling on an overnight flight.
- Before purchasing your airline tickets, please check with us to ensure the trip has the necessary minimum number of participants required to operate.
- Although we do our very best to adhere to the itinerary above, it is subject to change for reasons beyond our control, including changes in the local project needs, weather, and terrain conditions.
US$2,495 for nine days (Note: Your trip expense may be tax-deductible. Please see our Frequently Asked Questions page and consult your tax adviser for details.)
Price includes:
- all meals from dinner on Day 1 through breakfast on the final day
- hotel in Glasgow; rooms are double occupancy
- bunkhouses at the national park
- all bus and van transportation noted
- gratuities for services provided to the group
- project leadership and support staff
- group tools
- orientation and training
Price does not include:
- airfare to/from Scotland
- cost of medical immunizations
- insurance (emergency medical and evacuation insurance is mandatory for this trip)
- excess baggage charges
- airport taxes
- alcoholic beverages or soft drinks
- personal items
Deposit and Cancellation
A deposit of $500 per person is required at the time of signup; final payment is due at 90 days prior to departure. The payment and refund policy can be found here.
Group Size: 6 – 8 plus trip leaders
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Just returned 4 days ago from August Highlands trip...It was a great trip in all aspects. The US leaders, and our Scottish hosts were fantastic, and they and each participant brought their own special gift to the experience.
It's a ConservationVIP trip I have wanted to take for a number of years and finally did. I was not disappointed. I was most interested in learning about and participating in the reforestation efforts in the Scottish Highlands. But it was much more than that. Woven in was the history and culture of Scotland. I left having a much better understanding of this wonderful country, and also a desire to return. The accommodations, the food, the trip leaders and the Trees for Life folks were all top notch.
Never having visited Scotland before, and not really sure of the adventures ahead of us, I was primed for any events that CVIP and Trees for Life had planned for us volunteers. We experienced a smorgasbord of beautiful mountains, lochs, crazy weather, fabulous Dundreggran staff, rewilding training, and best of all, time with each other. Like other CVIP trips I've participated in, I'm left with great memories and a real desire to return soon.
Everything about the experience was remarkable: ConservationVIP planning and guidance from Barbara and Richard, the seamless integration with Trees for Life program, the range of activities, tours and of course, the weather. That our group was so compatible and productive was partially due to luck but also to your thoughtful planning. Thank you and keep me on the list for next Scotland adventure.
It was a great trip in a beautiful spot. We did good work for good cause. Local leaders were very knowledgeable and helpful. The volunteers were a nice mix of people who all pitched with all the projects and meal prep.
I have participated in several Conservation VIP projects and this one did not disappoint! The facilities were great, the food even better. But it was the beautiful country that stole the show. It was so moving planting trees that will live for years and reseed for even more years to come. Liv and Sally, with Trees for Life, were knowledgeable, funny, patient and great guides for the week we were together. I highly recommend this trip!
Amazing. Super well-run, excellent and timely pre-trip information, great group and camaraderie. And the local staff shepherding us around daily were beyond fun, wonderful, energetic and interesting. We learned so much about the Highlands, land maintenance, competing interests and of course, about trees. An unforgettable experience. Well done, CVIP!
The program for Trees For Life is an important and fun way to get people involved with a hands on way of making the planet healthier. The leaders were generous with their time before and during the trip. The Highlands of Scotland are awesome. Go see for yourself.
The key to staying comfortable while on an active trip is layering. To get maximum comfort with minimum weight, you need versatile layers that mix and match to create the right amount of insulation, ventilation and weather protection. The gear list has been created to help you in choosing your equipment for the trip. View the Gear List PDF.
Click to view the PDF Trip Reports.
August 2025
April 2024
May 2023
June 2022
September 2019
April-May 2019
September 2018
September 2017
September 2016
September 2015
Also, read our guest blog to see how a volunteer described her experience.
Please check with your doctor to see if any immunizations are recommended for you.
ConservationVIP has always focused on our volunteers’ safety. Traveling with safety concerns requires some extra planning and flexibility both for trip leaders and trip participants!
Selecting a trip that meets your abilities and conditioning are both important to ensure your safety.
To prevent illness or injury on the trip, participants may have to follow procedures such as mask-wearing, social distancing, methods for carrying and using tools and other site-specific procedures as instructed by the trip leader. More specific safety instructions will be provided on the trip.
Participants will also have to comply with any restrictions imposed by Scotland and your country of origin at the time of travel. While we know that the restrictions may change between now and the time of travel, we cannot predict what those changes will be.
Scotland is a fabulous place to visit
If you have more time, we encourage you to extend your stay and explore the landscapes, oceans and history and culture of beautiful Scotland.
Glasgow has its own charm, with the University District, home to the University of Glasgow, one of the centers of enlightenment in the 18th century. It is also home to a variety of art, science and history museums. Glasgow is centrally located with airport, train, ferry and bus connections to where you want to go.
We heartily recommend visiting Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site to see its medieval old town and 18th century New Town. Edinburgh is full of energy and highly walkable and is a one-hour trip from Glasgow.