Wild & Free Wellness Retreat on Scotland's West Coast

A typical day on a Retreat Scotland wellness retreat starts with yoga, usually led by Gail Losh. She teaches Hatha, Vinyasa, Yoga Nidra, Yin and Kundalini, and has more than 1,000 hours of teaching behind her. Fitness sessions are run by Steve Losh, whose background is 27 years in the Royal Navy, 23 of them as a physical training instructor. He holds Level 3 Personal Training and Level 3 Strength & Conditioning qualifications, plus a diet and nutrition qualification and a boxing coach certification. Sessions might include Metafit, strength and conditioning work, or boxing drills.

Outdoor activity is a big part of the week. The west coast setting means guided walks along the coastline, and the 'thrills and chills' the company advertises include wild dipping in a Scottish loch. The Wild Sauna, which has a home on Kintyre's Atlantic coast at Bellochantuy, can be booked as a standalone session from £12 or added to a retreat. There are also talks and personal development sessions built into the programme.

What separates this from a standard yoga retreat is the range of coaches and the military fitness background behind the fitness side. Steve Losh served on HMS ArkRoyal and at Faslane, and Stuart Wright is a British Army veteran who specialises in wilderness skills and team resilience. That combination means the fitness sessions have more structure and progression than you might expect, while the yoga side is led by someone with genuine depth of training across multiple styles.

The venues are chosen for their locations rather than their uniformity. Options include Shore House at Tarbet, described as a room with a view; Knockderry House, a Victorian country house on the banks of Loch Long; Tarbert Holiday Park on the edge of West Loch; and Bellochantuy on Kintyre's Atlantic coast. Loch Lomond, a National Park spanning around 720 square miles, is one of the areas used.

Booking is done online with options for deposits and payment plans. Once you book, the team sends emails to confirm details and may call to check everything is covered. The week before the retreat you get a message with the meet-up point, usually the main retreat venue. A kit list page is available for packing advice. Coaches are on site from around 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day.

What's included

- Yoga sessions led by Gail Losh - Fitness sessions led by Steve Losh - Guided walks - Talks and personal development sessions - Nature immersion - Wild dipping in a Scottish loch - Access to spa facilities at some venues - Retreat Coaches on site from around 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily - Overnight accommodation on packages that include it - Deposit and payment plan options

What's not included

- Wild Sauna sessions (bookable separately from £12) - Accommodation on retreats where it is optional - Travel to and from the retreat - Travel insurance - Personal expenses - Meals, unless specified in your chosen package