Wellness Hub

Find Your Flow: The Wellness Hub at SkiffieWorlds 2025

While the vibrant St Ayles skiffs dance across Loch Ryan's waters and thousands of spectators cheer from the shoreline, something equally magical is happening in the heart of Agnew Park. The Wellness Hub at SkiffieWorlds 2025 offers a sanctuary of calm amidst the excitement; a place where the festival's community spirit extends into nurturing mind, body, and soul.

This new addition to the shoreside festival reflects the deeper philosophy that runs through coastal rowing itself: that wellbeing comes not just from physical activity, but from connection – to ourselves, to others, and to the natural world that surrounds us.

Made possible through the generous support of EventScotland, the Wellness Hub showcases the incredible talent and expertise of local practitioners who are sharing their skills with visitors and rowers from around the world. 

A Week of Wellness, Completely Free

From Monday 7th to Saturday 12th July, the Wellness Hub will host an extraordinary programme of activities, all completely free of charge. Whether you're a competitor seeking to centre yourself before a race, a local resident curious about new practices, or a visitor looking to add depth to your SkiffieWorlds experience, there's something here for you.

The beauty of the programme lies in its diversity. Start your Tuesday with Forrest Yoga as the morning mist lifts from the loch, then partner up for a Rock 'n' Roll Dance Session that will transport you back to the 1950s. Later, find peace in the gentle sounds of chanting, or explore your creativity through Blackout Poetry as the evening draws in.

Mind, Body, and Spirit in Harmony

The Wellness Hub recognises that true wellbeing encompasses every aspect of our being. For those seeking physical rejuvenation, there's Qigong to guide you on a journey through movement and breath, helping you reconnect with your body and awaken your spirit. Fusion Impact sessions offer energising workouts, while chair-adapted Yoga Flow ensures everyone can participate regardless of mobility.

Mental and emotional wellness finds expression through meditation and mindfulness sessions, teaching practical techniques for managing stress and finding relaxation. The Sister Circle on Tuesday evening creates a gentle, sacred space for women to connect and support one another, a reminder that in our busy lives, we are never truly alone.

Creativity as a Path to Wellness

The Wellness Hub also celebrates creativity as a vital component of wellbeing. Children can explore storytelling and painting, doodling workshops, and "The Moon and Me" poetry sessions designed just for them. Adult creativity isn't forgotten either, with opportunities to try Zentangles, create beautiful cards through Lino Printing, and discover how poetry can nurture the mind.

The Unexpected Garden's "Seeds & Boats" sessions offers a chance to explore the connections between growth, journey, and possibility, perfectly echoing the themes of SkiffieWorlds itself.

Sacred Moments Under Scottish Skies

Some experiences at the Wellness Hub transcend the everyday entirely. The Sound Bath sessions invite you to surrender to the gentle vibrations of koshi chimes, singing bowls, gongs, and hand pans, letting these resonant instruments wash over you. On Thursday night, when the full moon rises over Loch Ryan, a special Full Moon Ceremony will offer a profound connection to the natural rhythms that have guided coastal communities for millennia.

Inner Dance sessions provide a unique experience combining energy work with a sound journey that replicates our natural circadian rhythms and REM sleep – a chance to reset and recharge in the most fundamental way.

A Reflection of Stranraer's Transformation

The Wellness Hub embodies everything that makes SkiffieWorlds special. Like the coastal rowing community itself, it's inclusive, accessible, and rooted in the belief that everyone deserves to experience wellbeing and connection. It reflects Stranraer's own transformation from a ferry port to a destination that nourishes both adventure-seekers and those searching for deeper meaning.

Just as the St Ayles skiffs are built by the communities that row them, the Wellness Hub emerges from a recognition that true festivals nourish the whole person. It acknowledges that while we come to SkiffieWorlds for the thrill of competition and the joy of community, we might leave with something even more valuable, such as a renewed sense of ourselves and our connection to others.

Join the Journey

In a world that often pulls us in countless directions, the Wellness Hub offers something increasingly rare: permission to pause, breathe, and remember what truly matters. As the colourful skiffs create their own rhythms on the water, you can create your own rhythm for renewal on the shore.

Come for the rowing. Stay for the community. Leave with a deeper sense of wellbeing that will ripple through your life long after the last skiff has been pulled ashore.

The Wellness Hub runs throughout SkiffieWorlds 2025, 7th-12th July, in Agnew Park, Stranraer. All Wellness Hub activities are free of charge, though some have limited capacity, so we recommend booking onsite at the venue for sessions you're particularly drawn to.