Unique Retreats

Wild Swimming Retreat 2025 in Loch Rannoch, Scotland

(As seen on Channel 4)

About…

A unique bespoke Wild Swimming & Retreat on the banks of Loch Rannoch, Scotland - 28th September to 2nd October 2025 (as featured in Outside Magazine and Channel 4).

Travel Matters will be partnering again with a renowned hotel on the banks of Loch Rannoch. This outstanding new retreat runs for four nights and five days, co-facilitated by a creative expert. Morning swims in Loch Rannoch with invaluable information on safely swimming in cold water and the health benefits therein, will be followed by a workshop until lunchtime, then the afternoons are yours! We suggest that you roam through the hotel’s grounds and into the surrounding countryside, its cascading burns and the nearby ancient woodlands; where you will have the opportunity of seeing the local Golden Eagles, Ospreys, Otters, Red Squirrels and Sea Eagles. After a day of unleashing your creativity, please consider making the most of Rannoch Spa, which includes a 12-metre heated pool, steam room and sauna to propel your wellness journey.

During your experience, you will be guided by a travel expert & cold water immersion enthusiast (Open Water Lifeguard/’OWL’) and a Triathlete, coach and skilled painter.

You are cordially invited to take a step into the great unknown, and emerge rejuvenated, creative and powerful…

The Morning Dip

We will swim in Loch Rannoch each morning, with the impressive Schiehallion Mountain as your backdrop. Here, you will learn how to safely swim in cold water with breathing techniques, how to heat up your core and understand what happens to our bodies during and after immersion. You will experience the transforming benefits of cold water to the system, from improved circulation, muscle relief from pain and mental health. We will encourage you to feel the full benefits of cold water to body and mind by not wearing a wetsuit! Whether you just put a toe in, or swim for several minutes, we go at your pace.

Why Wild Swimming?

In1995, Wim Hof and his ‘Wim Hof Method’ (WHM) became recognised in popular culture. The Dutch motivational speaker and extreme athlete suggested that the practice of Cold Water Immersion, willpower and breathing techniques could reduce symptoms of several diseases including; Rheumatoid Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Corona Virus and Parkinson's disease. The British United Provident Association Limited, or BUPA, also advocate the use of cold water as a therapy and have reported that a humans body can benefit from cold water immersion and similar type therapies, with the results being (Wild, 2022):

• reducing muscle pain and stiffness after exercise, by reducing swelling and inflammation

• improving risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels

• boosting the immune system, helping to lower the risk of infection

• improving general wellbeing, and possibly helping with depression

Why not give it a go?

The Creative Workshop

We invite you to develop your drawing skills and explore your connection to the detail of the landscape around. The workshops will be co-facilitated by Georgia Jackson, artist and coach, whose role is to encourage you to look for the inspiration the natural world can provide and express that in a number of different ways in your sketchbooks. This might include drawing, sketching and collage, use of pens, graphite and coloured pencils. For many people, immersion in the cold water can help with this connectedness and the flow of creativity. We have no doubt that the stunning backdrop of Loch Rannoch as the seasons change will prove to be the ideal muse.

As well as equipping you with all the technical aspects you will need during your creative periods, there will be additional exercises incorporated into each 2-hour workshop. We hope this will encourage reflection and awareness of posture and the process of drawing, sketching and crafting (including mindfulness and movement practice).

Georgia’s goal is to help you connect with the detail of the landscape around you, develop your observational skills and explore ways to express that connection in a sketchbook. Some people choose to share their work or creativity, as it can feel beneficial. You are free to decide what you want to create over these mornings. There will be one-to-one sessions with our hosts, to discuss your particular project should you so wish and a chance to share some of your ideas & thoughts with the group if this feels beneficial.

The Daily Programme

We will begin each day in the exclusive private ‘Boat House’ that overlooks the loch. We prefer you not to have your phones on you except for taking pictures at swim and walk times and check it only when you are in your rooms. Feel free to discuss your thoughts & feelings with your hosts and fellow-guests. We are here to support, learn and grow as individuals.

For mealtimes, you will be able to indulge in exquisite dining at the restaurant, where locally sourced ingredients create culinary masterpieces. Whether you seek adventure or relaxation, the hotel offers a perfect retreat with its proximity to hiking trails, fishing spots, cycling trails and kayaking routes. Enjoy leisurely moments by the fireside in the lounge or savour a ‘Wee Dram’ of whisky at the hotel’s cosy bar. Loch Rannoch Hotel is not just a destination; it's an immersive escape into the enchanting beauty of Scotland, where every detail ensures an unforgettable experience.

Your Accommodation

Our elegant hotel partner invites you to experience unparalleled tranquillity nestled in the heart of the Scottish Highlands. Embrace the charm of this historic hotel, where breath-taking landscapes meet warm hospitality.

Guests will be able to enjoy beautiful interiors, reflected in the stylishly appointed rooms that blend modern comfort with traditional elegance. Depending on your booking preferences, you will either be hosted in a double room for sole occupancy or a twin/double bedroom, all of which have a private en-suite bathroom. All bedrooms have outstanding views of rolling hills, the countryside and Loch Rannoch.

Your Hosts

Karen Simmonds is the Founder & CEO of Travel Matters. Karen has been providing tailor made holidays & experiences for 25 years. Her hunger for adventure has symbiotically merged with her sense of Sustainability, which inherently paved the way for the Make Travel Matter Campaign – aimed to ensure economic prosperity, social equality and environmental & cultural protection. Karen is an avid open-water swimmer and is well known amongst the swimming community in London.

Georgia Jackson, Triathlete, coach, yoga instructor and painter. Georgia’s been involved in triathlon for more than 20 years. She’s even represented Great Britain three times in ‘Triathlon & Aquathlon’. Previously, she worked as a Paediatrician, but left medicine in 2015 to concentrate on her family. She continues to coach triathlon in West Berkshire, including; club coaching, small group swim technique sessions, swim video analysis, open water coaching and organising ‘GO TRI Reading at Green Park’ - “Triathlon is, for the vast majority of us, a beautiful hobby that we take up to make our lives better, healthier, happier, and more enriched. This is at the heart of my coaching philosophy”.

Her background in medicine, merged with her personal experience in competing and coaching athletes to compete, has resulted in a highly dynamic ability to produce individualised training programmes. Georgia is also a gifted painter, successfully creating a business out of her beautiful hobby. For as long as she can remember she has felt a deep connection to nature, animals, wildlife and the environment. She swims in lakes, rivers and sea all year round, and this is when she feels truly "in" nature. Flora, fauna and fungi have always been at the heart of her artwork, and she works across a wide range of artistic media including pencil drawing, pastels, watercolour and oil painting. The experience of putting pen or pencil to paper is a lifelong passion, which she loves to share. Feel free to view her work here and learn more about her with the Reading Guild of Artists.

What’s Included...

• Breakfasts, Lunches & Evening Meals will be catered for by the hotel’s kitchen team giving you time to enjoy the majestic views over Loch Rannoch. 

• All activities are included.

• A donation to our partners Trees for Cities (who will plant some trees and help us keep tabs on our overall Carbon Footprint.) 

• A contribution to a Bursary Fund, enabling an anonymous individual, who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford such an experience.

• Supervision from an ex certified Open Water Lifeguard/OWL.

• Access to the spa & leisure facilities

Cost 

Single Occupancy (based on private bedroom) = £1,625pp

Two Sharing (based on sharing a bedroom) = £1,325pp

(Should you require a room to yourself, please book as soon as possible as these are selling FAST!)

Dates

28th September to 2nd October 2025

Terms & Conditions

*Early Bird Discount applied to all bookings made before Saturday 8th March 2025…’International Women's Day’!

Based on 4 night stay: £1,625pp for private bedroom, £1,325pp sharing a twin or double room

(The retreats are not able to guarantee the inclusion of any specific host due to illness or unforeseen circumstances)

Arrival Time: 4.00 p.m.
Departure Time: 11.00 a.m.

(Terms & Conditions may be amended at time of booking)