Register
Key info

Min. age for training: 17
Min. age for assessment: 18
Training: 2 days
Assessment: 2 days

Average time from training to passing assessment: less than 1 year

Ideal for: young people, teachers, volunteer walk leaders and others who want to confidently lead people on paths in lowland countryside.

 

Lowland Leader courses delivered by Mountain Training England are regulated by Ofqual.

Entry requirements



To register
  • You must be at least 17 years old
  • You should have an interest in leading groups in lowland countryside
  • You must create an account on our system and register for the Lowland Leader qualification (cost: £69)
To book a training course
  • You must have recorded a minimum of 10 quality lowland day* walks (ideally these will be recorded on DLOG**) which can have taken place at any point pre- or post-registration
    OR
  • You must have completed a Hill Skills course.

To book an assessment course
  • You must be at least 18 years old
  • You must have attended a Lowland Leader training course (or have been granted exemption)
  • You must be familiar with the syllabus
  • You must have recorded a minimum of 20 quality lowland days walks in different types of terrain (woodland, coastal, farmland etc) OR 10 + a Hill Skills course
  • You must have a current first aid certificate, gained by completing an in-person (not online) course which involved at least two full days or sixteen hours of instruction and included an element of assessment.
Courses

Find a course

 

Training and assessment courses are delivered by our approved providers in one of the many lowland areas of the UK or Ireland. A variety of cost packages are available, depending on what's included (food, accommodation etc) so you can choose one that's right for you.

 

Training

Lowland Leader training lasts for two days and will cover:

  • The Lowland Leader syllabus
  • What to expect at assessment
  • Feedback on your performance and areas to focus on prior to assessment

 

Syllabus

  • Leader responsibilities
  • Leadership and decision making
  • Planning and weather
  • Hazards and emergency procedures
  • Equipment
  • Walking skills
  • Navigation
  • Teaching and learning skills
  • Access, conservation and the environment
  • Background knowledge

Consolidation

After completing a training course, use the feedback from your course director and the skills checklist (download below) to identify syllabus areas you need to practise.

Our membership association (Mountain Training Association) offers peer-led learning opportunities and formal workshops on a range of topics, from navigation to leadership skills, to help you during this phase.

Join our association

 

Assessment

The Lowland Leader assessment is two days long. You will be assessed against the syllabus competencies in the candidate handbook. At the end of the assessment you will receive one of three results:

  • Pass
  • Defer (requires a partial reassessment)
  • Fail (requires a full reassessment)
Resources

Candidate handbook last updated: June 2026

Lowland Leader candidate handbook
Lowland Leader skills checklist
Lowland Leader - guidance notes for trainers and assessors
Meet a leader

Other qualifications

Doesn't sound like the right qualification for you? Consider the following:

Hill and Moorland Leader

Mountain Leader

Which qualification is for me?

Find a course

Accessibility

Do you have a physical or neurological impairment or disability which may require a provider to make reasonable adjustments so that you can take part in a training or assessment course?

Find out what's possible

Join our association