A running retreat in Scotland

Good evening. Since the pandemic there has been a huge increase in demand for holidays with a focus on health and fitness. The rise of so-called "endorphin tourism" has seen growing numbers of travellers searching for holidays which give them a natural high. Running retreats are proving particularly popular, but if the thought of pounding pavements or counting the miles does not appeal, writer Holly Tuppen may just have found the answer. She reports back from a new fitness and nature retreat in Argyll, which has its guests “sloshing through peaty burns, scampering across dunes and scrambling over rockpools along the quieter side of the Cowal peninsula”. Avid runners Katharine and David Lowrie have spent the last few years converting a dilapidated dairy to host guests on the retreats which combine guided runs for all abilities with the chance to soak up the Scottish scenery and learn more about local rewilding projects. “We’ve always wanted to host trips that get people outside whatever the weather, experiencing the intricacies of this varied landscape,” says Katharine. “David and I use running to relax and switch off, and from feedback so far, it’s clear more and more people are doing the same.” We certainly can’t think of a better incentive for putting on your running shoes than the chance of spotting seals in the loch, roe deer and osprey while out on your morning jog.