Announcing the Isle of Iona Creative Retreat 2025

Hosted by The Rock Retreat and Accord Literary
25th October to 1st November 2025
Bishop’s House, Iona, Argyllshire, Scotland

From the creators of the medieval Book of Kells to the Scottish Colourists and beyond, the magical island of Iona has long been a place of pilgrimage and cradle of inspiration for artists.

Now, the Rock Retreat and Accord Literary invites aspiring writers and illustrators to make their own journey to this ancient Scottish isle for a six-day, seven-night residency focusing on the creation of books for today’s young readers.

This retreat offers a special opportunity to develop the craft of writing and illustrating, with expert guidance. It will be facilitated by experienced professionals in the world of children’s books: Publisher, Author and Illustrator Ken Wilson Max, Publisher Sarah Odedina, Literary Agent Victoria Wells Arms and Illustrator Eleanor Dobbs – who all share a passion for teaching, learning and encouraging talent.

Structured around workshops and small group activity, the Iona retreat programme allows plenty of time for one-to-one and shared working in a safe and supportive environment.

An immersion in creating literature for readers from pre-school age to young adults will encourage experimentation with form and genre, helping participants find their voice and discover exciting new ways of expressing themselves in words and image.

The retreat is taking place at the historic Bishop’s House, close to Iona Abbey, where accommodation is provided and delicious food will be enjoyed, including their famous “daily bake”.

To apply for your place on the Iona Retreat, please see below for prices, application criteria and accommodation.

How to Apply

Timetable

Saturday 25th of October

Arrival, free day and settling in.

Sunday 26th of October

Activities including guided walks, Abbey visit, shared evening meal and plenty of getting to know each other time.

Monday 27th to Friday 31st of October

Writing and illustrating creative sessions.

Saturday 1st of November

Departure by 10:00am.

Logistics

Part of the Inner Hebrides archipelago, the tiny island of Iona is situated south-west of the Isle of Mull off the west coast of mainland Scotland. Getting there involves two ferries, and Iona does not permit visitors’ cars.

October is usually a very beautiful month on the west coast of Scotland, but the West Highland weather can be exhilarating at any time of the year so waterproof and warm clothing is advised, as well as sunglasses and swimming gear.

Famous for its stunning white sand beaches, blue seas, Highland wildlife and nature, Iona also has a rich history that makes it the perfect venue for contemplation and learning.

Applications

Please send us a brief bio and a synopsis of your work along with the first 2000
words of long form writing, your full picture book text or three jpegs or pdfs of your
illustrations.

Please use the heading IONA CREATIVE RETREAT on your emails and label your
image files with your name.  Send your illustration work in jpeg or pdf format and
send your writing embedded in the body of your email not as an attachment.

Submissions to be sent to sarah@accordliterary.com

Cost

The cost of the retreat is of £1,750 (one thousand seven hundred and fifty pounds). This covers a single room, full bed and board in The Bishop’s House, as well as all daily refreshments. The resident chef will cater for us throughout the week with delicious homemade meals.

Additionally, we are offering a 25% discount for people in a shared twin room. If you wish to apply for funding assitance please send us an email.

If you want to travel to Iona with family, etc, we can direct you to suitable accomodation on the island. The cost of attending the retreat on a daily basis will be £1,200 for the week.

The prices above do not cover travel to and from Iona.

Getting to Iona

To get to Iona you take a ferry from Oban on Scotland’s west coast, travel across Mull by bus or car and get another small ferry to Iona.  Oban is connected to Glasgow by rail.  It is also possible to bring your own car and to park at the ferry terminal in Mull. We’ll set up a whatsapp group for those wishing to share transport.

Submission Timeline

The deadline for submissions is 10th of March 2025, with the announcement to attendees by March 30th.

The creative retreats dates are 25th of October to 1st of November. Note: There is no public transport across Mull on Sunday 26th of October.

Deposit for places due by 15th of April 2025 – £750
2nd payment due by 30th of June 2025 – £500
Final payment due by 1st of September 2025 – £500

Total: £1,750

Terms and Conditions

As we have to pay a deposit for the accommodation on Iona which is non-refundable we are unable to offer refunds.  We recommend taking out travel insurance to cover you in the event of any change of plan.  If we, the organisers cancel the retreat your deposit and any subsequent payments will be repaid in full.

Useful Links

therockretreats.com
accordliterary.co.uk
hgliterary.com/victoria
kenwilsonmax.com/
eleanordobbs.com

https://island-retreats.org/iona/bishops-house
https://www.nts.org.uk/stories/the-book-of-kells
https://mullandiona.art/scottish-colourists-peploe-and-cadell-on-iona/
http://www.welcometoiona.com/visiting-iona/how-to-get-here/
https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryMagazine/DestinationsUK/Isle-of-Iona/