What If We Went On An Adventure Together?
Experience the magic of My What If Year for yourself on the journey of a lifetime
“Skye is one of the most magically beautiful places on earth. It has craggy peaks and rolling hills, rocky beaches full of hidden mysteries, rivers, and waterfalls, and no shortage of tumbledown castles where fairies once lived and ghosts still do.”
- My What If Year
The Experience
Follow in the footsteps of My What If Year and create your next chapter during a 5-night retreat in October 2024. Join me, Alisha Fernandez Miranda as your guide, and a small, intimate group of people for the trip of a lifetime.
I’ll be your host as our journey begins in London where we’ll have cocktails at the infamous Coral Room, tour the Tate Modern and Borough Market and make time for a retro workout before we board the Caledonian Sleeper for an overnight train ride to the Scottish Highlands.
Wake up surrounded by lochs and mountains as we continue our trek to the Isle of Skye where we’ll be warmly greeted by the roaring fires and welcoming embrace of Kinloch Lodge. Our Skye adventure will include foraging, kayaking, whisky tasting and of course, incredible food.
For those seeking internal exploration, the retreat will include workshops on how to craft your own “what if” experiences and create a plan of action to take you to the next stage of your career or life.
Please scroll down for the full itinerary and the most Frequently Asked Questions.
Our Home Away From Home
Kinloch Lodge is more than a hotel and restaurant. A white jewel nestled in the hills on Scotland’s spectacular Isle of Skye, this former family home boasts relaxed comfort, Highland hospitality and spectacular food.
In a cozy room with Loch Na Dal at your doorstep, you’ll enjoy the best Skye has to offer - wilderness, nature, exploration and of course whisky. Everyone who passes through Kinloch’s doors becomes part of its family - now you will be too.
Our Itinerary: October 14 - 19, 2024
Day One: London
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Meet at the Tate Modern an awe-inspiring building that contains one of Europe’s finest collections of modern and contemporary art. Join our private tour of the museum’s highlights with a leading art dealer.
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Experience the opening scene of My What If Year with your own martini-fuelled night with your new friends.
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Meet your fellow adventurers at a delicious dinner where we’ll set our intentions together and enjoy the delights of the London food scene.
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Our home for the night is Middle Eight, a gorgeous luxury hotel in the heart of Covent Garden.
Day Two: London/Overnight to Skye
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Join the fabulous Frankie Taylor for a private class guaranteed to make you sweat and smile.
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With a history of more than 1,000 years, Borough Market is a food market that must be experienced with your taste buds. We’ll tour the market, sampling its finest offerings, before tucking in for a hearty lunch.
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We’ll pack a picnic dinner and board the Caledonian Sleeper from Euston Station straight to the Highlands. Prepare to wake up to majestic views.
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For those contemplating their own “what ifs”, Alisha will host an optional workshop on planning the next stages of your life. The first workshop of two will focus on setting goals and the big vision. Others who don’t wish to attend have a free afternoon.
Day Three: Skye
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After a light breakfast on the train, our taxis will take us directly to Kinloch Lodge’s doorstep and roaring fires.
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Take the trek up the Kinloch Hill to Leitur Fura a hill with incredible views and the remains of an abandoned settlement. After our walk, you’ll be greeting by afternoon tea (featuring Kinloch’s legendary scones).
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Join us in the drawing room for a welcome cocktail followed by your first of three Kinloch dinners. With a menu changing based on the seasons and what’s fresh and local, a meal at Kinloch never disappoints.
Day Four: Skye
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After breakfast, prepare to zip up your wetsuit, you’ll be kayaking or boating through one of Skye’s finest lochs. Expect seals, sea birds, otters and views that must be seen to be believed.
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No trip to the Highlands is complete without sampling the uisge beatha or “water of life” - the Gaelic word for whisky. Together we’ll tour Torabhaig, Skye’s newest distillery, before tasting a dram for ourselves.
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With Kinloch’s daily changing menu, prepare yourself for a second feast. Tonight we’ll be joined by a local storyteller to regale us with history of the island through legends of fairies, ghosts and more.
Day Five: Skye
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After a delicious breakfast, Mitchell Partridge, our very own Skye Ghillie will take us around the Kinloch shores and hill for a foraging walk.
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South Skye is full of pubs with killer views. We’ll sample the local fare before being “whisk”ed off to our next destination.
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For those contemplating their own “what ifs”, Alisha will host an optional workshop on planning the next stages of your life. The second workshop of two will focus on action planning. Others who don’t wish to attend have a free afternoon.
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With our incredible adventure coming to a close, we’ll cap off the trip with another spectacular dinner, leaving you with full bellies and hearts on the way home.
Day Six: Departure
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After a final breakfast together, you’ll depart for wherever the road is taking you next.
Sing me a song of a lad that is gone,
Say, could that lad be I?
Merry of soul he sailed on a day
Over the sea to Skye
— Skye Boat Song
How to Book
Cost
$4,500 / £3,700 per person for two people sharing accommodation throughout the trip, including a Club en-suite room on the Sleeper (please note, this needs to be booked as a pair)
$5,000 / £4,200 per person for a single person (not sharing a room)
What’s Included
All transport from the beginning of the retreat in London to the end of the retreat on Skye
All accommodation
All food
All retreat activities
What’s Not Included
Travel to and from the retreat (arrival to London and departure onward from Kinloch Lodge)
Travel insurance (which we highly recommend)
Any visa costs (note US passport holders do not require a visa to enter the UK)
Alcoholic beverages (besides the whisky tasting)
Room upgrades at Kinloch (available for an additional fee)
Deposit and Cancellation
Full payment for the trip is due on booking as the trip is within six months. The trip cost is non-refundable; we highly recommend you take out a travel insurance policy in advance.
How to Book
Secure your spot right now or email us at hello@alishafmiranda.com
FAQs
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The trip runs from the afternoon of Monday, October 14, 2024 to the morning of Saturday, October 19, 2024.
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The retreat costs are as follows:
$4,500 / £3,700 per person for two people sharing accommodation throughout the trip, including a Club en-suite room on the Sleeper. Please note shared occupancy can only be booked in a pair (two people traveling together)
$5,000 / £4,200 per person for a single person (not sharing a room).
This fee includes all transport from the beginning of the retreat in London to the end of the retreat on Skye, all accommodation, food and retreat activities.
Note the fees listed are for a Cosy Double at Kinloch (shared or single occupancy) - we are happy to arrange room upgrades for an additional fee.
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The following expenses are not included in the cost:
Travel to and from the retreat (arrival to London and departure onward from Kinloch Lodge)
Travel insurance (which we highly recommend)
Any visa costs (note US passport holders do not require a visa to enter the UK)
Alcoholic beverages (besides the whisky tasting)
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Yes! While all travel during the retreat is taken care of, we have partnered with Neufville Travel who can support you with booking flights and arranging other activities for before or after dates of the retreat. Please contact us for more details.
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Amazing! We’re so glad you want to join us. If you would prefer to stay at home on the night of Monday October 14th, you are welcome to do so. We will reduce your cost by the amount of one night’s accommodation, but please note ground transportation to the retreat activities from your home are not included in the cost.
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Anyone with a sense of adventure who loves travel, food and exploration. Having read (and loved!) My What If Year is not a pre-requisite, but will certainly help you understand the places you’re traveling.
Our only requirement is that all attendees are over 18 years old. Everyone else is welcome but the group is capped at 8 people maximum.
Many of the activities we are doing (kayaking, hill walking, foraging) would be regrettably difficult for people with accessibility issues. If you have questions about whether or not this trip is suitable for you, please get in touch.
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The trip will start in Central London on the afternoon of Monday October 14th, 2024 and end after breakfast at Kinloch Lodge on Saturday, October 19th, 2024.
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A non-refundable deposit of $1,000 is required to reserve your spot on the trip with full payment due 180 days before departure. We will email you a reminder.
If full payment is not received by that date, we reserve the right to cancel your reservation.
Photos by Steve Taylor, Alan Donaldson, Sabrina Mazzeo and Danny Lines