Write In Yellow · Retreat and partners · 6 October 2026

Start your novel at Loch Rannoch. Finish it at home.

A paid, tutored retreat for 10–20 first-time novelists is the best first live test of Write In Yellow. Guests work with a published author and the AI coach for four days, then carry on with three months of the app at home.

Why a retreat comes first

It proves demandPeople pay real money before any app is built.
It borrows credibilityA published author on the programme does what no advert can.
It makes contentPhotos, stories and finished chapters from the loch.
It seeds a community10–20 writers who know each other become the first users.

What comparable retreats charge

CourseWherePriceFormat
Arvon tutored courseLumb Bank, Yorkshire£930–£995 · 5 daysTutored by two writers
Write In Yellow retreat (proposed)Loch Rannochabout £895 · 4 nightsPublished author + AI coach + 3 months of the app
Cymera Writing RetreatScottish Borders£550–£650Retreat; sold out
Moniack Mhor retreatInverness-shire£515–£520 · 5 nightsNo tutor

The proposed offer

4 nightsFull board, single rooms
£895£200 deposit at booking
12–16Guests, with 7 to break even

Draft programme

  1. Day 1 · ArrivePickups from Pitlochry. The coach's story interview, then a welcome dinner.
  2. Day 2 · Find the shapeMorning workshop with the author on structure. Afternoon: build the outline with the coach.
  3. Day 3 · WriteWriting sprints by the loch. One-to-one feedback from the author; craft notes from the coach.
  4. Day 4 · Read aloudEach guest reads an opening page. Evening ceilidh or a dinner together.
  5. Day 5 · Leave with a planA 90-day writing plan, a writing buddy, and the app ready at home.

Does it pay? Try the numbers

The defaults are assumptions, not quotes. The venue cost is the one that matters most, and your Loch Rannoch contact can supply it.

Revenue
£0
Costs
£0
Left over
£0
Break-even
0 guests

Before paying yourself, insurance, or any package-travel protection. Writers report £200–£300 a day as the low end of author fees.

Partners to approach in Scotland and the north of England

Member-led clubs and commercial-fiction authors come first. Arts-funded bodies are likely to be cautious about anything involving AI. The live tracker, with a status for each contact, is in the product brief.

PartnerWhereWhat to ask for
Your Loch Rannoch venue contactKinloch RannochA quote for 12–16 guests, 4 nights full board, May or September 2027
A published romance or commercial author, found through the RNA Scottish chapterScotland-wideTo tutor the retreat. Check their public view on AI first.
Highland Perthshire Creative Writing GroupHighland PerthshireA free taster evening; the nearest group to Rannoch
Culture Perth & Kinross and the Soutar Festival of WordsPerthA library talk or a festival slot
Scottish Association of Writers (March conference)Scotland-wide clubsSponsor a competition prize of one free retreat place, costing about £480
New Writing NorthNewcastleReach unpublished northern writers: 1,500+ award entries, 27 winners

Three things to settle early

  1. 1

    An author who is comfortable with an AI coach

    A literary novelist may refuse on principle. Look for a commercial or romance author, read what they have said publicly about AI, and pay them properly.

  2. 2

    Human Authored as the selling point

    The Society of Authors' Human Authored mark allows AI for brainstorming, research and outlining. Guests' work should stay eligible, which reassures writers and the author. Ask the Society how it treats the coach's example paragraphs before promising it.

  3. 3

    Package travel rules

    Selling accommodation and tuition at one price may count as a package under the Package Travel Regulations 2018, which require insolvency protection. Having the venue take the accommodation booking directly may avoid it. Take advice before taking deposits.

Getting there and when

Kinloch Rannoch is about 1 hour 40 minutes' drive from Glasgow, with buses to Pitlochry station, so offer pickups from Pitlochry. May–June or September avoids midsummer midges and the dark winter months.

Next steps

  1. Ask your Loch Rannoch contact for a venue quote.
  2. Shortlist five Scottish romance or commercial-fiction authors and check each one's stance on AI.
  3. Hold a free taster evening in Highland Perthshire or Perth this winter.
  4. Open deposits once the author is confirmed. Seven deposits means the retreat runs.

Sources