Why I Chose Scotland for a Women’s Retreat
TL;DR: I chose Scotland for the first my first women’s retreat, Courted: Wooed by Your Own Damn Life is because first and foremost, I am OBSESSED with Scotland and romance novels…I could count the ways, but I won’t! But also, because it brings together dramatic scenery, historic castles, a moody bookish atmosphere, and the kind of meaningful, cared-for travel experience so many women rarely get to have. Romance readers will feel especially at home, but you don’t need a reading list to join. It is for women who are tired of making everything work for everyone else and ready to enjoy being the main character for once without the mask and without having to teach people how to treat her. And it is especially for the woman who has a sense of angst and restlessness from going through the motions, never feeling chosen or desired, and who has finally started listening to that voice that says “I don’t need anybody else for that because I choose myself”. You are ready to not just live, but to LOVE your life.
This is why I named it what I did. Courted: Wooed By Your Own Damn Life.
Most women do not need another trip where they are still the project manager. You do not need to be the one comparing hotels, researching flights, making restaurant reservations, building the itinerary, managing the group chat, remembering everyone’s food allergies, and doing literally all of the emotional labor of making sure everybody else has a good time.
You need a chance to arrive, exhale, and be cared for and that is why I chose Scotland for the first Courted retreat.
This is a thoughtfully hosted small-group Scotland retreat for women who are tired of carrying the mental load and ready to experience a trip where the details are done. You get to enjoy the scenery, the connection, the beautiful meals, the little surprises, and the feeling that someone has actually thought about what would make this special for you. The same way a good romance makes you feel desired and chosen.
Romance readers will feel especially at home here. Scotland has castles, misty landscapes, historic streets, cozy pubs, dramatic views, and enough atmosphere to make even the most reasonable woman wonder if she has accidentally wandered into a time-travel romance. Like I said, I am seriously devoted and madly obsessed.
But you do not have to read romance novels to belong. You just have to want a trip where you do not have to run the show.
Scotland Feels Like a Story
Some places are pretty.
Scotland is a whole damn mood.
It is mist curling over the Highlands. It is old stone castles rising above green hills. It is lochs, winding roads, historic cities, tiny villages, warm pubs, and landscapes that make you put your phone down because no photo is going to capture the feeling anyway. Scotland feels cinematic in a way that is hard to explain until you are there.
It has a sense of history, mystery, and possibility built into the landscape. You can walk through a castle, wander a cobbled street, look out over a dramatic view, and suddenly remember that life is allowed to feel larger than your routine.
For romance readers, it is easy to understand the appeal.
The scenery is practically built for longing. The castles are made for imagining scandalous historical romances. The moody skies invite you to picture a brooding man in a kilt saying something emotionally devastating before eventually getting his act together.
But Scotland’s magic is not limited to women with shelves full of romance novels.
It is for the woman who wants to feel awe again, who misses being surprised by beauty, and who wants to trade being needed every second of the day for being somewhere that makes her feel present, curious, and completely alive. That is the kind of retreat I wanted to create.
Why Scotland Is Perfect for a Women’s Retreat
Scotland gives us the exact balance I want a women’s retreat to have.
It is dramatic without being performative. It is luxurious without needing to be fussy. It is full of history and beauty, but it also makes space for quiet moments, shared meals, deep conversations, and the simple joy of lingering somewhere lovely with nowhere urgent to be. A Scotland women’s retreat can hold both adventure and rest. And I have some amazing activities you certainly wouldn’t have ever even Googled planned!
One moment, you may be standing in front of a castle, taking in scenery that feels like it belongs on a movie set. Or posing for our photographer in your whimsical dress, feeling every once in a while like the princess. The next, you may be sitting down to a beautiful dinner with women who were strangers a few days ago and somehow already understand your sense of humor, your exhaustion, and why you need a few minutes to browse every bookshop you pass.
This is not a race through Scotland where you come home with 4,000 photos and the need to recover from your vacation. I don’t…do that kind of travel LOL!
It is not about proving you saw enough, spent enough, or optimized every moment well enough, but instead about being in Scotland in a way that lets you actually experience it.
There will be beautiful places to see and memorable things to do. There will also be room to breathe. Room to laugh, have a drink, take in the view, read a few pages if that is what sounds good, and remember what it feels like when someone else is taking care of the logistics.
You Do Not Have to Be a Romance Reader
Let’s be clear. Romance readers are going to have a very good time.
If you love a story with yearning, banter, emotional devastation, a beautiful setting, and a satisfying happy ending, you will recognize the energy here immediately. Scotland is a dreamy setting for the women who get it. The women who know why we need a castle. Why the dramatic scenery matters. Why a moody pub, a gorgeous hotel, a cozy corner, and a beautifully planned dinner can feel like more than just travel.
Romance is part of the identity of this retreat. And I absolutely have a whole reading list 😉
It is part of the atmosphere. It is part of the playful language. It is part of the community this experience is designed to gather.
But romance reading is not an admission requirement. You do not need a favorite trope, nor need to know the difference between grumpy sunshine and enemies to lovers. And you do not need a Kindle full of morally gray men, though I am not here to judge you if you do.
You only need to want an experience that feels more intentional than an ordinary vacation.
If you love beautiful places, thoughtful details, meaningful connection, laughter, wonder, and the rare pleasure of not having to be the person in charge, you belong here.
Who This Scotland Retreat Is For
Courted is designed for high-achieving, creative women and romance readers who are tired of carrying the mental load, managing logistics, or performing to earn their belonging.
It is for the woman who is usually the responsible one.
The perpetual planner, organizer, and researcher.
You have had to be the one who compares the options, makes the reservation, remembers the details, solves the problem, keeps everyone fed, and makes sure the trip works for everybody else.
It is for the woman who has become so good at holding everything together that she sometimes forgets she is allowed to put something down. And when she remembers, she feels scared, emotional, or guilty because then who is taking care of everyone else?
You are allowed to be selfish and choose yourself, especially for just a few days out of the year.
It is for the women who were teens and were left out, left behind, and told to assimilate to be a little less. You are too much…and I want you to be too much. To feel deeply. We live in a digital world and an AI-robotic world. Your emotions are a treasure. It doesn’t mean we are crashing out, y’all, just because we express ourselves. We can still be emotionally regulated and caring of others’ needs while also allowing ourselves to feel.
It is for the creative woman who wants to feel inspired instead of simply productive, who wants connection without having to show up perfectly polished or aggressively outgoing, and it is for the woman who wants to travel, but would love for somebody else to have already figured out the details.
If you want dramatic Scottish scenery, moody bookish corners, beautiful shared meals, thoughtful experiences that remind you of your power like falconry, and effortless luxury where she is seen and cared for rather than being the person making the trip work for everyone else, then it is for you.
More Than a Group Trip
Courted is not just a group trip with a nice itinerary.
It is a different way to travel.
Yes, there will be plans. Good plans. The kind of plans that make the experience smoother, more beautiful, and more memorable because someone has taken the time to think through the details.
But the goal is not to fill every minute. I am all about slow pacing.
That might mean knowing a beautiful place is waiting for you at the end of the day. It might mean not having to be the person navigating, deciding, researching, or checking whether everyone else is okay. It might mean realizing that you can sit at the table, enjoy the meal, laugh at the conversation, and not once wonder whether you should be doing something else.
It definitely means meeting women who feel familiar in the best way. Women who also love beauty, stories, softness, sharp humor, meaningful conversation, and the occasional desire to disappear into a gorgeous place where nobody needs them to make a decision for at least a few hours.
A women’s retreat should not require you to perform relaxation, nor should you have to earn belonging by being the quietest person in the room.
You should not have to carry the experience to deserve to enjoy it, and you get to be seen without performing or masking; cared for without proving you need it, and be the main character without apologizing for it.
Scotland Women’s Retreat FAQ
Why did you choose Scotland for a women’s retreat?
I chose Scotland because it combines dramatic natural scenery, historic castles, beautiful cities, cozy gathering spaces, and a story-rich atmosphere that makes the whole experience feel immersive. It supports both adventure and restoration, making it an ideal setting for a thoughtfully hosted retreat for women.
Is this a romance reader retreat?
Romance readers will feel especially at home at this retreat. The experience embraces the atmosphere, beauty, playful main-character energy, and shared love of story that many romance readers appreciate. However, you do not have to be a romance reader to attend. The retreat is open to women who want a meaningful, welcoming, and carefully planned Scotland group travel experience.
Do I need to be part of a book club to attend?
No. You do not need to belong to a book club, know anyone else attending, or arrive with a reading list. This retreat is designed to make it easy for women to connect while still leaving room for your own interests, pace, and personality.
What makes this different from a typical group trip to Scotland?
This trip prioritizes the experience of being cared for over a packed sightseeing schedule. While the itinerary features memorable Scottish highlights, we also prioritize space for connection, beauty, and restorative downtime. Most importantly, you won’t be responsible for the group’s logistics or well-being.
Who is this retreat for?
Courted is designed for high-achieving women, romance readers, and bookish travelers ready to set down the mental load. If you crave stunning scenery and meaningful connection within a thoughtfully curated experience, you belong here.
The First Chapter
This is the beginning!
Courted: Wooed by Your Own Damn Life is a hosted travel experience for women ready to be the main character. While romance readers will feel right at home, the broader promise is for any woman tired of making life work for everyone else.
This is for the woman ready to be wooed by her own life, starting in Scotland.
If a story-soaked retreat filled with dramatic views, moody bookish corners, and zero responsibility for “making the magic happen” sounds like your escape, join the Courted interest list.
You’ll get first access to retreat details, dates, and booking information when you join the waitlist.
This time, you don’t have to create the magic. Let’s go!
Want to get to know me, Heather Sparklestar before taking an epic trip like this? Watch the following video 🙂
