Portobello Beach has become an unlikely training ground for soldiers from 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland (2 SCOTS), who swapped their usual training area for the shoreline, to undertake an intense Battle PT session on the sands of Edinburgh’s coastline.
The Penicuik-based soldiers took part in the physically demanding training designed to build resilience, teamwork and fitness in a challenging environment.
Throughout the session, the Jocks tackled a series of team-based exercises, carrying weighted burdens across the sand, running through the surf and working together to overcome the challenges posed by the coastal setting.
Battle PT is designed to push soldiers beyond conventional fitness training by incorporating realistic physical challenges that require teamwork, determination and mental resilience. The soft sand, water and additional weight of equipment made even routine exercises significantly more demanding, testing both the physical robustness of the soldiers and their perseverance.
The training comes just weeks after the battalion returned from Exercise SPRING STORM in Estonia, a large multinational NATO exercise conducted close to the Russian border. Moving from the forests of Eastern Europe to the shores of Edinburgh highlights the diverse conditions infantry soldiers must be prepared to face throughout their careers.
LCpl Thomson, 2 SCOTS, who delivered the session, said: “”Training in different environments and across different terrain is extremely important for an infantry soldier. We deploy all over the world and you never know what conditions you’ll find yourself working in.
“Training on sand and in the surf brings its own challenges. The ground is harder to move across, your kit gets heavier when it’s wet and it makes exercises that little bit harder. It pushes everyone physically and forces you to work together.
“As The Royal Regiment of Scotland marks its 20th anniversary this year, it’s been a good reminder of the variety of environments SCOTS soldiers have operated in over the last two decades. We’ve been in forests, deserts, mountains and coastlines so we need to be constantly prepared for whatever comes next.”
“It’s not necessarily the beach trip most people would choose but it’s a great way to develop the fitness, resilience and teamwork you need, and hopefully it’s good preparation for summer leave.”
