Coming on retreat is a commitment to join and participate in our community for the duration of your time here. The main way to participate is simply to be here. The heart of the community is always mealtimes and for this reason we ask everyone to attend at least breakfast and dinner each day if they possibly can. This is normally the best opportunity for the whole group to discuss any group activity ideas, announcements, or other group discussions. Other than this, how you spend your time here is entirely up to you and you can participate in as many or as few activities as you choose.
Activities probably fall in to three main categories and are ALL voluntary. ‘Chores’ are the things we need to do each day to keep everyone comfortable, fed and watered so this essentially means the cooking and cleaning. We ask our guests to ensure that these are covered each day by those who are able (and we haven’t gone hungry yet!). ‘On site activities’ would be anything that you choose to do on site. We have a small gym, therapy room, studio and various other spaces that can be used either individually or by the general group. It’s often the case that our guests like to share their knowledge and experience with each other and there are normally several guests who are willing to organise sessions on reiki, massage, meditation, crafts to name a few. You may also prefer to use our facilities to follow your own schedule as a ‘personal retreat’ and if so you can also book most of our rooms for personal use. ‘Off site activities’ is taking a day out individually or with your fellow retreaters. In our opinion the Samye Ling Tibetan Monastery at Eskdalemuir is a must visit. Despite being only around 7 miles away as the crow flies, it’s still a 45-minute drive, but definitely worth the effort. For history buffs we have Hermitage Castle close by with its extraordinary past, and Sir Walter Scott’s house about 30 mins away, as well as many other historic sites in the area. There are numerous documented walking trails in the wider area for hikers and walkers of all abilities (walking directly from the site is challenging) and some crazy people have also been known to go wild swimming!
The meal plan here is vegetarian, please message us at the time of booking to discuss any special requirements. We normally have a good selection of teas, coffee and some soft drinks and snacks available, and although we generally have a no alcohol policy, a glass of wine with dinner on the last night seems to have become an unofficial tradition.
The attitude here is based around respect, empathy, tolerance and giving. Everyone on retreat has equal standing and your hosts will also participate in the retreat on an equal(ish!) basis.
We trust all our guests to participate in the retreat in the way that makes most sense to them and we know that this will vary greatly person to person, but we know that everyone will always give to the retreat what they can in whatever way they can. The Wisp Retreat is not a full service, luxury retreat. Think of it more as a few days away with your friends - you just haven’t met them yet. The main way to participate meaningfully in the retreat is simply to be here - so we hope to see you soon for your first Retreat!
If you would like further details or have any questions, please contact us. Email info@wispretreat.co.uk or call 01450 850245 for details.
Alfred Wainwright (of 'Wainwrights walks') coined the phrase "There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes". We need to remember this, particularly as we roll into the cooler winter months.
The Wisp Retreat is located at approx. 55° Latitude where the average temperature is around 5°C lower than the south of the country in the winter months. We are also 1000ft above sea level which can add another 2°C difference to most of the near sea level population of the UK. This means that wherever you are coming from there is likely to be a noticeable temperature difference.
As an energy efficient site with zero carbon ambitions, we rely on the correct clothes to heat the body rather than using vast amounts of energy to heat indoor spaces. This is the most effective way to make a meaningful difference to our carbon emissions. You can read more about our zero carbon plans on our project page.
You need to come prepared for cold and bad weather during the winter months. Winter clothes mean base layers, fleece layers (including under trousers), wearable blankets, woolly hats, rain hats, rain coats, walking boots, thick socks etc. For sleeping you may want to bring warm pyjamas, an extra sleeping bag, bed socks, and again base layers etc.
As we are transitioning to a low energy site, we need to be mindful of the fact that the main building is currently poorly insulated and that the oil heating system will need to be replaced by a more efficient, environmentally friendly solution soon. Whilst the heating in the main building will be on during the winter, the building will still likely be colder than you may be used to. With the correct clothes this shouldn't be a problem.
All of the beds have heated blankets and please note that we have now installed energy efficient heating in the cabins. During the winter months, all customers staying in a cabin will also have a bed in the indoor bunk room allocated to them should we encounter sub zero temperatures during your stay.