Cairngorms Winter Retreat
2022 DATES
November 18th – 21st 2022 – FULLY BOOKED
2023 DATES
January 13th – 16th 2023 – FULLY BOOKED – contact us to be added to waiting list
February 3rd – 6th 2023 – FULLY BOOKED – contact us to be added to waiting list
Price: From £795 per person (+ booking fee)
Join SwimWild for a wonderful long weekend of winter swims and invigorating dips in the Cairngorms National Park. We will spend our days exploring the stunning local lochs and rivers and our evenings relaxing back at our base for the weekend, the beautiful Inshriach House. There is no pressure to join in with all (or any) of the swims over the weekend, however, there will be the chance to enjoy two or three short winter dips each day, followed up by wonderful home-cooked food and time to chill around Inshriach’s cosy log fires.
About Inshriach House
Our base is the beautiful Inshriach House, originally built as an Edwardian Shooting Lodge, now a fabulous retreat with cosy drawing rooms, a stunning dining hall and its own gin distillery on the grounds! Nestled four miles south of Aviemore, in 200 acres of its own private woodland and pasture, the estate has three miles of riverbank access, along the famous River Spey. It even has it’s own secret swim spot, complete with hot tub and sauna! Inshriach is the perfect place to enjoy stunning views of the Cairngorms and cosy up ready for a Scottish swimming adventure.
In addition to the numerous original features, the house has been brought into the 21st century with the addition of a wood pellet hot water system, a large drying room and a modern shower room (downstairs). Upstairs there are 5 double rooms, 2 twin rooms and 3 single rooms (none are ensuite) and 3 further shared bathrooms. 7 of the bedrooms have hand basins.
Despite its ‘world away’ feel, Inshriach House is easily accessible. The closest train station is in Aviemore, around 4 miles away. There are direct day and night train services from London to Aviemore. Please see below for more travel information.
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Itinerary
Please note that this is a very rough guide and that we will adapt the weekend carefully to suit the group and the Scottish weather conditions!
Friday
12pm-1:45pm – Pickups from Aviemore train station
2pm – Welcome and safety briefing in the drawing room
3:30pm – First dip!
6pm – Drinks in the drawing room
7pm – Dinner in the dining room
Saturday
8.30 am – Breakfast
10 am – Morning dip Loch an Eilein (at the castle)
12:30 pm – Lunch served in the dining room
2:30 pm – Afternoon swim in Loch Pityoulish
4 pm – Afternoon tea
5:30 pm – Look around Inshriach gin distillery and drinks down at the Saloon Bar
7:30 pm – Dinner in the dining room
Sunday
8.30am – Breakfast
10 am – Morning dip at Loch Morlich followed by cake and hot drinks
12:30 pm – Lunch served in the dining room
2:30 pm – River dip, hot tub and sauna down by the river
7:30 pm – Dinner in the dining room
Monday
Breakfast and departures (check out by 10am)
Who can participate in this trip?
This weekend is suitable for both beginners and more advanced swimmers, although ideally, you should have some form of cold water acclimatisation for this weekend. Water temperatures should be between 0-5 degrees at this time of year so dips will be short and sweet. If you have any doubt about your suitability to swim/dip on this trip, get in touch with us and we can discuss the options.
Expect breathtaking scenery, home-cooked food, life-affirming water temperatures and comfortable accommodation in a fabulous location. The weekend will include loch and river swims, subject to weather conditions. This trip really is suitable for all abilities. Come with a sense of fun and adventure, plenty of warm kit and a big appetite!
Will it snow? Possibly
Will it rain? Probably
Will there be sunshine? Hopefully
Will there be ice? Maybe
Will there be cake? DEFINITELY!
How much does it cost?
- £795 per person (£920 with single room supplement), with a non-refundable 25% deposit payable on booking.
- The balance for this trip is payable 8 weeks prior to departure. Please read our Terms and Conditions.
What's included?
- Accommodation in Inshriach House (based on twin/double occupancy)
- Swimming, safety cover, guiding. Swims always escorted by qualified and knowledgeable swim guides, with experience of winter/ice swimming safety.
- Home-cooked breakfasts, lunches and dinners.
- Alcohol with evening meals.
- Home cooked snacks and cakes
- SwimWild swim cap
- Pick-up/drop-off in Aviemore
- All swim transfers
- Plenty of fun and good memories!
What's not included?
- Travel to and from Inshriach House (guests are advised to travel to Aviemore station where we can arrange pickups)
- Swim equipment, wetsuits and personal outdoor gear.
- Any alcohol not served with meals
- Single room supplement (£125) Please select this option at time of booking.
Further Information
The Cairngorms in Winter
The Cairngorms National Park is the largest National Park in the UK and it is home to four of the five highest mountains in the UK. It also contains some of the cleanest rivers and lochs in Europe – perfect for some chilly swimming! The national park is also a wildlife heaven. It is home to one-quarter of Scotland’s native forest and a quarter of the rare and endangered species in the UK!
There is truly no more enchanting, beautiful a place in the UK to visit in winter than the bewitching Cairngorms. Temperatures in January are likely to hover around or dip below freezing. The unique sub-arctic qualities of the area mean that as well as its own heard of free-ranging reindeer, it is a paradise for hardy winter swimmers! Whatever the weather, this wonderland will soon have you under its (cold) spell.
Travel Information
Inshriach House is around 4 miles south of Aviemore on the backroad (B970) between Inverdruie and Feshiebridge.
It is possible to get the day or overnight train direct from London to Aviemore.
Flights can be pretty cheap if booked in advance.
It is possible to fly to Inverness Airport from London, Bristol, Birmingham and Manchester. From there it is easy to hire a car and it’s 40 miles drive to Aviemore.
It is also possible to get a bus or taxi from Inverness Airport to Inverness and then a train down to Aviemore. Please check train times before booking your flights, as they are not very frequent!
From other UK/European airports it is possible to fly to Edinburgh or Glasgow. It takes around 2 hours 15 mins to drive from Edinburgh and a bit more to drive from Glasgow.
