What happened when The Army opened it's most remote recruitment centre

Picture this. You’re out for a hike in the stunning Scottish highlands when you come across an Army recruitment centre, built onto the side of a mountain. A friendly soldier waves you over and before you know it, you’re chatting about a career in The Army. 

It sounds surreal, right? But that’s exactly what happened to people this weekend in Scotland. Dubbed “The Most Remote Recruitment Centre in the World”, the pop-up was open for a day for people who were interested in joining The Army to come and visit. Potential new recruits from across the country braved the elements to reach the recruitment centre. In true British style, the weather was awful, making the journey even tougher. With the Scottish mist pouring over the mountains, some adventurers couldn’t even see the recruitment centre. But they battled on to reach the top of the mountain. 

Stationed at the recruitment centre was Cpl Ronald. The poor guy had to man the stand all day, despite the rain! But he did have some home comforts. The pop-up looked like the real deal, complete with office desk and chairs, filing cabinet, phone and even a kettle. Cpl Ronald offered adventurers a brew and a sit down when they arrived. And when they finally warmed up, they could chat to him about life in The Army and the process of joining.

“I can’t believe we made it to the top,” said Alex Boultwood who made the journey from London. “It was pretty sketchy for a bit when we couldn’t see anything! We were so relieved to find Cpl Ronald with a cuppa when we finally got there.”

In true Army style (and as if a massive hike in the Scottish wilderness in terrible weather wasn’t enough!), UNILAD set two people the task of completing a range of epic challenges along the way that included canoeing, mountain biking and rock climbing. All within 12 hours. It’s exhausting just thinking about it. 

To give them a helping hand, they were guided by an Adventurous Training expert who showed them the ropes. As the rain started coming down, they finally made it to the summit and the remote recruitment centre. It was a truly epic challenge designed to really test their limits. 

You can see how they got on in the video below:

If you feel like your outdoor skills aren’t quite up to scratch and a hike to a remote recruitment centre is a little out of your comfort zone, The Army could be your way to test yourself and develop your confidence. The Army offers this kind of Adventurous Training to all its recruits. This can include anything from wreck diving off the coast of New Zealand to white-water kayaking the Sjoa River in Norway! It’s not all polishing boots and push ups in the rain. Adventurous Training is designed to teach leadership, teamwork and resilience - all essential skills for life in The Army.

Interested in joining The Army? You can find out more about roles and life in the Army here.