Hello , my fellow Brave Advancer!

I am so excited that you are coming to the first ever Brave Collective Retreat (Advance) Day on Saturday.

A few things.

Firstly, a huge thank you to Bridie Ashrowan for opening up her beautiful space in the Ettrick Valley to use. As a Brave Collectivite herself, this is a very special offering. 

What to Expect 

Our day together is designed to reconnect you with your purpose and foster meaningful connections. 

Could you please arrive by 10am and park your car at the entrance to the Phenzhopehaugh track. This will be left there for the duration of the day.

We'll then embark on a guided walk through the beautiful Ettrick Valley towards Phenzhopehaugh. During this 2 hour walk, we’ll have structured conversations with each other about purpose and possibility. 

After lunch at Phenzhopehaugh, we'll participate in a grounding and anchoring session led by Gisela Stewart, followed by a facilitated exploration of how we navigate these changing times. 

Through appreciative inquiry and collaborative discussion, we'll clarify what matters most to each of us and identify concrete steps toward being the brave we were born to be. 

The day concludes with a return walk for about 45 minutes, allowing space to integrate insights before departing. 

What to bring

Comfortable walking shoes, weather-appropriate layers, and an open mind. The sessions will be held in the Generator Shed. This does have heaters, but please ensure you have warm clothes if you feel the chill at all.

Teas, coffees, snacks and lunch will be provided and lunch will be a hearty vegetarian soup with sides. If you have special dietary needs, please bring your own snacks, packed lunch. There will be gluten free options. 

No preparation is needed! Just bring your authentic self, a notebook and pen. 

About Phenzhopehaugh

Phenzhopehaugh has an ancient ‘rash’ a raised mound that will have been a place of sanctuary for 1000’s of years and is one of the most remote properties in the Borders. The house is a shepherd’s cottage depicted in the novels of James Hogg, the Ettrick Shepherd, whose mother was a local oral storyteller and grandfather, the last man to speak with the fairies in Scotland.

The land has been left to be wild for over 20 years, an experiment to regeneration. From 2025, Bridie’s vision is to enable Phenzhopehaugh to be dedicated to the healing of trauma through being a place where we fall in love with the earth again. 

She is also working with the Tweed Foundation on its role as a sanctuary for the more than human world, especially salmon ,wild bees and butterflies.  

Her vision is for it to be a place where humans can also find sanctuary, flourish through connection to the earth and our more than human companions on it. 

How to Get There

Please download the What3Words app if you haven’t already to find where to park the car. This link will also give you directions from your direction of travel.

https://w3w.co/flattens.vanish.dance

If you should need to contact me at any point, my number is 07903 745 696.

Here’s to your brilliance and see you Saturday!

Kirsty x