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. 

Camp Cooper Edinburgh is for ages 7 - 15

Camp Cooper Crieff is for ages 10 - 16

At Camp Cooper Crieff, we have a Teen Leadership Programme for 15 - 17 year olds

We have 3 amazing locations:

• Camp Cooper Edinburgh 
• Camp Cooper Crieff 

Camp Cooper Edinburgh is based in Dunbar on the beautiful east coast of Scotland. Camp Cooper Edinburgh is located right on the beach!

Camp Cooper Crieff is located around 1 hour north of Edinburgh and is a beautiful woodland location 

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 Camp Cooper Crieff there are around 110 campers and 35 staff

At Camp Cooper Edinburgh there are around 80 campers and 25 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.

An American-style summer camp is all about energy, spirit, and creating a close-knit community. The directors of Camp Cooper have over a decade of experience working at and running American summer camps, bringing that unique culture to life.

What sets American-style camps apart is their emphasis on traditions, enthusiasm, and pushing campers out of their comfort zones in a fun and supportive way. Think lots of singing, dressing up, campfires, exciting challenges, and deep friendships—all designed to make camp feel truly special.

At Camp Cooper, we've embraced this spirit, incorporating classic songs, traditions, and activities while adding our own twist. While we offer incredible activities, our focus as an American-style camp is on the campers' well-being, happiness, friendship-building, adventure, and developing essential life skills.

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 have a maximum of 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 other's 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 being 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.

We have the following session options:

• Camp Cooper Crieff – 2 and 4-week sessions
• Camp Cooper Edinburgh – 1 and 2-week sessions

Each session length offers a different experience:

• 1-week camps are ideal for younger campers or those who are new to being away from home.
• 2-week camps provide the perfect balance—plenty of time to fully immerse in the experience, make great friendships, and enjoy all that camp has to offer.
• 4-week camps are perfect for experienced campers and those looking to further develop their English language skills while making the most of everything Camp Cooper has to offer.

We generally recommend a minimum of two weeks, but we understand that every child is different, and you know what will work best 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.