About
Hi, I’m Aidan Robinson
I’m a freelance mountaineering instructor based in Broadford on Skye. I hold the Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor award and the Winter Mountain Leader award, and I’ve been instructing full-time since 2013.
Most of my summer is spent on the Cuillin. In winter I move to wherever the conditions are — usually Lochaber, Glencoe or the Cairngorms.
I trained as an outdoor instructor in 2013 and spent the next decade working my way through it properly: activity centres in Dorset, ski seasons in the Alps, three years as a climbing instructor and duty manager at Ice Factor in Kinlochleven, and three years instructing at Outward Bound Loch Eil. I went fully freelance in 2022.
Since then I’ve guided on Skye every summer – Cuillin Munros, the classic ridges and rock routes – and worked winter seasons as a Winter Mountain Leader. I’m also chief instructor at Ardentinny Outdoor Centre and a volunteer member of the Skye mountain rescue team.
Where I’m coming from
Numbers don’t tell you whether you’ll get on with someone, but they’ll tell you I’m not new to this.
13
Years instructing
Full-time since 2013, freelance since 2022
207
Days on the hill last year
Guiding, instructing, playing and mountain rescue
10k
People instructed
Across 13 years of centre, group and private work
264
Munros climbed
Of 282 and still chipping away
What I can and can’t take you on
The Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor award covers rock climbing, scrambling and summer mountaineering, including teaching and coaching on that ground. The Winter Mountain Leader award covers winter hill walking and winter skills teaching.
It does not cover graded winter climbing. That sits under the Winter Climbing and Mountaineering Instructor award, which I sit in February 2027. If you are after winter climbing before then I would rather point you at someone who holds it than stretch what I am qualified to do.
FAQ
The things people usually ask before booking. If yours isn’t here, just ask me.
Am I fit enough?
Probably, if you’re honest with me about where you’re starting from.
A Cuillin Munro day is typically eight to ten hours out, with a long walk-in and around 1,000m of ascent over rough ground. If you can walk uphill for four or five hours at your own pace without being wrecked, you’ll manage. You don’t need to be fast — I set the pace to the party, not the other way round.
Winter days are shorter in daylight but harder underfoot, and rock and scrambling days ask less of your legs and more of your head for exposure.
Tell me what you’ve done recently — a couple of hill days, a long walk, nothing at all — and I’ll tell you honestly whether the objective you’ve got in mind is realistic, or suggest something that is. I’d much rather have that conversation before you book than halfway up.
What happens if the weather’s bad?
We go anyway, most of the time. Rain and wind are normal in the Highlands and a day that looks unpromising from the road often works out fine higher up — plans just change shape. If the ridge isn’t on, there’s usually a sheltered crag, a lower route or a navigation day that’s worth doing.
What I won’t do is drag you up something dangerous to justify the booking. If conditions genuinely rule out safe climbing — severe winds on exposed ground, thunderstorms, or Cuillin gabbro that’s too wet to climb on — I’ll tell you straight and we’ll either change the objective or move the day.
I make the call the evening before wherever I can, so you’re not driving for nothing.
What kit do I need to bring, and what do you provide?
I provide all the technical equipment: rope, harness, helmet, and the rack.
You bring the personal stuff:
- Sturdy walking boots with a stiff sole. On the Cuillin, and on any winter day, these need to be proper mountain boots — trainers and soft-soled walking shoes won’t take a crampon and won’t hold an edge on gabbro.
- Waterproof jacket and trousers, both fully waterproof rather than showerproof or quick dry.
- Warm layers — fleece or synthetic, plus a warm hat and gloves. Two pairs of gloves in winter.
- Rucksack, roughly 30–40 litres
- Food for the day and at least a litre of water
- Sunglasses and sun cream — Scottish weather is not the whole story on a snow day
If you’re missing something, tell me when you book rather than on the morning. I can usually sort it or point you at somewhere local to hire.
How do I book and pay?
Get in touch with the dates you’re thinking about and what you’d like to do. I’ll confirm whether I’m free and whether the plan makes sense, and we’ll settle the details before anything is paid.
Once we’ve agreed, I’ll take a deposit to confirm the booking. I’ll send an invoice by email; payment by bank transfer. Full payment will be taken 2 months prior to date.
Prices are per day for the whole group, not per person, and cover my time and all technical equipment. They don’t include your travel, accommodation or food.