Retreat to the Highlands, November 23 – December 5, 2025
On this fabulous 12-night retreat, we spent nine of those nights at the stunning Loch Ness Country House Hotel, booked for our writers’ exclusive use. We’ve hosted multiple retreats at this venue and enjoyed a long stretch of time there so participants could do more writing and soak up the warm hospitality.
On our first day in Scotland, we gathered at The Loch Ness Country House Hotel, cleared our minds, relaxed, got to know each other, had our Welcome Supper—the first of many fantastic meals over the course of twelve days—and did a LOT of writing.
There was plenty of space to stretch out and do some writing, reading, walking, or daydreaming in silence on a fine, late-fall day, with no other expectations put upon you than to write to your heart’s content, sit by the fire, eat and drink as you wish, and explore the most beautiful countryside imaginable on the hotel’s seven acres of grounds.
Day Trips
We often make our home base in the Highlands at Loch Ness Country House for good reason—it’s easily one of the most welcoming, relaxing, and inspiring places we’ve ever hosted a retreat, plus there’s plenty to see and do nearby. While we were focused on writing, we absolutely needed to do some exploring.
We have our favourite, go-to spots to visit in the Highlands, including the Culloden Battlefield, Clava Cairns standing stones, Urquhart Castle, and the unforgettable Isle of Skye.
We also visited Eilean Donan Castle, easily the most famous and spectacular of all the Highland castles, so we could appreciate the moment and allow for photographs of this magnificent structure. And for the first time, we actually took time to go inside and tour this magnificent castle!
Edinburgh
Then we were off to Edinburgh for our final few days together, and we toured there via Glencoe—going this route allowed us to experience the majestic mountains of Glencoe along the way.
Our time in Edinburgh was spent exploring individually, but we also attended a local storyteller event at the Scottish Storytelling Centre. And on the last day, we gathered at The Wee Pub, a.k.a. the smallest pub in Edinburgh, to say our goodbyes. We had a bite to eat, listened as each writer shared something they’d created, sang a few songs, and said goodbye.
Join us on our next adventure.
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A note from a recent retreat participant
“It is not an exaggeration to say this retreat changed my life! I have been struggling for years to finish a personal memoir draft. Just a few days on our retreat, and my writing and I turned a corner. I had the breakthrough that had eluded me for years. The combination of Gerard’s insightful guidance, the support of the other writers who became instant soulmates, and the Irish tradition of storytelling in an 18th century castle proved to be life-changing.
“I am close to finishing my memoir draft, and I give all credit to Go and Write for providing the environment that enabled me to write and organize my thoughts. I have opened myself up to the possibilities ahead, and I’m feeling better about my writing than I have in years.
“My deepest thanks to Gerard and Jane…”
~ Gloria R.B., Go and Write! alumnus
See more on our Testimonials Page