USING THE WHOLE ANIMAL

Learn to Use the Whole Animal: A Hands-On Course in Butchery and Utilization in Scotland!

The energy invested and the risks taken by our ancestors when hunting using relatively short-range weapons made it important to waste as little of an animal as possible. Each animal represents a precious resource, comprising an astonishing variety of raw materials. These materials provide food, clothing, containers, cordage, tools, lighting, and much more!

So many parts of an animal do not make it onto our modern grocery store shelves! This course covers some of the myriad options for using those parts while ensuring that as little as possible is wasted.

This course will introduce you to which parts of an animal are useful for different products, and how to preserve those parts until they can be used. We will cover all basic butchery for both food and utilitarian items, as well as parts that are often overlooked.

Learn to use a range of materials during the course. Some examples of what will be covered include:

• Organs: Removing, sorting, and cleaning the edible organs as well as the utilitarian ones, such as brains for tanning the skin, the bladder for water bags, and intestines for thread.

• Skin: Removing the skin, de-fleshing, and preserving the skin for later use and the making of hide glue.

• Meat: Removing the meat, what cuts are best suited to different uses. How to debone, make roasts, jerky, and soup meat—basic meat preservation.

• Fat: How to render fat to preserve it.

• Bones: How to separate joints, bones as food, how to make tools from bones, such as skin processing tools, awls and needles, fishhooks, harpoon and arrow points, and jewellery.

• Sinew: How to remove, clean, and preserve both backstrap and leg sinew, and how to later process it for fibre for sewing, bowstrings, hafting, bow backing, etc.

• Hooves: How to process the hooves for decorative items or hoof glue.

• Antlers: If antlers are present, how to remove them, and a discussion on how best to work with antlers.

  
  

The length of the course will allow us to cover a wide range of introductory subjects, and will evolve, based on weather and participant interests.

* Multiple levels of technologies, from stone to steel, will be covered.

Additional Information:

Duration: 3 days (Fridayday 10 am - Sunday 5 pm). Note: Feel free to arrive Thursday from 5pm onwards! The sessions officially kick off at 10:00 Friday.

Max number of participants: 14

Prerequisites: None - This workshop is suitable for ages 18+.

Food: The weekend is fully catered, with main meals prepared using meat from the animals processed during the course.

Location: East Lothian, Scotland - Blinkbonny Wood. Blinkbonny sits on the edge of the Lammermuir Hills - 100 acres of stunning mixed canopy forest. You can find more info here and also download directions: Woodland Ways

Transportation:

• Airport Pick-up:  We can arrange airport pick-up for an extra fee - please contact Woodland Ways directly

• Public Transport: Public transport to the area is easily accessible, with international flights into Edinburgh and Edinburgh Waverley Train Station.

  
  

Host: Woodland Ways - contact them directly for all questions related to accommodations, transport, food, and logistics.

Venue: Located just 20 miles from Edinburgh and 5 miles from Haddington, Blinkbonny Wood is a great spot to see roe deer, badgers, and various owls. Both hills and moors are easily accessible.

Accommodation included: Shared bell tents (2–3 people) are included, but feel free to bring your own camping gear if you'd prefer.

Included: All course materials, coffee/tea, food, and accommodation in bell tents.

Not included: Off-site Accommodation.

Instructor: Theresa Emmerich Kamper

Cancellation Policy:

We put a lot of effort into these courses and travel time, so please read our cancellation terms carefully before booking.

If you change your mind within 21 days (3 weeks) of signing up, you’ll get a full refund. After that grace period, if you cancel more than 8 weeks before the course, you’ll get 75% back. If it’s less than 8 weeks before the start date, we can’t offer a refund.

(If you booked last-minute and have an issue, reach out and we’ll chat about it case-by-case!)

A bit about me:

I'm an avid practitioner of traditional living skills and various forms of primitive technology. My interest came in part from growing up in the USA's Rocky Mountains, where backpacking, hunting, and fishing are deeply rooted in the culture. This passion led me to the academic field of Experimental Archaeology, where I earned a PhD from the University of Exeter in the UK.

My work has been featured in both documentaries and popular TV shows, including Alone Season 8 and Surviving the Stone Age. I've been tanning skins using traditional methods for over 30 years. Learning to tan was a natural offshoot of my desire to use as much of an animal as possible, and it had the added bonus of producing a beautiful end product.

In my instruction, I share a wide range of information—from the intricate details of skin morphology to helpful tips for dealing with the numerous, frustrating problems often encountered when you're first learning to tan.