Loch Lomond Yoga, Hiking & Whisky Retreat: Scotland's Bonnie Banks with Body Flows

The retreat runs Monday to Friday, with check-in from 3pm on the first day and a 4pm vinyasa class and guided meditation, followed by an opening circle and dinner. Tuesday through Thursday follow the same rhythm: 7am vinyasa and meditation, 8:30am breakfast, a 10am group trip such as a hike, the Loch boat trip or the castle visit, 1pm lunch, free time or a second outing in the afternoon, 5pm yin yoga and yoga nidra, 7pm dinner. Friday closes with a 7am vinyasa and closing circle before breakfast and 11am checkout. The distillery tour happens on one of the middle afternoons. The schedule is tentative and the final version goes out to participants a few weeks before the retreat.

What separates this from a standard yoga week is that Sally grew up in Scotland and builds the local culture into the programme rather than leaving it to chance. The excursions are included — the boat trip on Loch Lomond with a local guide, the hike, the castle visit and the whisky distillery tour and tasting all come with transport, so you're not paying extra for each outing or organising them yourself. Both yoga classes each day are taught by Sally, not handed off to different instructors, and she runs through options for backbends, arm balances and inversions for those who want them while keeping the class accessible. Evening sessions are yin, with longer holds and guided meditation.

You stay at the Lodge on Loch Lomond, a short walk from Luss, which is often described as one of the prettiest villages in Scotland. Rooms have either one double bed or two twin beds and look out over the loch. The lodge has a spa, the Amber Rose, where you can book treatments in your free time, and the dining room serves Scottish dishes with the same loch views. Watersports on the loch — SUP, kayaking, wakeboarding, fishing — can be arranged at extra cost, and there's a beachfront right in front of the property.

Getting there is straightforward. Glasgow Airport is about 30 minutes away by car; Edinburgh Airport is roughly 1.5 hours. There's a direct bus from Glasgow's Buchanan Street station to a stop just before Luss, a 10-minute walk from the lodge. Sally can help coordinate shared airport transfers with other guests if you'd like to split a taxi. If you want to extend the trip, the retreat dates are set so you can catch the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and International Festival afterwards, and Sally has recommendations for tour companies running 1–7 day trips around the Highlands, the islands and the cities.

All guests must be 18 or over, and the retreat is non-smoking and non-vaping. Shared rooms are female-only unless you're booking the whole room with a friend or partner. If you're travelling solo, you can sign up for a shared room and be matched with another solo traveller of the same sex. Pets aren't allowed — only certified service animals. Bring your own yoga mat and any props you use; the venue doesn't supply them, and Sally adjusts the classes knowing that most people flying in won't have blocks or bolsters with them.

What's included

- 2 yoga classes daily with guided meditations - 4 nights accommodation (single or double occupancy) - Linens, towels, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, soap, lotion and hair dryer - 3 meals per day with a Scottish cuisine flavour - Hiking on nature trails around Loch Lomond - Boat trip on Loch Lomond with a local guide - Whisky distillery tour and tasting - Visit to an ancient Scottish castle - Transport for included group excursions

What's not included

- Flights and transport to and from the retreat - Travel insurance - Watersports on Loch Lomond (SUP, wakeboarding, kayaking) - Spa treatments and services - Optional Tours of Scotland after the retreat