Spirited teenagers are swapping hiking boots for canoes to complete Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award expeditions with a difference.

An initiative, introduced by staff at Beaconhurst School in Bridge of Allan, sees pupils carry out final expeditions by canoe instead of the traditional hill-walking experience.

To mark their progression from Bronze to Gold, S6 pupils spend four days journeying along Scottish or French rivers in two-person canoes.

“It’s an amazing opportunity,” said 18-year-old Emily Watson who canoed the River Dordogne in France last year.

“We learned how to canoe, how to survive in the outdoors and all about team communication.

“There was a lot of camaraderie and much fun and laughter along the way.” Outdoor Education specialist Dave Sanderson runs the Beaconhurst Duke of Edinburgh programme.

The independent school is an accredited centre for the scheme which features three levels (Bronze, Silver and Gold) and a programme of activities for young people covering Volunteering, Physical, Skills and Expedition.

Pupils are encouraged to begin their Bronze award in S3 and continue until they reach Gold.

Emily, from Bridge of Allan, recently completed her Gold award.

She said: “When it came to the expeditions, I enjoyed canoeing more than hiking.

“It was exciting to be out on the water every day although the Dordogne can be a slow moving river so we had to put in a lot of effort at times.

“It was also quite hot which made it tough - but in general it was more fun than walking because you don’t have to carry all your gear on your back.

“It was also good to try something different and I came away with some great friendships and lots of memories.”