The week runs Sunday afternoon to Friday morning. Everyone meets at the island ferry port late on Sunday. If you've come over on foot, the school can usually give you a free lift in the surf van, so you don't need a car. Once you're set up at the campsite, there's a bonus sunset session if conditions and daylight allow. It's a good way to get your first look at the island's waves before the lessons start properly.

Monday to Thursday follows the same basic shape: two surf lessons a day, timed around tides and conditions. The coaching builds through the week. Beginners start on foam boards in the whitewater and work toward standing and catching green waves. Surfers who already have the basics get guided toward better peaks and more technical feedback. Some weeks also include surf theory sessions, video analysis of your waves, and surf skate sessions on land to drill your turns. All boards and wetsuits are provided.

Each tour has two instructors, including at least one senior instructor. With a maximum of 11 guests, that works out to roughly five or six surfers per coach, so you get real feedback rather than shouting from the beach. The school has been running weekly summer camps in the Scottish islands for 18 years. In that time they say they have never cancelled a week and have only had to move location three times.

The setting is what sets this apart from a surf camp in Portugal or Morocco. These are Atlantic-facing Hebridean beaches with cold, clear water, long summer daylight and very few other surfers. The school uses several island locations. If you've been before, you can ask to try a different one.

This is a camping trip, and it's fairly stripped back. Camping fees are covered, but you bring your own tent (or hire one for a small extra charge) and sort out your own food. In return you get a lot of time in the water, a small group, and evenings around a fire on the beach. If the swell does go flat, the team runs alternative activities on the island instead.

What's included

- 5 nights of campsite pitch fees (Sunday to Friday) - Two surf lessons per day, Monday to Thursday - Bonus sunset surf on Sunday evening (conditions and daylight permitting) - Two instructors per tour, including one senior instructor - All surf equipment (boards and wetsuits) - Surf theory, video analysis and surf skate sessions (on some weeks) - Free transport in the surf vehicle for foot passengers from the ferry - Alternative island activities on any flat days

What's not included

- Food and drink - Tent (available to hire for a small extra charge) - Sleeping bag and camping gear - Ferry and travel to the island port - Travel insurance - Extra travel or accommodation costs if the camp is cancelled for extreme weather - Personal expenses