Employers were put through their paces by the Royal Marines Reserve (RMR) Scotland during an exercise in Highland Perthshire.
Exercise Wet Kipper was jointly organised by RMR Scotland and Highland Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association (Highland RFCA) and held at Polney Crag and the River Braan, Dunkeld, on 17 September. The employer engagement exercise consisted of abseiling, a Tyrolean rope bridge traverse across water, and improvised carry and stretchering of simulated casualties.
Following a successful inaugural event in 2024, the 2025 version was enlarged to include employers from three additional Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Associations, namely Lowland, Northern Ireland and North of England.
Participants from the Highland RFCA area came from the following organisations:
Abertay University, Gold Award
Angus Council, Gold Award
Associated Seafoods Limited, Bronze Award
Carmichael and Baxter Industrial Services, Bronze Award
Fife Medical Group, Gold Award
IED Training Solutions Ltd, Gold Award
Keela International Limited, Bronze Award
Simplicity in Mind, Gold Award
Trident IES, Gold Award
Veolia, Gold Award
Wakeley Tree Surgeons Ltd, Bronze Award
All of those organisations have shown their support for the Armed Forces by signing the Armed Forces Covenant. They all also hold Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Awards at a variety of levels (as indicated).
The 40 participants were split into two groups and given an overview of what to expect from the day, along with a comprehensive safety briefing.
The first activities consisted of a complex 30-metre abseil through testing wooded terrain; and an introduction into rope work and knot trying – skills that would be put to the test later in the day. They also learned about creating an improvised stretcher.
After both groups had completed the activities they headed down to the River Braan for lunch and a chance to recover from a busy morning.
The Tyrolean rope bridge crossing followed with the group broken into four teams, representing each of the RFCA regions taking part. Each team was given detailed instruction, before heading to the water’s edge for the main crossing.
The team quickest to safely get its members across the river (and back) was from Highland RFCA.
Following the activities, the participants were transported to The Black Watch Castle and Museum in Perth for an evening reception. This saw ‘survival’ certificates and framed photos presented to all participants. The event was rounded off with a buffet, networking opportunities and a chance for employers to catch up with the Royal Marines whose skills, expertise and good humour made the day such a success.
