The Wisp Retreat

23/06/2026

We had a wonderfully harmonious week with our Retreaters, despite the challenges of some rather miserable weather.
An early morning trip to Samye Ling brought numerous wildlife encounters and provided a wonderful start to the day. Some enjoyed a visit to the theatre in Hawick, while others settled down to watch a film, and Hawick's charity shops were thoroughly explored. The dooking pool in the next field was also well used, despite the weather.
The week was filled with musical treats, walks in the hills, a trip to Hermitage Castle, and many lovely meals. A massive thank you to Sally for coming over to give us a Korean cookery demonstration, followed by a delicious lunch.
There were simply too many special moments to mention them all. Tracy summed it up perfectly when she said that she had made new friends whom she felt she had known for ages, and that she felt refreshed and ready to tackle the real world.

14/06/2026

🌿 Wisp Work Week – 13th–19th July 🌿
The Wisp Retreat has always been shaped by the people who come here, and we're endlessly grateful to everyone who have shared their time, energy and skills with us. Every improvement around the retreat carries a little piece of the community with it - and there's lots to do!
We're planning a full Work Week from 13th–19th July and would love to welcome some familiar faces back to help us with a few projects. We're asking for a contribution of £100 per person to cover the cost of your stay.
The main jobs will be gardening, planting some trees generously donated by a fellow retreater (see our last post), roofing work and other outdoor maintenance. If the weather isn't on our side, we'll switch to giving the main building and cabins a good deep clean. There will of course be plenty of time for the usual retreaty stuff.
We're also looking for two or three people who would be happy to help manage the kitchen, cleaning up and meals, allowing the rest of the crew to focus on the projects.
At the moment we're looking for returners and people we've already met. If you've been to The Wisp before on any retreat and would like to join us, please send us a message and we'll book you in. If you can't make the whole week but can join us for most of it, we'd still love to hear from you.
Finally, we wouldn't dream of putting anyone under pressure by mentioning names... but if you were involved in legendary past projects such as the (now famous) "Fraser Hedge", the "Sammy Tree Removal", the "Del Shelf" or the "Alison, Lizzie & Co. Gutters", for example (there are many others - you know who you are), we'd be delighted to see you again!

13/06/2026

As another wonderful retreat comes to a close, we're once again reminded of something we often say here: the retreat isn't the place – it's the people.
This week was a perfect example of that. Seven of our eight retreaters were returners, and what a generous, caring and giving group they were. Whether it's helping with cooking, washing up, sharing skills, lending a hand with a project, or simply being good company, everyone brought something special. The people are the retreat.
A huge thank you to Colin, who heard about a quantity of trees that were due to be disposed of and generously spent a day of his retreat helping to rescue them. Together with Eddie, they hired a van and made the trip to North Berwick to collect them. The trees have now arrived safely and are waiting for their new homes – which means we'll be needing a work week soon to get them planted!
Johnny also arrived bearing gifts in the form of 14 fence posts. Apologies to those retreaters who became very excited at the mention of "14 stakes" and briefly thought there were 14 steaks on the menu...
Talking of menus, there was certainly no shortage of volunteers in the kitchen. We were treated to some fabulous meals from Colin (Moussaka), Joyce (Mexican), Pam (Stuffed Jackets) and Ken (Indian), ably supported by sous chefs Hazel, Sally and Tisha. Thank you all for keeping us so well fed.
Alongside all of that, there was Reiki, crochet, local trips out (including the traditional 5am pilgrimage to Samye Ling!), great conversations, plenty of laughter, and the simple joy of spending time with lovely people.
To everyone who joined us: thank you for making this retreat what it was. We feel incredibly lucky to share this space with such kind-hearted people and we looking forward to seeing you all again very soon.
Until next time ❤️

05/06/2026

We are so pleased to have played a small part in this. Well done to everyone involved.

We can't quite believe that this time last week, we were out on the hills trying to fly our wonderfully decorated kites. Where has the last week gone since we left the wonderful The Wisp Retreat ?
We just wanted to share with you, our followers and all of our retreaters, what they raised by coming on the retreat.- £1339.
During the week, we ate- boy did we eat! We made stuffed vine leaves, Sambusak, and helped make falafel, hummous, Maqluba, Baklava and many more delicious dishes. We did Tatreez, decorated kites and flew them, decorated stones to leave at The Wisp. We connected every day with our friends in Palestine and more than a few tears were shed, as well as lots of laughter with engaging conversations. On our last night we were entertained by Duo Hyperborea with Chris's amazing skills on every instrument he touched, and Helena's mesmerising voice.
Many thanks to Rola and Sama and Nicky for helping make the retreat the success it was, as well of course to Alison and Eddie, who trusted us with The Wisp takeover.
We had a fantastic group of participants who just gelled and made our jobs just that little bit easier for the retreat to run smoothly.
This money raised is going towards a summer school in the Salfit area to give the children there some much needed and much wanted education as they have lost so much over the past couple of years due to the situation.
If you wanted to also donate to this, please do so through this link- and if you are a UK tax payer, please tick the gift aid box, as that really helps us https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/28366 #!/DonationDetails
Thank you all.

31/05/2026

Last week we were honoured to host a retreat organised by Projects in Palestine, whose work supports Palestinian women, children and farming initiatives throughout the West Bank.
It's difficult to put the week into words. What unfolded was far more than a programme of activities; it was a week of learning, connection, creativity, friendship and solidarity.
The retreat was beautifully organised by trustees Lisa, Rachel and Suzanne, with wonderful support from Sama, Rola and Nicky. Rola led the kitchen with incredible generosity, sharing delicious traditional Palestinian food that quickly became a focal point of the week, bringing everyone together to cook, eat, laugh and connect.
We learned the art of tatreez with Nicky, watched films exploring the history and lived realities of Palestine, spoke directly with people in the West Bank, made and flew kites in solidarity with the community of Burin, and even rose before dawn for a memorable visit to Samye Ling Buddhist Monastery for morning prayers.
The days were filled with poetry, stories, presentations, music, conversation and moments of reflection. We were also treated to a wonderful visit from the extraordinarily talented Hyperborea, whose generosity and music added something truly special to the week.
What stays with us most is not any single activity, but the sense of community that emerged. People arrived as strangers and left carrying shared experiences, deeper understanding, new friendships and a renewed sense of connection to something bigger than themselves.
We've put together this short video diary of the week. For those who joined us, we hope it brings back some beautiful memories. And for those watching from afar, perhaps it offers a glimpse of what can happen when people come together with open hearts, curiosity and a desire to learn from one another.
Thank you to everyone who made the week so memorable. It was a privilege to be part of it.
One particularly special moment came courtesy of Raina Wilson from indie band Nippy Sweetie. We'd recently wondered aloud on Facebook whether Sandy Denny's Who Knows Where the Time Goes? might just be the most beautiful song ever written. During the retreat, Raina helped us explore that question in the best possible way. Joined by trustee Suzanne and retreat participant Deirdre on vocals, with Eddie on guitar, she created a version that perfectly captured the spirit of the week. It now forms the soundtrack to this video diary.
As the song asks, none of us really knows where the time goes — but for one week at least, it was spent in very good company.

30/05/2026

Dinner isn't always about the conversation.....our guests respectfully enjoying their meal while the musicians bring a quietly powerful sense of tradition and ceremony to the room. More coming soon about our incredible week with Projects in Palestine.

09/05/2026

We don't do this very often but.......Friend of The Wisp James Nichol is fundraising for WithYou, a drug, alcohol and mental health support charity. With first hand experience of working with James / WithYou we understand how vital this organisation is. Its no overstatement to say that their work saves lives on a daily basis. A recent article detailing their work can be read on the BBC here : https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyx6167wxno

Every penny counts so please, if you can, do support James and WithYou with whatever you can. The link to the JustGiving page is below and in return we'll be happy to reduce the price of any future bookings from any Wispers who donate by an amount equal to your donation (up to £50).

Thank you.

https://www.justgiving.com/page/james-nichol-1?utm_medium=FA&utm_source=CL

Help James Nichol raise money to support We Are With You

27/04/2026

Introducing… the very first Wisp Retreat cycling adventure 🚴‍♀️✨
We gathered with four wonderful humans—our brave and brilliant “guinea pigs”—to test out what happens when two non-cyclists organise a cycling retreat. What could possibly go wrong? 😄
Armed with good intentions (and not nearly enough bike knowledge), we set off with dreams of reaching the mystical Kielder Water and its famous 26-mile circular route, dotted with art installations. And yet… between navigation mishaps, closed roads, more closed roads, and then just for good measure—even more closed roads—we began to wonder… does Kielder Water actually exist? Or is it just something everyone’s heard about from a friend of a friend? 👀
But here’s the magic of it all—plans changed, and something even better unfolded. We enjoyed a beautiful day cycling around Hawick’s parks and connecting paths, followed by a well-earned café lunch (morale: fully restored ☕🥪). Then came another day of even brighter skies and a 14-mile round trip to Hermitage Castle, complete with a picnic and plenty of laughter along the way.
Heather, Lesley, Suzie and Kenny—you were absolute stars. Your patience, humour, and enthusiasm carried the whole experience and made it something truly special. You were exactly what we needed, and we’re so grateful 💛
On Saturday we headed to Carlisle to celebrate Wisper Catriona’s birthday—and what a celebration it was. Surrounded by warmth, creativity and some seriously talented people, the evening unfolded with beautiful music and performance poetry that completely captured the room. There’s something so special about words spoken out loud, stories shared in real time, and music weaving it all together—it felt inspiring, uplifting, and just a little bit magical.
And somewhere in the mix, as the music played, we found ourselves wondering… “Who Knows Where the Time Goes?” might just be one of the most beautiful songs ever written. Some songs don’t just fill a space—they hold it still for a moment ✨
Catriona, you created such a gorgeous way to celebrate—full of heart, creativity and connection. It was an absolute joy to be part of it.
A HUGE happy birthday, Catriona! 🎉💫

15/04/2026

Don't miss out.
There are just 2 places left for our amazing Retreat in the Scottish Borders from 25th-29th May. £350 all inclusive.
Programme will be revealed to the attendees ahead of the retreat.
All food is Vegetarian. All rooms are double rooms for single use and en-suite facilities.
You will need to be able to make your own way to the venue which is near to Hawick in the borders.
Feel free to message and ask any questions.
Once the places have gone, they've gone.
Share with your friends, family and anyone you feel might be interested. This is open to those with no knowledge, a little knowledge or lots of knowledge.
There will be Palestinian food- with learning how to cook it. Arts and crafts, film, music and discussion, as well as downtime to enjoy what The Wisp retreat and its surroundings offer.
Come along and support our charity- all money raised is supporting education for children in different areas in the West Bank, and we will live link with places where our projects take place during the retreat.
So, who will be our last two bookings?
To book, please follow the link on www.projectsinpalestine.co.uk

12/04/2026

Our first two week retreater! We’d like to give a massive shout out to Jill Wells, who spent the last 3 back to back retreats with us. She helped enormously showing people round, offering yoga and mindfulness sessions, cooking up several lovely puddings and meals, as well as being a fully participating retreater herself. Not only that, but she bought along Poppy, who also offered therapy in terms of cuddles and cuteness. Well done to both of them, and we can’t thank you enough. Until July, when we will hopefully see you both again.