Scotland holistic and wellbeing holidays
| country: | Scotland, UK |
| location: | Scottish Highlands |
| departures: | 2010: 11 Sep |
| price: | From £650 (8 days) excluding flights. Price includes accommodation, transfers from and back to Inverness, meals, workshops and activities. Additional supplement for single rooms. Maximum group size of 10 adults |
| more info: | September is a wonderful time to be in the Highlands, the changes from summer to Autumn can be stunning, the Rowan berries are out and the Red Deer are rutting. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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introduction to Scotland holistic and wellbeing holidays
We take an holistic approach to relaxation, combining beautiful landscapes, alternative therapies, gentle physical exercise, healthy locally sourced food and creative arts. We believe there is nothing better for the soul than meeting like-minded people, learning something new and practising it in a beautiful place.
Our West Coast Relaxation Week is based at Clachan Garden on the shore of Loch Broom, 6 miles south of the pretty fishing village of Ullapool, one hour North West of Inverness. The North West coast of Scotland is the perfect place to truly relax, unwind, recharge and revitalise.
Wake up to stunning views down Loch Broom. Mornings will start with a local walk on the estate or a yoga session, run by our experienced local yoga teacher Joani (all levels catered for), followed by breakfast. The rest of our program will vary daily. We may take a trip to one of the many deserted sandy beaches in Ross-shire, finding inspiration for the next day’s art session, when you can try felting or painting. There will also be plenty of time to take in the stunning landscapes.
We provide delicious healthy balanced meals using produce we have grown or from the farm down the road. We make our own granola, breads, jams and pickles. Eggs are fresh from the farm, freshly caught fish, and wild foraged foods are used according to the seasons.
Although, we have an itinerary for the week, it is a very flexible and there is plenty of opportunity to take time out, relaxing at Clachan Garden or along the shore.
Clachan Garden is a spacious house, surrounded by a secluded walled garden with magnificent views of the mountains and loch. The house has a fantastic open plan kitchen/living area and a cosy sitting room with an open fire perfect for relaxation evenings.
Our West Coast Relaxation Week is based at Clachan Garden on the shore of Loch Broom, 6 miles south of the pretty fishing village of Ullapool, one hour North West of Inverness. The North West coast of Scotland is the perfect place to truly relax, unwind, recharge and revitalise.Wake up to stunning views down Loch Broom. Mornings will start with a local walk on the estate or a yoga session, run by our experienced local yoga teacher Joani (all levels catered for), followed by breakfast. The rest of our program will vary daily. We may take a trip to one of the many deserted sandy beaches in Ross-shire, finding inspiration for the next day’s art session, when you can try felting or painting. There will also be plenty of time to take in the stunning landscapes.
We provide delicious healthy balanced meals using produce we have grown or from the farm down the road. We make our own granola, breads, jams and pickles. Eggs are fresh from the farm, freshly caught fish, and wild foraged foods are used according to the seasons.
Although, we have an itinerary for the week, it is a very flexible and there is plenty of opportunity to take time out, relaxing at Clachan Garden or along the shore.
Clachan Garden is a spacious house, surrounded by a secluded walled garden with magnificent views of the mountains and loch. The house has a fantastic open plan kitchen/living area and a cosy sitting room with an open fire perfect for relaxation evenings.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Transfer from Inverness 6pm. First night dinner. Exact programme will vary according to the weather. |
| Day 2: | The day starts with a morning walk and Yoga, run by Joany our local yoga teacher (either inside or outside depending on the weather). This session lasts about one hour and is followed by a delicious healthy breakfast. After which, we will walk around Leckmelm, taking in the stunning scenery of the area, stopping for a picnic lunch. The late afternoon will be spent on the Lochside, where you can spend time learning how to bake bread. |
| Day 3: | After our morning Yoga session and breakfast we will travel North down a single track road, passing through breath taking scenery, heading for Achiltibuie. We will spend the day on some of the beautiful beaches of the area, combing them for inspiration. We will take a picnic lunch on the beach. Relaxation evening with Joanie. |
| Day 4: | After yoga and breakfast we Rosie will run an art workshop, where you can draw on the inspiration you found at the beach or walking locally. Perhaps you took photos, foraged items or ideas, which you can turn into a collage, painting or sculpture. No experience necessary, just enjoyment! In the afternoon there will be an option to walk into Ullapool (3 miles) along the footpath, to visit the Highland Stoneware pottery. After supper at the cottages we will have a massage session run by Rosie. |
| Day 5: | After breakfast and a morning relaxation session. Be Wild and Free! Learn about and forage for edible wild greens and berries. We will walk locally and further afield in search of supper. In the afternoon, learn wild food recipes and put them into practice. A chance to make a Wild Rose chutney, ready to take home and sample. |
| Day 6: | After Yoga and breakfast we will visit Leckmelm farm for a felting workshop, where you can learn traditional techniques of felting wool. You can make bags, hats, scarves, boots anything you fancy! And it’s easy to learn and take home. Lunch will be taken in the woods. In the evening we will have supper in the tipi with local folk tales. |
| Day 7: | Morning walk and yoga followed by breakfast. Our final day will be spent further south walking along the Gruinard river and onto the beach- the perfect place to practise our yoga sequences. Our last night will be spent feasting with all those involved in the week. |
| Day 8: | Depart after breakfast for Inverness. |
travelling with a local operator
This holiday is operated by a company based in the holiday destination and they will be able to provide expert local knowledge. They will be able to tailor make your holiday to suit your requirements not only concerning the dates of travel but also typically the standard of accommodation, and thus price. It is rare for local operators to be able to help with the booking of your flights.how this holiday makes a difference
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Everything we do is aimed at making a positive impact on the people who stay with us and on the people, places and communities that we introduce them to.
Environment We believe passionately in protecting our local environment. We source local produce to cut down on food miles, picking our organic vegetables from the walled garden, our fish and seafood generally comes straight out of the Minch and our organic meat from the farmland around us. We carbon offset your journeys with us in Ross-shire and encourage you to do the same with your journeys up to us. The C-change Trust is an ethical British carbon offsetting charity, which plants trees in Britain. We re-use and recycle all that we can, from paper in the office to fishing rope washed up on the beach. We compost all our food waste and recycle cardboard, aluminium and plastics. We try and minimize our energy use and encourage our guests to do the same. The Loch side cottages are fitted with under floor heating and are well insulated, reducing the amount of energy needed to heat them. The log burning fires in the cottages use wood from the estate. We use green, non chemical cleaning products and make sure we put no harmful chemicals into the water system. We use a tipi as an extra space, due to its low impact as we can remove it leaving no trace. We start as many of our walks as possible from the farm cutting down on emissions caused by the week. We are very aware of the natural unspoilt beauty of the area and endeavour to help keep it that way. On visits to the beach we carry a few bags so we can do a stint beach cleaning before leaving. We encourage clients to adopt the responsible tourist’s mantra of; “leave only foot prints, take only photographs” Community We are committed to using local services wherever possible, The Loch side cottages are owned by Lucy a local organic farmer. Virtually all the food we serve is locally produced and the experts involved live in the area. We generate employment and revenue for local people and businesses including organic farmers, market stall holders, fishermen, artists, craftsmen, taxi drivers, cafes, restaurants and shops. Ross-shire is a sparsely populated area dominated by massive tract of mountainous wilderness. Our business helps to support and expand a regional network of like-minded individuals. We help to encourage cohesion and skill-sharing amongst craft practitioners and our other specialists. We hope that many of our guests will return to the area in the future. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |
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