FAQ's

Camp Cooper is a unique, American-style overnight Summer Camp based in Scotland. Camp Cooper focuses on building life-skills for children, making new friends from around the world, trying new & exciting activities and having a summer experience they will never forget.

Camp Cooper is for children and young people aged 7 - 17. Children attend Camp Cooper from the UK and around the world. 

In bonnie Scotland! Our two fantastic locations are in a picturesque village called Crieff (which is a 1-hour drive from Glasgow & Edinburgh) and a beautiful village called Dunbar (a 20 minute drive from Edinburgh)

Campers attend from around 35 nationalities each summer. We limit the amount from any nationality to 20% to ensure there is a good international mix and that English is the main language spoken. The most popular nationalities that attend are campers from the UK, France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands and Germany.

At any one time, Camp Cooper has approximately 110 campers originating from the UK and around the globe. We limit the number of campers to 110 to create a community where all campers and staff know each other. We have approximately 30 staff working at Camp Cooper (not including our kitchen and maintenance staff).

Yes! We offer an airport pickup and drop-off service to and from Edinburgh Airport. Flights should arrive between 10am and 5pm and depart between 11am and 4pm. The cost of an airport pickup is £65 and the cost of an airport drop-off is £65.

Flights outside of these times may incur an additional charge.

We have tried to create a really special environment at Camp Cooper. We have created a place where children feel safe - emotionally and physically safe. We have created a place where children can create memories that will last a life-time, friendships that span the globe and learn values that will make them more independent, confident and ultimately happier young adults. 

We do this through creating an atmosphere full of positivity, encouragement and silliness - children can be children. Without the normal pressures of how they look on social media or how well they are doing at school, children can enjoy themselves and have an adventure without the usual pressures of normal life.

Good question! The directors of Camp Cooper spent over 10 years working at and running an American summer camp. It is difficult to describe American-style summer camps and what makes them different, but we'll give it a go!

American summer camps are full of spirit, lots of singing, dressing up, taking campers out of their comfort zone to try new things, building friendship, lots of campfires and traditions all of which make Camp feel special. The directors have brought over many of the songs, traditions and spirit and put their own twist on them to create their own unique take on summer camps. 

Sending your child to Camp Cooper is sending your child to a place where we will look after them and care for them as if they were our own. Your child won't just be a number at Camp Cooper, we only have 110 campers at any one point and we ensure everyone feels part of the Camp environment. Our staff will look out for what makes your child special - it might be their kindness, it might be that they put others needs in front of their needs, it might be that they work hard to be a great football player, it might be that they make their bed every day without being asked - no matter what your child does, our staff will look out for what makes your child special and will tell them.

At Camp Cooper, it's not about being the most sporty or academic, it's also not about being the coolest - it's about learning to be a great person, being a great friend, how to help others and be kind. These are the special things that our staff will look out for. Praise and positive reinforcement will make children at Camp Cooper feel like a million dollars and will go home more confident and more willing to try new things.

The minimum amount of time you can send your child to Camp Cooper Crieff is 2 weeks and the minimum amount of time at Camp Cooper Edinburgh is 1 week. 

We generally recommend two week sessions but you know your child best and know what length of session works better for your family. 

Cabin groups are a key reason why Camp Cooper is special. Campers are split into a cabin group of 8-12 campers who are the same gender, roughly the same age and a mix of nationalities. Cabin groups live together in our accommodation, are assigned 1-2 Camp Counsellors who look after them, eat together at all meals, do an activity together before dinner and are usually together for the evening all-camp activity.

It is essentially where the strongest friendships are made. Each cabin group is led by one of two counsellors who facilitate the group to ensure friendships are created and that they try lots of new and exciting activities. Cabin groups also give every camper at Camp a group they are always part of - we feel campers should never feel lonely or isolated and a cabin group essentially gives them a group they can always identify with. This means that no camper has to worry about where to sit when they walk into the dining room or who to talk to.

As Noa from Israel says "The girls in my cabin are friends for life"

Yes, if your camper would like to request to share cabin groups with a friend (maximum of 2 requests). The friend request should be of the same gender and the same age. While we usually honour these requests, sometimes extenuating circumstance will necessitate other living arrangements. Camp Cooper encourages new friendships, and the Camp community is small enough that friends who come to Camp already knowing each other can spend ample time together even if not placed in the same cabin group. Cabin requests are filled in on the camper information form which is available after registration.

Unfortunately we cannot guarantee that there will be no other campers from your camper's nationality in their cabin group / accommodation. We will do our very best to accommodate your request and we are fortunate to have campers from over 30 nationalities attend Camp Cooper. As we split campers into cabin groups on an age basis, sometimes campers from the same nationality are placed together.

After you register, there are a few more things to do before your camper packs their bags for Camp!

You will be given access to an online account. This is your online account which has all your pre-summer paperwork. You will need to fill in/do the following:

• Elective Activity Form - choose your camper's activities
• Transport Form - fill in the arrival and departure details
• Camper Information Form - fill in background information on your camper
• Read Parent Guide
• Get travel insurance - recommended

To help campers develop strong life skills such as independence, and fully immerse themselves in the Camp community, campers are allowed to use their mobile phones from 11.45am - 12.30pm (UK time - GMT). The rest of the time, phones are kept in the Camp office. Our Camp office is available by phone or email 24 hours a day throughout the summer. If you would like an update on your camper or would like a message to be passed, please do not hesitate to contact us. 

This is an extremely important aspect of Camp Cooper and campers not having their phones on them to constantly check, means they are busy making friends, trying new activities and fully immersing themselves in the experience. From feedback from the campers, they fully understand and appreciate this policy and acknowledge it makes their experience better.