Founded by Alastair Ewen in 2016, Aspen Outdoors is committed to sharing the very best of Scottish scenery to visitors far and wide. From hillwalking and hiking to bushcraft and navigation courses, the range of activities on offer are well suited to those looking to immerse themselves in the outdoors and nature.

A Duke of Edinburgh Award Approved Activity Provider, the business has also started running guided walking holidays, bringing together accommodation, transport and guiding.

Having successfully restarted activities following the challenges of COVID, Alastair was looking to expand Aspen’s offering to a wider audience and approached Business Gateway in 2023 for support on growing his operations.

Through Business Gateway, Alastair benefitted from one-to-one support from a dedicated business adviser, as well as advice on hiring and training, and Aspen now has a core team of nine employees.

Alastair also worked with an expert marketing consultant who helped him develop strategies to effectively market Aspen and the tours it provides, particularly through public relations and social media.

Alastair’s adviser also helped him apply to the North Lanarkshire Council Business Growth Grant, through which he was successfully awarded almost £10,000. This went towards the purchase of eight canoes and a canoe trailer, allowing Aspen to deliver water-based expeditions to young people undertaking their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

Alastair Ewen, founder, Aspen Outdoors, said: “The grant was a complete game-changer for us and has enabled us to expand our operations significantly. We can now provide canoe day trip experiences and multi-day canoe expeditions across Scotland.”

The funding also went towards the cost of attending the Educational Travel Consortium Conference in America in February 2025, which Alastair hopes will help to develop the team’s knowledge of the American travel market.

Alastair continued: “We are running 12 walking holidays this year, with most of our clients from the USA, Canada and Australia, so we’d like to develop our knowledge of their tourism markets. We wouldn’t have been able to attend this conference without the funding, so we’re really grateful.”

Reflecting on the challenges of operating a small business, Alastair said: “It’s a real challenge, as you are constantly multi-tasking, which can make it difficult to think about plans for business growth. Working with Business Gateway has afforded us some space and time to think more strategically about business development.

Kurt Scheepers, Business Gateway adviser, said: “It’s been a pleasure to support Alastair and his team with their growth aspirations, and I’m so pleased to see their hard work paying off. I’ve no doubt their tours will prove very popular over the summer months.”