Firbush 2025

On a warm and sunny Friday afternoon in June, 27 ACRC Academy PhD students accompanied by members of the leadership team made their way towards the University of Edinburgh’s Firbush Outdoor Centre. A bumpy coach ride brought us to the idyllic facility on the shores of Loch Tay. After a quick luggage stash in our bunk-style lodge rooms, we promptly got started with our first workshop. Dr Lucy McCloughan, programme manager of the ACRC, encouraged us to think about inspiring leaders, reflect on their attributes and consider how we could draw on this excursion to improve our leadership skills. As we prepared to move to the dining room to take our dinner alongside astonishing views of Loch Tay at sunset, Prof Susan Shenkin, academic geriatrician and Deputy Director of the ACRC Academy, gave us a challenge for the weekend: Can we keep up with a medication schedule typical for many older people by participating in a polypharmacy role-playing exercise? – This proved more difficult than expected for most of us despite the “pills” being made of chocolate. After enjoying our apple pie with warm custard, we moved onwards to some heartfelt discussions on the shore and a swim in the loch for the boldest of us while the sun lazily made its way behind the munros. 

An early morning walk, jog and/or swim marked the start of an adventure-packed Saturday. After a hearty full Scottish breakfast, we packed our lunches in preparation for a day outdoors. On the diary: instructor-led walks, mountain biking, kayaking, canoeing, windsurfing, sailing and paddleboarding. Water splashed and laughter echoed on the loch under a bright blue sky and temperatures akin to a warm Scottish summer. As the students and academics regathered at the lodge after their outdoor activities, the evening began with a team communication exercise involving LEGO. The “communicator”, “architect” and “builder” worked together to recreate a LEGO design from a blueprint. The twist? Each team member could only do one thing – memorise the blueprint, dig through a pile of LEGO to find the right pieces, or put it all together while unaware of the appearance of final construct. Sounds simple enough until you try describing, from memory, “that orange or maybe yellow 4-post, (is that what they are called?) rectangle one but with the weird side” to someone frantically sorting through a chaotic pile of nearly identical plastic bricks. 

After a dinner of delicious Thai curry, a collaborative decision-making workshop was organised by Prof Ian Underwood, Director of the ACRC Academy: the NASA moon survival challenge! Although voices were raised, laughter ensued and everyone had enough oxygen to make it back to the mothership (we think) — a fitting reminder that in navigating the unknown, it’s not solo brilliance but shared insight that guides us home. The remainder of the evening was spent cooking and eating s’mores around a meticulously crafted loch-side campfire. Engaging conversation lasted long into the evening, as the illuminated sky of the summer solstice kept colourful reflections of the clouds and mountains dancing on the loch until midnight and beyond.

Our final day was drenched in rain but that did not stop sailors, canoers and windsurfers from approaching the water and putting their waterproof kits and wetsuits to the test. The mountain bikers and hikers came back muddy and happy. What a glorious Scottish summer day! Afternoon team building activities organised by the Firbush crew gave us a final chance to brainstorm ideas, build communication and leadership skills, and come together as a team to overcome challenges. We filled our mouths with muffins as we reflected on the weekend - and our failed attempts to maintain a medication schedule even when it was comprised of Maltesers and M&M’s. Gathering our things and heading to the bus, there was plenty to think about on the (thankfully) much smoother ride back to Edinburgh. As everyone grabbed their gear to head off in every direction, hugs were shared and hopeful sentiments exchanged for a chance to do it all again next year!