The Story Burn
Sruth nan Sgeul
Creative retreats • Story gatherings • Oral History
At the Gateway to the Highlands
Why we exist
The Story Burn grew out of a simple belief: everyone has a story worth telling, and too many of those stories disappear before anyone thinks to ask.
That’s why we created The Story Burn.
Writing retreats are at the heart of what we do, but they’re only part of the body of our work. We collect life stories, celebrate local heritage, and work alongside organisations already caring for their communities and landscapes. We believe in creative reciprocity. If you are inspired by a place, you should leave part of yourself behind. A retreat might help plant a new swath in Future Forest, clear of bracken the ancient cemetery, or preserve a local honored guest’s story.
The name The Story Burn comes from the Scottish word for a small stream. A burn is fed by countless little tributaries until, together, they become something much larger. We like to think stories work the same way. Every conversation, family recipe, memory, and tradition adds to something that none of us could create alone. History doesn’t live only in museums or archives. It also lives in the stories people tell each other every day.
Upcoming Retreats
The kind of creative community that only develops around a shared table
Between Worlds
January 14-17, 2027
Held at the beginning of a new year, this is a retreat about life’s turning points. Whether you’ve felt like a stranger in your own world or you’re creating characters who venture into new ones, we’ll discover how change, uncertainty, and hope become the heart of compelling writing.
We will interview recent immigrants to Scotland, a Romani recently converted to Catholicism after practicing Hinduism, a wedding dress attendant, and a trans man.
Kindling
January 18-21, 2027
Remembering what keeps us writing. Games, first lines, sparks, fascinations, creative play, and generating a communal store of ideas to take home.
This retreat is about finding the heat of passion in writing, with a writing community, even during the coldest parts of the year.
We will interview a firefighter and make him uncomfortable by setting minor fireworks alight.
The Art of Astonishment
February 8-11, 2027
Here’s how to fall in love with the world again. Attention, wonder, and recovering the writer’s capacity to be surprised by what is already around.
How do we resist becoming accustomed to the world? Become an expert in something completely insignificant.
We will interview an acclaimed entymologist as well as members of a graveyard preservation team.
Interviewing our community
Each retreat begins with our team interviewing many members of the community and finding those with stories that match the theme our authors have chosen.
Rewilding (Creative Reciprocity)
Between writing sessions, guests are free to wander. Some head into the Ochil Hills, others find their way to Old Logie Church or the Darn Path. The Wallace Monument watches over the landscape, and there are countless quiet places to walk, think, and return to the page. From these spaces we offer repair and restoration when seasonally appropriate.
Publications
Many of our retreat participants will submit to our yearly anthology. Every anthology will reflect the spirit of space and those interviewed—a collection of different styles of writing to lengthen the life of stories told.
In this way oral histories can be preserved in the hands of many different authors,
Storytelling Gatherings
During the retreat authors have the opportunity to listen to highlights from these interviews and then to craft their own response to the stories shared.
Our Process
Testimonials
Every participant has dedicated one-to-one time with a writing tutor. Our tutors are acclaimed, published authors with years of experience supporting writers at every stage.
Whether you arrive with a completed draft, a notebook full of ideas, or simply a desire to begin, your conversation is shaped around you—offering thoughtful guidance, encouragement, and fresh perspective on wherever you are in your writing journey.
Ruth Reid
2025 and 2026
(My tutor’s) commercial knowledge as a published author was invaluable.
His feedback is finely targeted, yet always offered in a constructive and positive manner.
Gavin Green
2024
Every experience I’ve had with (my tutor) has been incredible. His wit, kindness, and patience make a real difference as a new writer, and his instinct for what a written work needs to go from good to great is incredibly sharp.
Éo Wolfe
2025
The time he spent discussing my chapter changed the way I saw myself as a writer. Our conversation became a genuine exchange of ideas that transformed the work, and the thoughtful notes he made on my manuscript showed just how deeply he had engaged with it.
Feel free to contact us for any inquiries or to learn more about our conservation projects and initiatives.
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