Join us on a floral-themed escape to southern Scotland. An elegant two-hundred-year-old country house hides in this rural landscape, and it is calling out to us!

From bustling Glasgow, a drive through upland country will lead us into a gentle green dale. There we'll settle into our generously proportioned home and explore its colorful gardens.

We'll enjoy flower-focused stitching workshops, adventures to meet sheep and squish yarn, time in country towns uncovering the work of makers and artists and relaxation time at our tranquil house. Our days will be enriched by the flora and fauna around us, which we can incorporate into our workshop projects. A perfect combination of away-from-it-all peace and soothing creativity in a magical corner of Scotland.

This tour has been announced a "Go!" Unless otherwise stated, our regular Terms and Conditions apply to this trip and for any cancellations.

Please Note

Rowan Tree Travel reserves the right to alter any part of this itinerary in order to address weather conditions, unforeseen circumstances or to improve the participant experience.

While our Tour Activity Level describes what to expect on a tour, our Mobility Comfort Level is personal to each traveler.

We would describe this trip as a Retreat with a mobility comfort level of 2️⃣+.

Expect some short walks with uneven terrain on farm visits and in older properties

Our main accommodation has no elevator: bedrooms are on the first floor

Rowan Tree Travel highly recommends purchasing travel insurance. You may purchase through our preferred partner Arch RoamRight here or through your own provider.  

*Arch RoamRight is an affiliate of RTTF and we will receive a small commission for policies bought through the provided link.

In order to gather easily for the tour, we provide an arrival and departure "window" at a major transportation hub - typically an international airport at your destination country. Flights scheduled outside the provided windows may result in additional transportation costs and/or missed tour activities. For this reason, we greatly appreciate your cooperation in booking travel that accommodates our specifications. 

This tour will start and end in Glasgow. Flight details will be provided upon registration and confirmed once the tour has been declared a go.

As we will be staying in a private self-catering home, we invite everyone to help create a warm and welcoming household atmosphere. Meals will be provided, but we will all lend a hand with simple tasks such as setting the table, serving themselves, and helping tidy up after meals. Many guests find that these shared moments become part of what makes the experience feel so special.

GLASGOW

A warm welcome to Scotland’s largest city! We will meet in the hotel foyer and stroll out to take afternoon tea and introduce ourselves. Thereafter you’ll be free to explore the busy city center. On Saturday morning we’ll take a deep dive into the art of natural dyeing with a studio visit to Julia, one of our favorite fiber colorists. Her hand-dyed yarns and fine wool threads are sure to delight you. Then we'll head south to the rolling green hills of Dumfriesshire and our wonderfully spacious hideaway.

STRAIGHT INTO STITCHES

Wake up to birdsong, and breakfast in style!

A bonny drive south this morning will bring us to Shambellie House. Here we'll spend the day with local textile artist Helen who will guide us in stitching with fiber scraps and simple embroidery, inspired by the old house's wild garden. Shambellie is tucked away in the woods close to the red sandstone ruins of beautifully named Sweetheart Abbey, founded by Lady Devorgilla in memory of her husband.

INTO THE BORDER HILLS

Today we are off to the aptly named Ewes Valley where we will meet Gillian and Andrew at Burnfoot Farm and their flock whose wool is transformed into heritage-inspired blankets and covetable yarn. 

We’re invited to a traditional village hall for lunch with farmers and textile makers; cue great conversations round the tables over proper home made food!

In the afternoon we'll stop in at Creation Mill. It was established in the old mill town of Langholm to shout about all things textile from fiber creation to recycling waste in the South of Scotland. It is doing a great job! There's lots happening and we may be tempted to check out their scrap store for fabrics to enhance our stitching...

HOME COMFORTS

Time to gather inspiration for the first of our at-home workshops, led by a local artist-maker. We'll share more details of this fun experience, of course, but it's good to know you’ll have a workspace to call your own and use whenever you like through the week as we continue to be inspired by the natural world.

DUMFRIES

Organic, single-origin Scottish wool from a flock of native breed sheep? Lead us to it! We’ll visit Ruth at her farm in the morning where building a rich and biodiverse environment that allows their animals to thrive is her top priority.

A lunch stop at Glencaple is scheduled. The River Nith meets the sea here, and our restaurant overlooks the water.

We'll follow the river back north to the town of Dumfries, nicknamed The Queen of the South. Childhood playground of J M Barrie, author of Peter Pan, and final home of Scotland’s much-loved national poet Robert Burns, red sandstone buildings dominate its old streets. There's time to wander and explore at leisure.

STITCH & SIP

Enjoy a relaxed morning working on projects (or not!). We’ll be joined at lunchtime by Susie who has coordinated several large-scale community tapestries as well as running her embroidery classes. She will lead us in a floral-inspired project through the afternoon. We’ll round off the day with a tutored gin tasting from a local distillery in the comfort of our sitting room or perhaps outside if we're blessed with a mild evening.

KIRKCUDBRIGHT

It’s pronounced kirr-coo-bree, of course! Known as the Artists’ Town, it has long attracted creative folk for the quality of the light and its waterfront setting. Several of the Glasgow Boys group of painters and the Scottish Colorists based themselves in the area from the 1920s.

After a morning session with Susie, we will drive to visit the home and Japanese-inspired gardens of Jessie M King, a respected illustrator, fabric and wallpaper designer, and her equally multi-talented husband Ernest Taylor who lived in the town from 1915.

A wander around town is in order as there is much to enjoy; several galleries, the home of artist E A Hornel, the harbor, small independent stores and ample cafes.

SANQUHAR

And this one is pronounced san-kur…

After a leisurely last breakfast today we will wave a fond goodbye to our handsome retreat house, then make a short hop to the village of Sanquhar.

It’s notable for its tiny post office, established in 1712 and believed to be the oldest working post office in the world. But for us the attraction is Sanquhar knitting. It is internationally recognized for its distinctive 17th century two-color patterns, with names like the "Rose" and the "Midge and Fly". We’ll meet knitters carrying on the tradition, and helping to make the patterns more accessible to everyone.

Afternoon will find us back in Glasgow. Explore, pack, seek out a cozy place for dinner, have that last dram on Scottish soil!

Farewells & Departures

As you make your way to Glasgow Airport to start your journey home, we hope you feel refreshed and inspired by the flora, fauna and folk of southern Scotland.

Lindsay, aka  “The Border Tart”, is a stitcher, a printer, a maker and a lover of words. Inspired by color and pattern and passionate about world artisans and textiles, she values most highly all things made by hand. She’s a proponent of mindful stitching and hand work of all kinds. In her words, “Making with your own hands brings pleasure, calms the heart rate and imbues each piece with love.” We’re so pleased to collaborate with this wonderful Scottish artisan and teacher.