Some of you may recall this blog post, which included photographs of Glenanisp Lodge, which is an old hunting lodge which was part of a Community Buyout a few years ago by The Assynt Foundation.

Well I am very pleased to announce that there will be a second yarny retreat this year, but this one will be held at Glencanisp Lodge, which is a couple of miles outside of Lochinver down a single track road which affords you stunning views of Suilven, although you'd be wise not to be too distracted as you make your way down the track, otherwise you could end up in some rather thorny gorse.



Like the Tanera Mor retreat, there are no formal activities or classes arranged.  The idea is that you come and bring projects with you to work on in the peace and quiet of the lodge.  All bookings will be made directly with Glencanisp Lodge, and will not be through me.



The difference with this retreat is that, because of the space both in and around the lodge, partners will be welcome to come too.  They may like to venture out into the surrounding area, particularly if they are keen walkers or hill climbers.  The idea would be that partners go off and do their own thing during the day (and they can take a packed lunch with them to keep hunger at bay) while us yarny types can stay at the lodge and create.  But of course there is nothing to stop you heading out yourself too!  Some of you may even want to try and arrange a pottery lesson with Fergus Stewart, who has his studio in the old stables behind the lodge.  And of course if partners want to stay and get creative too they'll be more than welcome to do so.  As the old saying goes, the only rule is that there are no rules.  The retreat will be entirely what you make it.  Speaking from experience on last year's retreats on Tanera  Mor, I can vouch that spending time with other like minded folk was really stimulating and I learnt so much from others during the retreats.  It may also be that you are a designer wanting peace and quiet for a week to work on designs - well this would be your ideal opportunity.  No interruptions, and certainly no mobile phone signal!

[caption id="attachment_6125" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Photograph courtesy The Assynt Foundation[/caption]

The Lodge, as I said, was an old hunting lodge, and there are are 12 bedrooms in the house all of which can be either double or twin rooms.  There is a huge lounge where everyone can gather, or there is a smaller lounge if you want to go somewhere a little quieter.  The rooms vary in size and some are not en suite.  The price structure reflects the differences in the rooms.  For those that are not en suite there are plenty of bathrooms and shower rooms scattered around the lodge.  Some bedrooms are at the front of the house with magnificent views over the loch and Suilven, while some are at the back of the house overlooking the old stables and workrooms.  There is one bedroom on the ground floor suitable for those who don't want to be upstairs because of mobility issues.  Because the lodge is well off the main road it is always peaceful and there is no passing traffic, only cars either coming to the lodge or belonging to those working for the Foundation.

All food will be provided for the 3 main meals of the day, although some meals will be on a self service basis. Food will be simple, and those of you with special dietary requirements, please ensure you let the Jane or Sarah from the Foundation know at the time you make your booking so that you can be catered for.  There is a minimum number of people required to enable the retreat to run, as The Foundation have tried to keep costs to a minimum and so there is the inevitable break even point.

The dates for this retreat are Saturday 10th to Friday 16th August 2013.  Details will be up on the Glencanisp Lodge website soon, but in the meantime if you want further details of prices or wish to make a booking please contact the Foundation office directly either by email on info@glencanisp-lodge.co.uk or by telephone next week and ask to speak to either Sarah or Jane.