We are delighted to announce that the 53rd Annual Conference of the Viking Surgeons will be in Orkney Thursday 29th and Friday 30th October 2026.

The meeting will be held at the Balfour Hospital, Kirkwall. Accommodation has been reserved at the nearby Lynfield Hotel, where the annual dinner will also take place. There are only 20 rooms so book directly with the hotel soon to avoid disappointment. Alternative accommodation will also be available at this time of year and will be advertised soon.

We were last in Kirkwall in 2012 where we experienced a great meeting alongside traditional Viking hospitality and look forward to returning this year. The surgical Team at the Balfour are busy putting together the usual wide and varied programme - booking details and programme outline to follow.

Book your longboat now!

For more information and to register click here

Plans are well ahead now for The Next Voyage in Inverness 18-19 September 2025. 

Prof. Angus Watson is putting together an exciting program for general surgeons & trainees focused on the broad range of emergencies that remote and rural surgeons face in their communities. As usual the academic programme will be all day Thursday and Friday morning and this year will be held at RAVIC, Inverness.

Bookings are being handled by the RCSEd 

A dinner and ceilidh is organised for Thursday evening at the The Waterside, Glen Mohr hotel- there is a separate fee and booking link:

Book now to avoid disappointment!

​Gordon McFarlane
Treasurer
Viking Surgeons Association

We are delighted to announce The Next Voyage, the Viking Surgeons Association Annual Meeting for 2025 will take place in Inverness, with the academic programme running on Thursday and Friday, 18-19th September. The meeting will be hosted by Prof. Angus Watson in the new RAVIC building, Scotland's Rural College, Inverness Campus, Inverness, just across the A9 from Raigmore Hospital.
The meeting is for Consultant Surgeons, Trainees and R & R medical Students. As usual, a wide variety of talks and updates are planned, along with skills sessions.
The Waterside at the Glen Mohr Hotel is booked for a buffet and ceilidh.
Save the date! Detailed programme to follow.

Wednesday September 20, 2023 

12:00 Arrival and Check in for Sponsors and Speakers  
           This option for early check in is not mandatory, just if you wanted to play golf or arrive early 

14:00 - 9 Holes of Golf – Fort William Golf Club, £20, pay at venue 
             Axe throwing in Spean Bridge, £32, pay at venue

17:00    Venue open for set up 

18:00    Wine and cheese Meet and Greet – Crofter Hotel, High street Fort William,
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 19:00    Informal meal at The Old Deli, High Street Fort William

Thursday September 21, 2023 

08.30 Registration, Coffee, Sponsor Exhibition 
09.00 Welcome 

09.05 Session 1 – ENT for the generalist 

• Variety of topics moderated by Mr Angus Cain (quinsy, emergency surgical airway, head & neck lumps)

10:30 Coffee Break 

11.00 Session 2 – Sustainability and green theatre issues for the rural surgeon 

• Interactive session lead by Drs Hal Robinson, Sam Spinney, Sarah Hodgson and Miss Vivienne Gough 

12:30 Lunch, Sponsors - Viking Photograph 

13:30 Session 3 – Colorectal 

• Investigation of colonic symptoms in the era of qFIT and CCE
• Update on common colorectal anorectal problems
• Update on colonoscopy and polypectomy, led by Prof Angus Watson & Mr Raymond Oliphant, Raigmore Hospital

15.00 Break 

1530 Session 4 – The Spine 

• Current Mx of common back and neck problems, plus spinal trauma, interhospital transfer and management of chronic symptoms led by Drs Jósep Blondal and Stephen Gilbert

17.00 Close of the Day  

17.30 Viking AGM  

19:00 Viking Surgical Association Dinner and Ceilidh 

• After dinner speaker: Chris Robinson, retired local GP “Vikings and Fort William: their role in the history of Scotland”

 Friday September 22, 2023  

08.30 Coffee  

09.00 Session 1 – The Difficult Gallbladder 

• Trainee case presentations and discussion of difficulties and solutions led by Prof Damian Mole, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh

10.30 Break 

11.00 Session 2 – Surgical Pot pourri 

• Gaining confidence in remote surgery: Mr Simon Cole
• The Role of Digital Health in Rural surgery – Mr Rajarajan Ramamoorthy
• Practical tips and tricks from the Viking community 
• Pre tibial lacerations – Miss Jean Turner
• Finding the facial nerve – Dr Peter Reemst
• Ingrown toenail - Mr B Tulloh
• Sebaceous cysts on the scalp – Mr Simon Cole
• Straightening the incision in midline laparotomy – Mr Simon Cole
• First laparoscopic port insertion – Bruce Tulloh and Peter Reemst

12.30 Lunch and Closing remarks 

14.00 Viking Social – join your peers for some local adventuring 

• A walk in under the Glenfinnan Viaduct to the local railway station – watch the Jacobites Steam train puffing by 
• Boat trip on Loch Linnhe – seal spotting 
• Ben Nevis Whisky Distillery Tour

We are going to Fort William for our 50th Annual Conference of the Viking Surgeons Association!
 
Bruce Tulloh will be the main host, with assistance from local colleagues, current and retired. The dates will be Wednesday 20th to Friday 22nd with the usual social programme starting from Wednesday lunchtime, main academic programme Thursday and Friday morning, and social programme finishing Friday evening. There is a superb academic programme being put together with a wide variety of topics and carefully chosen speakers.