The Advanced Higher Geography class along with Miss Jeffrey attended a 2 night residential fieldwork course at the Kindrogan Field Studies Centre in Perthshire in order to learn sampling and processing techniques to apply to our Geographical Studies.

We arrived at the centre at noon on Monday the 29th September and ate our lunch outside in the sunshine before meeting with our tutor and the other school groups attending the course at the same time.

After the introduction we headed out into the field to assess a Soil Catena. We climbed a ridiculously steep and muddy slope to measure different factors of the soil at different points up the hill. We took measurements of soil depth, soil texture, slope angle and used quadrats in order to sample vegetation type, taking photos to help us identify any unknown species. We collected soil samples to test moisture content back at the centre in the lab. We also observed different soil horizons – where the soil changes in colour, texture, density etc. through it’s different layers – at various points up the transect. This helped to reaffirm a lot of the soil theory which he had learned in higher and was great to apply practical skills to help us decide what topic areas we would like to use for our own personal studies.

When we returned to the centre we collated the data we had gathered with the other groups and made a slope transect using the slope angle and soil depth measurements. After an exhausting day we were a little dismayed to find a rather disappointingly portioned dinner, though the pudding was pretty decent - with some of my classmates having seconds, and thirds!
 

Day two started unexpectedly with the fire alarm going off at quarter to eight thanks to somebody spraying deodorant. We all had to troop outside, half dressed, with some of us even having to rush out of the shower! It was freezing but thankfully Miss Jeffrey brought her car keys and let us all sit in her car with the heating on whilst we waited to be allowed back inside, much to the envy of the other schools. Thankfully the weather overall was great with some of us even requiring after-sun for our sun stricken/windswept faces on the Tuesday evening!!!

After an early breakfast we made our packed lunches in the pupil "pantry" which consisted of fruit, flapjacks/homebaking and sandwiches. We headed up into moorland (on a high speed hike!) in order to take measurements at a river as it flowed downstream We split into groups with the other schools and took measurements at fifty metre intervals at three different sites. We took measurements of depth, width, velocity, river load and wet perimeter. Luckily, nobody fell in! The river study was particularly interesting as it demonstrated the various theories we had been taught e.g. depth and width increasing as a river flows downhill and gave us ideas of Geographical Methods/techniques we could conduct for our own investigations.

Back at the centre we used the data to calculate river discharge and to construct a river cross section, showing the velocity changes at different depths. We also did some work with statistics in order to prove how reliable some of the data was. Applying the statistics straight away to our own date made it easier to relate it and helped us build on the statistics we have covered in class.

On Wednesday we set out early to do some Geomorphological Mapping at a glacial deposit, which we eventually worked out was either Hummocky Moraine or Lateral Moraine. We spoke about how observing the landscape can give you an idea of what a feature is e.g. where it is in a valley.

We finished the course with a look at how various computer programmes can aid in data presentation and interpretation.
The course was incredibly useful and the skills which we have acquired will aid us greatly in our final Studies. We were a little disappointed by the food but it was worth it for the use of specialised equipment and programmes which the centre provided for us. I would receommend this trip to future AH Geographers.

Perry Stewart, Mhairi Cunningham, Calum Mcintosh-Smith, Jack Rogan (S6 - AH Geography Students)