Moniack Mhor Creative Writing Centre

08/06/2026

Only a couple of spaces left on our Mid June Retreat next week! This one was a late addition to our calendar due to some programming changes, so it is a rare opportunity to gather inspiration and write in the Scottish Highlands – our creative writing retreats are normally sold out long in advance! ☀️

Secure your spot here:

Enjoy the long, sunny days of the Highland summer and let them fuel your creative inspiration on this writing retreat.

04/06/2026

Mysterious, dreich, atmospheric, bleak... The weather has been very on-theme for our Crime writing course with Caro Ramsay and Michael J Malone this week! The perfect conditions for creating chilling villains and twisty plots. (The sun has made an appearance, too... one or two times) 🌫️

01/06/2026

Are you a travel and/or nature writer? Our upcoming tutored course is the one for you!

Bring the essence of place into your writing in Non-Fiction: Writing Place, our upcoming tutored creative writing course with Horatio Clare & Monisha Rajesh, with guest reader Cal Flyn!

🗓️ 7–12 September
📍 Moniack Mhor, Scottish Highlands
➡️ suitable for beginners and established writers alike

This course will immerse you in our local landscape – from heaths and forests to lochs and Highland rivers. You'll explore how observation and place-based approaches can influence and enrich your non-fiction work during two site visits.

Horatio and Monisha will also introduce you to a range of writing techniques during workshops. You’ll have time to practise imagining places and spaces by drawing inspiration from what surrounds you and get feedback on your work in a one-to-one session with your tutors.

Mid-week, we’ll be joined by author and journalist Cal Flyn for an evening reading and insight into her work.

Book your spot here:

This course will immerse you in our local landscape to help you explore how observation and place-based approaches can influence and enrich your non-fiction work.

28/05/2026

🔔 Everybody gather in... it's lunch time!

If you've ever been to Moniack Mhor, you'll know that food is an *essential* part of staying here (in fact, compliments about food pop up all the time in our feedback forms, something we are very proud of). It's not just to keep everyone fuelled for writing, though, but also a way to build community. Everyone is split into cooking teams that take turn in preparing dinners through the week using seasonal ingredients – a great way to get to know your fellow writers and perhaps even brainstorm ideas together.

The nutritious lunches are lovingly prepared by our team. Whenever we can, we use what grows in the garden (which is mostly herbs at this time of the year but more home-grown veg will come later in the summer!). It was baked potatoes with a variety of toppings on the menu this time – our compliments to the chef Alice 🍽️

Oh, and we haven't even mentioned the homemade cakes yet... we'll leave that for another time 🍰

Did we whet your appetite? Book a course here: https://www.moniackmhor.org.uk/courses/

26/05/2026

Apply now for our new exciting partnership project!

We are currently recruiting for a Project Manager and 3 x Artists in Residence for The Dingwall Collective.

25/05/2026

Please welcome the newest addition to our garden... a new polytunnel! 🪏

It was very kindly donated to us by our lovely Centre Assistant (and head florist) Alice (pictured here), who got it from a local artist – a true hand-me-down! It is a very exciting step for Moniack, as it will allow us to grow even more of our food and extend the growing season 🌱

Our gardener Kit has already planted lots of seeds, like kale, lettuce and tomatoes. We can't wait to watch them grow (and taste them when they are ready)! 🍅

20/05/2026

🚨 Final call 🚨

There are only a handful of places available on these courses and retreats – book now so you don't miss out!

The summer at Moniack Mhor is shaping up to be very exciting, with a number of untutored retreats (for those who want to focus fully on their writing) and tutored courses (for those looking for some guidance in a specific genre).

Book here: https://www.moniackmhor.org.uk/courses/

18/05/2026

Who grows where? 🧐

Ross (one of our interns) has been teaching Elliot (our Centre Manager + newly appointed Environmental Lead) how to do a biodiversity survey using a makeshift quadrat made from old broom handles! They spent a day looking at different parts of the garden to better understand which plants grow where – something that will feed into our environmental strategy 🌱

15/05/2026

📢 Calling all translators, writers working with Palestinian communities and and/or identify with underrepresented communities within the sector !*

Due to programming changes, we have some last minute, fully funded places available on our Mid June Retreat (15 – 20 June)!

Fill out this form to apply: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/RQ2Q4hVzip

⏰️ Deadline to apply 27 May. We’ll aim to let you know if you were successful by 29 May.

*Please still fill out the form if you don't represent these communities, we'd like to hear from you if you feel you experience barriers to developing your writing.

12/05/2026

Congratulations to Annie Hayter who was awarded this year's The Bridge Awards Emerging Writer Award! 🎉

We also want to congratulate Katie Webster, the second place finalist, as well as Ruth Bushi and Phoebe Smith, who were highly commended by the Award judges.

Read more about the writers here: https://www.moniackmhor.org.uk/writers/awards-residencies/the-bridge-awards/2026-winners/