Our retreats are a chance to reset, detox and engage with nature. There is no better place than the Hebrides for your open water adventures! Whether that’s dipping under a waterfall, challenging yourself to swim around islands and in caves, or practising skills with the backdrop of Mull’s rugged coastline.
This retreat is about enjoying the benefits of cold water immersion. The average sea temperatures in the Inner Hebrides during the winter months are a cool 7 degrees so our dips will be close to shore and no longer than 10 minutes. You should be able to tread water and have some experience of cold water swimming. Most of our swim spots are in sheltered coves with rocky outcrops that provide safe and exhilarating places to dip.
On this retreat we enjoy darker skies, log burners and the affectionately known “Pottie Hottie” (a phrase coined by our winter dippers last year) where you alternate between 2-3 minute dips in Loch Pottie and the wood-fired hot tub! We visit the serene and spiritual Island of Iona and have a walking tour with experienced guide David from Iona Trails.
Other activities you can do while you’re here are yoga, massage, a visit to the local weavers and walking wildlife tours. Not all of these are included in the price and may need to be booked in advance.
In Spring the islands come alive with new life! We take a boat trip out to Staffa for a magical dip in Fingal’s Cave and then enjoy some “puffin therapy” on Lunga, a special protection area for the conservation of wild birds. Puffins stay with the same partner for life, returning at this time of year to the Treshnish Isles, to the same burrow, for the breeding season. They knock their bills together to reaffirm bonds and start collecting wild flowers and grass to make their nests and prepare for their “pufflings”.
On our visit to Iona to meet our walking guide David we might hear the first sounds of the corncrake signalling the arrival of Spring.
The sea temperature is slowly rising but is still only 8 degrees so our dips will be relatively short. You should be able to tread water and have some experience of cold water swimming.
Other activities you can enjoy while you’re here include yoga, massage, a visit to the local weavers and wildlife tours. Not all of these are included in the price and may need to be booked in advance.
Midsummer is undoubtedly the time of abundance of wildflowers with delicate harebells, proliferations of bluebells and ladies bedstraw (used to stuff mattresses on days gone by – no doubt because of its strong scents of perfume). There’s a delicious smell of wild garlic in the air.
As the air temperature is warming up we enjoy longer swims without the worry of getting cold. Sitting on the beach after a swim with the warm sun on your face is the most wonderful feeling! We take a trip over to Iona and enjoy a picnic lunch on the beach with local guide David who can tell us everything we need to know from where the nuns used to sit in the nunnery to discuss the day’s chores, to the number of teeth a limpet has!
Activities you can also enjoy while you’re here include a boat trip out to the Treshnish Isles for a swim in Fingal’s Cave and some final puffin encounters before they head off to sea for the winter.
Other activities include yoga, massage, a visit to the local weavers and walking wildlife tours. Not all of these are included in the price and may need to be booked in advance.
Our guided swim retreats are aimed at swimmers who would like to challenge themselves to swim slightly longer distances, perhaps out and around an island or from one island to another. One of the swims we do if weather conditions allow is through a channel of water between Staffa (one of the Treshnish Isles) and a pyramidal-shaped rock known as “the Herdsman” into Fingal’s Cave. It’s about a 600m swim from the pontoon through the channel into the cave and back again. Wetsuits are essential for this swim as the water temperature is still a fresh 9 or 10 degrees and there is often swell inside the cave – the extra layer provides buoyancy, and protection from any rock scratches. After our swim we head off to Lunga, the largest of the Treshnish Isles, for a picnic lunch with the puffins!
While our swims are not necessarily about distance or speed you should be a competent outdoor swimmer with some experience of sea swimming. We do two swims a day and each vary between 500m and 2k depending on weather conditions and how everyone feels on the day.
We head over to Iona for the day to learn more about the island’s rich history and cultural heritage as well as a swim off one of her secluded beaches. Other activities you can do while you’re here are kayaking, yoga, massage and walking wildlife tours. Not all of these are included in the price and may need to be booked in advance.
The Swimcation is new for 2025 and is about engaging with nature to help us slow our busy minds while keeping our bodies fit and healthy. Expect the swims to be breaststroke, not too long in distance but not as short as a dip, combining exercise with the shared experience of swimming with others in the atmospheric and breathtaking Inner Hebrides.
The air and water temperatures are relatively warm at this time of year which allow us to swim in swimsuits for longer periods of time without the worry of getting cold. You should be fairly confident in open water and be able to swim two lengths of breaststroke in a 25 metre pool.
A highlight on this trip is a visit to the local weavers where we meet the Isle of Mull Gaelic Choir for a re-enactment of the ancient tradition of waulking, accompanied by Gaelic songs. We also visit Tobermory, famed for its iconic multicoloured houses, for some retail therapy and a visit to the Mull Museum, a small museum crammed with information about Mull in the past. We take a ferry over to Iona and meet local walking guide David from Iona Trails who can answer any and all questions relating to the island’s history as well as day to day island living.
Other activities you can do while you’re here are kayaking, yoga, massage and wildlife tours. Not all of these are included in the price and may need to be booked in advance.
Our open water development retreat builds on your existing experience in open water and through our stroke technique coaching and educating on safe places and times to swim, we hope to provide you with more confidence in your own ability to push safely out of your comfort zone whether that’s swimming longer distances or for more months of the year.
You should have some experience of open water swimming and be able to swim 4 lengths of a 25m pool comfortably. Breaststroke is fine. We recommend wetsuits to enable you to spend longer in the water and the buoyancy is beneficial when learning skills.
We swim to and from, and often around islands with varying distances. A highlight is our swim in Fingal’s Cave (either from the pontoon past the Herdsman, for a longer swim, or a shorter dip in the cave off the rocks).
And no retreat would be complete without a visit to Iona – an island that offers so much in terms of historic and cultural significance as well as some of the world’s most stunning beaches. Other activities you can do while you’re here are kayaking, yoga, massage and walking wildlife tours. Not all of these are included in the price and may need to be booked in advance.
Our beginners open water retreat is perfect for swimmers who might be apprehensive about swimming in the sea or who lack experience swimming outdoors. Most of our swim spots are sheltered coves, some are more exposed and exhilarating. We give you the knowledge to swim safely in cooler waters – the waters in Scotland are warmed by the Gulf Stream but rarely get above 16 degrees – and our technique coaching will ensure you get the best out of your outdoor swimming adventures.
You should be able to swim 2 lengths breaststroke of a 25m pool. We have the benefit of warmer air temperatures and waters so wetsuits are not necessary (but available to borrow). We stay close to the shore and in the shallows until you feel comfortable exploring further afield. A highlight of this trip is the option to do snorkelling. The underwater world is magical at this time of year and the water is perfectly clear.
A must at this time of year is a ferry ride over to Iona when on a good day her skies are the brightest blue and waters sparkling turquoise. David accompanies us and give us a walking tour of the island. Other activities you can do while you’re here are kayaking, yoga, massage, a visit to the local weavers, guided walks and walking wildlife tours. Not all of these are included in the price and may need to be booked in advance.
This retreat is about adventure and journeying through epic landscapes. We swim along the coast from beach to beach, in volcanic lochs, sea caves and to/around neighbouring islands. Swim are between 1.6 and 4k a day sometimes split over 2 swims (morning and afternoon), sometimes in the form of a swim hike taking provisions with us to fuel on the way. Speed-wise we aim to swim no slower than 2.15 mins/100m. While swims are not competitive we need to ensure a decent level of activity as swims are longer and involve commitment to get from A to B without getting cold or missing tide windows. This retreat is for experienced open water front crawl swimmers however if you are a fast breaststroker, or a slower frontcrawl swimmer but happy to wear fins, you are most welcome to join us.
If the weather goes our way we swim across to Iona from Mull – a once in a lifetime experience! It can be a turbulent crossing so we only do this if conditions are safe. Otherwise we take the ferry for our day in Iona!
In Autumn the days are longer and the islands quieter, the heather is a vibrant purple and it’s seal pupping season so we are highly likely to encounter curious wildlife on our swims!
Other activities you can enjoy while you’re here include yoga, massage, guided walks and wildlife tours. Not all of these activities are included in the price and may need to be booked in advance.
In Autumn the lochs are at their warmest and the landscape around starts to pop with all colours of browns and oranges. With the bulk of the holiday season over, the islands become much quieter so there is more chance of seeing wildlife. Days are shorter, sunsets earlier, sunrises later and if we’re lucky we might get to see the Northern Lights.
Dark skies provide a magical backdrop for outdoor swimmers so with the sea cooling down it’s time for some of us to put the wetsuit away and enjoy shorter, moonlit dips. For others it’s a chance to get some long Autumnal swims in before winter (and the “brain freeze” that comes with putting your face into freezing water!). Afterwards there are wood-fired hot tubs and drams in the evening by log-burning fires.
We take a trip over to Iona for a walking tour with David and a dip in the island’s famed emerald-green waters. Other activities you can do while you’re here are yoga, a visit to the local weavers, guided walks and wildlife tours. Not all of these are included in the price and may need to be booked in advance.
COACH EMMA
Testimonials
I’ve not long returned from a wonderful 5 night guided swim trek holiday in Mull and Iona. Such lovely memories! The trip was packed full, with varied swims, usually two per day. We swum in some beautiful sandy bays. Emma and Rachel ensured we had a safe but great time. I love challenging myself whatever the activity and on this trip I’ve learned that you don’t need to increase swimming distance to find the next challenge. I came away from my holiday really appreciating the sense of community in Mull and Iona. I’d thoroughly recommend this trip. Thanks so much Emma for the opportunity!
Just returned from the Dip and Chill weekend. It was the perfect break, I’ve come away feeling incredibly restored by the clear, cold Scottish waters, the expertise of Emma and her team and the wonderful company of our brilliant group. Cold dipping, hot tub dipping, yoga, massages and incredible food with home baked bread and nourishing meals. And have met a group of folks that I feel like I’ve known for years. I didn’t want to leave, and I will definitely be back. Highly recommended 💙💙💙
Kate, April 2024
Just back from a 3 night Dip & Chill retreat and feel incredible. As a newcomer to open water swimming it was the perfect blend of water and land activities and relaxation – from a variety of beach dips to yoga and massage, gentle walks and boat trips … I have gained so much confidence about getting into open water and feel the benefits!
