The Company
Sporting Scotland is an independent, owner managed, travel company, specialising in Corporate Events and Bespoke Travel.
Sporting Scotland’s Assurance
Sporting Scotland is committed to providing services that comply with the best practices and highest standards. We ensure the following:
• We carry out customer contracts with accuracy, reliability and integrity
• We guarantee personal commitment to their fulfilment.
• We promote the highest standards when delivering customer service
• We provide appropriate liability insurance cover in relation to the service provided
• We run a risk management program and operate within Health and Safety Regulations.
• We provide client references and recommendations on request
Our Clients
Sporting Scotland has provided innovative programmes ranging from an hour to multi-day events for the following organisations:
Diageo |
Global Santafe |
Jaguar Suisse |
The Team
Jörg Bondzio – Managing Director - Sporting Scotland Limited
Jörg served in the High Mountain Platoon in the German Army specialising in ski mountain rescue and survival with extensive mountain experience in the Alps.
After his military service, his professional studies were in forestry at Weihenstephan, During this time his sporting interests included catamaran dart sailing and skiing. He was a certified ski leader in Italy and participated in the World and European Championships in the Dart Catamaran sailing category. This early training and sporting interest gave Jörg a lifelong interest in conservation, adventure, travel and expeditions world wide. Jörg followed this interest initially in his move to East Africa in 1985 to train the Mountain Rescue Teams of Mount Kilimanjaro National Park in Tanzania. Over the next 10 years he guided many expeditions to Mt Kenya and Kilimanjaro’s summit, including the internationally renowned Mombasa to Kilimanjaro trek for Save the Rhino,
At this time, Jörg also worked in Tanzania and Kenya as a safari guide and together with his wife, Fiona they established their own safari company, Sporting Wilderness Limited, specialising in customised luxury safaris, adventure and mountain climbing safaris while also acting as a consultant and safari guide for Ker & Downey Safaris and The Legendary Adventure Company. This resulted in an in-depth knowledge of the diverse areas, wildlife and cultural nuances of Kenya and Tanzania. Safaris on their own and with clients led them into the remotest quarters of both countries.
In 1996 Jörg and his family moved to the highlands of Scotland, and set up their corporate event and travel company, Sporting Scotland Limited, which specialises in team building, incentive training and corporate hospitality events, adventure activities and bespoke travel in Scotland.
Jörg still guides safaris in East Africa with Sporting Wilderness during the high season for safaris, which coincides with Scottish winter months! Jörg is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and maintains his level of professional field practice by attending regular training courses. He recently attended the Wilderness Medical Training course at the RGS. He is fluent in German, English and Kiswahili.
Multi-events and Clay/Target Shooting – Ian Clark
Ian, or “Sergeant-Major” as he is known by many, served 22 years in this position in the British Army in countries all over the world, including several tours of duty in Northern Ireland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada and Europe.
He is an excellent marksman and his sense of humour during tuition is remarked on by many of our clients.
Climbing, Abseiling, Team Building – Pete Hill
Pete is holder of the Mountain Instructor Certificate and is an Honorary Life Member of the Association of Mountaineering Instructors, as well as past President of the Mountaineering Council of Scotland.
He has led mountaineering expeditions to the Indian and Nepalese Himalaya, and was leader of an international expedition to Kashmir, which made the first ascents of three previously unclimbed peaks. Notable Alpine ascents include the North Face of the Eiger and the North Face of the Matterhorn, both in winter, as well as a lot of eminently more sensible routes!
A member of the Alpine Club and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, he is a course director for the Mountain Leader Training Scotland. He is joint author of the globally successful "The Mountain Skills Training Handbook", author of "The International Handbook of Technical Mountaineering", "Rock Climbing" and "Sport Climbing". His "Complete Guide to Climbing and Mountaineering" will be published early 2008. Pete is resident instructor to TGO magazine.
Highland Games – Neil McKenzie
Neil McKenzie, the consultant for Sporting Scotland’s highland games events has competed in Highland Games all over world in both hemispheres from Indonesia to Russia, and he organises his own games in Scotland.
His throwing honours include, Champion in Jakarta 2007, Glenisla 2005, Strathardle 2006 and he holds many individual ground records in hammer throw to this day. He is currently the Scottish and British Champion in the Tug O War. At 5’11” and a trim 100Kg, Neil is one of the smaller athletes in this discipline but consequently one of the fastest!
Ian is a renowned expert in Spey Casting and teaches and demonstrates the sport in Scotland, as well as Europe, America and Japan. He holds the Salmon and Trout Association National Instructors Certificate, and the STANIC Master Spey Casting Instructor Certificate. He has been a Spey Casting Champion in international competitions including the Musto International Event and the Jimmy Green International Spey Casting Competition.
Ian worked as a professional ghillie on Knockando beat on the River Spey for 19 years and is now a consultant for Hardy Greys. Ian also has his own fishing school, which offers specialised tuition to novice and advanced casters, as well as using traditional teaching and assessment methods, Ian has developed a digital analysis tool to evaluate and optimise the client’s fishing performance.
Stuart started gliding in 1984, flying a motor glider, aged 16. During his career as an Engineer Officer with the RAF, Stuart gained extensive experience gliding on expeditions in Australia and the USA, as well as taking every opportunity to fly fast jets and C130's, Since settling in the Highlands in 2000, Stuart has focused on flying in the mountain waves of Scotland and has entered the UK Mountain Soaring Championships at Aboyne for the last 4 years, winning the Height Gain Trophy in 2007 with a single climb to almost 19,000'. A keen instructor since 2001 he has over 1000 launches and flown 700hrs in gliders, mostly from the nearby Easterton Airfield – the home of the Highland Gliding Club. He holds all 3 FAI diamonds for gliding, and a Private Pilot’s License. The main club training glider is a modern composite ASK 21 manufactured by Alexander Schleicher in Germany, the Duo Discus is a larger machine more capable of very long distance flight and manufactured by Schempp-Hirth in Germany.
Kayaking and Canoeing - Jim Gibson
Jim is a level 4 Inland Kayak Coach and level 2 Open Canoe Coach. He was awarded Scottish Canoeing Association Club Coach of the Year in 2007 and runs coach training, white water safety and rescue courses for the British Canoe Union. He has led many international group trips on up to grade 4/5 rivers throughout Europe including Scotland, Austria, France and Slovenia.
Jim is passionate about outdoor sports and takes every opportunity to be on the rivers or on his mountain bike following many of Scotland’s extreme mountain bike tracks.
Luxury Catering – Tony Allcott
After gaining certificates at the Birmingham College of Food, Tony Allcott worked in France as a patisserie apprentice. From there he has worked as a chef in many quality establishments including The Talk of The Town, The Royal Crescent Hotel, Bath, The RAC Club, Woodcote Park in Epsom and the exclusive Nansidwell Country House Hotel, in Cornwall.
In Scotland, before starting his own restaurant and cookery courses at Cragganmore House, he worked at the Craigellachie Hotel and The Boat Hotel, in Boat-of-Garten. Tony tailors his menus around a seasonal theme or particular tastes.