Scottish Highlands Yoga, Hiking & Adventure Week

The retreat is run by Bending Bodhi Yoga, a studio based in Dover, New Hampshire, and this is their Scotland trip. The base is a private working farm estate near Stirling, chosen because it sits right at the edge of the Highlands — close enough that Edinburgh and the Highland lochs are both reachable as day trips, rural enough that the mornings are quiet, green and full of animals. Rooms are private-bath, either a single bed in a shared room or a queen in a private room within the shared farmhouse.

The daily rhythm doesn't change much: a yoga class each morning, breakfast after, then a full day out, dinner cooked by the farm's private chef in the evening, and a restorative or meditation session before bed. What changes is where the day takes you. One day it's Edinburgh — the medieval streets, the architecture, and Edinburgh Castle on its volcanic rock. Another it's the Highlands proper, with the lochs and mountains. Others are walking days: forest trails and mountain passes on foot. Castles get slotted into the routes rather than visited as separate stops.

The yoga itself is taught by the Bending Bodhi team — the studio's own instructors, leading both the invigorating morning practices and the quieter evening sessions. The morning class is designed to wake you up before a day of walking; the evening practice is restorative and grounding, with meditation, sound healing and at least one session led by a visiting Scottish storyteller. It's suitable for most levels, though the hiking days mean you should be comfortable walking for several hours on uneven ground.

Food is farm-to-table, cooked on site by the farm's chef, with breakfast and dinner included daily. Lunch isn't part of the package, which in practice means you eat out on excursion days — a decent arrangement, since several of the day trips land in towns with their own places to eat. Dietary requirements can be accommodated if flagged at booking.

The property is the part people tend to remember. It's a working farm, so there's an animal sanctuary on site and an organised tour of it during the week. There are hot tubs and plunge pools, a dedicated yoga studio, and endless green pasture in every direction. The whole thing has been set up so that the time between excursions doesn't feel like waiting around.

What's included

- 7 nights accommodation on a luxury farm estate - Breakfast and dinner daily, cooked by the farm's private chef - Daily yoga and meditation classes - Hot tubs and plunge pools - Transportation for included excursions - Animal sanctuary tour - Sound healing session - Evening with a Scottish storyteller

What's not included

- Airfare to Edinburgh, Scotland - Travel insurance - Optional excursions - Gratuities - Lunch on all days