Staff Sportlight: Travel & Transport Department
Monday 31 August 2026
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Tell us about your department and how you contribute to the life at Gordonstoun.
I'm Kimberley and I have worked at Gordonstoun for nearly six years having previously worked as a Travel Agent for 20 years. Within the travel department I make all of the arrangements to get our students to and from the airport and school safely. I can arrange flights for our students and we offer escorted flights for our younger students to fly, from London to either Aberdeen or Inverness, with one of our staff members. I also help with travel arrangements for our students coming to attend our summer school courses.
I'm Fiona, I work in the transport department at Gordonstoun which is a very active department during term time. We organise coaches and minibuses to take children off campus to various different activities, including all the sailing from Plockton, and the various outdoor education locations.
There are 10 vehicles within our fleet with five permanent drivers who are fantastic. An additional 10 bank drivers, who are very flexible, ensure we can offer a range of transport solutions including minibus day transfer. This is a very good service for working parents with a drop off service in the morning and then the same at the end of the day. Currently, we have two routes and you can book the service as much or as little as you wish. One route goes as far as Auldearn, with a Forres pick up, and the other route is from Rothes. Routes evolve according to logistics and need.
What's happening in your department right now?
The Travel Department is really busy at the moment. Last week we were assisting students arriving for pre-season training that happened at the weekend and today it is Gordonstoun's travel day.
Kimberley - For today's travel day, as with all travel days, we have been finalising all the transfer arrangements, making sure our staff know what airports they're going to be picking up from, that they have the details of the students they are expecting on the flights and communicating last minute changes. Before any of this can happen, student travel requests must be collated and the correct-sized coaches booked for each airport (Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Inverness). On a standard travel day, this can result in more than 7 coach trips. Our team of school drivers are also on hand to help with our airport transfers.
Fiona - Th
e transport department is busy planning transport for term time activities such as outdoor adventure, academic field trips and services. Currently, I'm waiting for a visit from one of our service commanders to discuss how we best utilise our minibuses in order that service projects to go ahead. Service is a very important part of Gordonstoun and on a Wednesday afternoon our senior students are very active in the local community.
Tell us about your most challenging or memorable days
There have been many memorable days in the Travel department, but the one we remember the most was the arrival day for a new Autumn Term a few years ago. The air traffic control system went down all over the UK that day and we had students stranded both in the UK and Europe. Through experience, speed and logistical problem solving, we managed to get most of them back the same day with only a very few requiring an overnight stay.
Snow can also play a big part in keeping us on our toes during travel days. Spring Term arrival days can be particularly snowy, with some flights cancelled or diverted. We’ve even had a coach, that was taking students to Edinburgh Airport, re-routed as the road it was on closed due to the snow. Once the coach got moving again it had a puncture and we send a replacement coach. Although it was tight, we are prepared for many eventualities, and all the students arrived at the airport in time for checking in for their flights.
What are the essential tools of your jobs?
The essential tools for our jobs would be to be a puzzle solver, with exceptional logistical planning skills, the ability to stay calm when it gets busy and a quick thinker when plans suddenly change. Adaptability is so important in our team.
Having a dependable team around you is essential too. Our drivers are paramount to the smooth running of operations and are incredibly flexible, regularly adapting to changing circumstances at short notice. Their support is invaluable. For example, if a student twists an ankle during an expedition, we can quickly arrange for them to be collected and transported to the Healthcare Centre. Our bank drivers are equally fantastic, often stepping in at short notice whenever additional support is required.
What do you love about working in your department and Gordonstoun specifically?
It is absolutely being able to rely on colleagues. There's a good camaraderie between staff. It's amazing how many people push the boat out to make something work, which is so important in our department. The whole Gordonstoun community pull together to get the job done. We really see how much help all the departments give all year round; such as the Refectory, IT and Domestics teams. Because we are also heavily involved in the Gordonstoun International Summer School logistics, we experience how this also happens during the holidays.
And then there is the food - getting your lunch provided is brilliant, especially as it is so delicious and there's always such a good choice.
Curious about Gordonstoun?
To find out more about where we are and managing travel logistics please also visit our Travel page. To learn more about how to visit our woodland campus and the uniquely broad range of opportunities available to our students, please contact Admissions or join us on our next Virtual Taste of Gordonstoun Webinar.
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