SC&T Youth

Where: MacRobert Building, University of Aberdeen, AB24 3FX

When: Monday 20th July - Friday 24th July 2026, 10am - 3:45pm daily (9:45am start for Monday Registration, 6pm finish on Friday)

• Please bring a packed lunch Monday - Thursday.

• A water bottle which can be filled up in the building.

• Your instrument(s) if you have one.

The SC&T Youth Camp is one of the absolute highlights of the SC&T Youth calendar. Based in Aberdeen, young people aged 9-18 come together for 5 days to learn, explore and enjoy our rich heritage of Scottish Traditional music.  

To make the experience as inclusive as possible, the SC&T Youth Camp offers classes for many instruments and all abilities from complete beginners all the way up to advanced level.  Classes on offer this year include:

• Beginner Fiddle
• Intermediate Fiddle
• Advanced Fiddle
• Beginner Guitar
• Intermediate Guitar
• Advanced Guitar
• Intermediate/Advanced Chanter/Pipes
• Scots Song (all abilities welcome)
• Totally Beginner Penny Whistle
• Clarsach (mixed abilities but not suitable for total beginners)
• Totally Beginner Rhythm
• Songwriting (all abilities welcome – you’re welcome to bring an accompanying instrument if you’d like)

Participants get to choose a 1st choice - generally the instrument they play already and want to improve on - but this can also be totally beginner fiddle, guitar, rhythm, penny whistle or Scots Song as they are open to complete beginners.  This class shall meet twice a day and work towards a class performance at the end of week concert.

The participants also get to choose a 2nd choice and this is where we encourage the young people to try something completely new.  With 14 different choices including clarsach, piano and more, there is something for everyone!  Instruments can be provided where necessary from the SC&T instrument bank.  We do ask that participants put down an option of three 2nd choices due to limitations on spare instruments.  

Groupwork is held each afternoon where all of the participants are split into groups with a number of tutors.  The young folk are encouraged to arrange and contribute towards a collaborative set which shall be performed at the end of week concert on the Friday.

There is the hugely popular Tutor Concert/ Ceilidh/ Cake night during the Youth Camp on Wednesday 22nd July which all participants and their families are invited to attend.  This runs from 6:30pm - 8:30pm. This is a fantastic opportunity to be inspired by some of Scotland's top traditional musicians and enjoy a few dances with some cake to top it all off!

We have an amazing line up of experienced tutors involved including our shadow tutors, Youth Camp staff, volunteers and youth worker.  Participants are supervised at all times.  All of our staff are members of the PVG (Protecting Vulnerable Groups) scheme and we have a number of first aid trained people at the Youth Camp.