Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

I try wild yoga in the shadow of ‘Harry Potter waterfall’ in Glen Nevis

Ahead of Fort William Mountain Festival’s 20th anniversary, Gayle joins a wild yoga session in the shadow of spectacular Steall Falls.

Wild Yoga instructor Penny Clay (centre) leads a session in the shadow of Steall Falls. Image: Sandy McCook/DC Thomson.
Wild Yoga instructor Penny Clay (centre) leads a session in the shadow of Steall Falls. Image: Sandy McCook/DC Thomson.

There’s yoga – and then there’s wild yoga.

And, as I perform a series of powerful ‘mountain’ poses in the shadow of stunning Steall Falls, I’m in no doubt about which I prefer.

Wild yoga truly is a feast for the senses. The aroma of damp grass and moss beneath you, the crash and roar of the falls, the sight of majestic mountains rising up on all sides…

Ahead of Fort William Mountain Festival – the biggest outdoors celebration in Scotland – I’ve joined a wild yoga class led by Penny Clay.

The wild yoga session in action in the shadow of Steall Falls. Image: Sandy McCook.
The wild yoga session in action in the shadow of Steall Falls. Image: Sandy McCook.

It’s a taster for a session that Penny, who runs Wild Yoga Glencoe, will be running during the festival.

It’s worlds away from the yoga most of us are familiar with – bodies lined up on mats inside stuffy, sweaty studios.

An adventure getting there

Getting to this spectacular spot, deep in the heart of Glen Nevis, is part of the experience.

Having met at the Upper Glen Nevis car park, our small group walks first through woodland and then through a rocky, boulder-strewn gorge high above the crystal-clear Water of Nevis.

It’s a short but exhilarating hike, billed as one of the best in Scotland.

Hiking through Glen Nevis to get to Steall Falls. Image: Sandy McCook.

After about a mile, we emerge from trees and the scene changes, with the glen broadening out to form a grassy meadow surrounded by precipitous mountains.

The crowning glory, of course, is the Steall Falls. Also known as An Steall Ban (‘white spout’ in Gaelic), the waterfall is the second highest in Scotland, plunging 120m to the valley below.

Waterfall stars in Harry Potter films

If you’re a Harry Potter fan, the waterfall might look familiar. It featured in multiple movies as the backdrop of Quidditch matches, although its biggest role was in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in 2005.

After a quick chat about the benefits of doing yoga outdoors – “you’ve got all this vast space and stunning beauty” – Penny invites us to settle into our surroundings with some breath work.

And squat….! Image: Sandy McCook.

Then it’s a case of flowing through a series of fluid movements, most of them done while standing, some using mini yoga mats on the ground.

The aim is to do them as smoothly as possible – no speedy, jerky motions are allowed!

Becoming more flexible

It’s a while since I’ve done any form of yoga, so I’m a bit stiff in some poses. However, any potential discomfort is soon soothed away with the gentle stretches and I feel myself lengthening and becoming more flexible.

Penny Clay has a good stretch in front of the Steall Falls. Image: Sandy McCook.

Performing cat, cow, downward dog and warrior poses has never felt better!

After a few minutes of blissful meditation while lying on our mats, gazing up at the sky, the session comes to an end. I realise I’ve got a huge grin on my face – as does everyone else. I’m pretty sure we all feel revitalised, energised, and full of joy.

Wild yoga sessions led by Penny Clay are invigorating and energising. Image: Sandy McCook.

We’re lucky it’s neither raining nor windy but it’s fairly chilly, and I’m glad I’ve brought a flask of coffee. Even better, Penny produces a box of homemade cookies which we devour with gusto.

Focus on seasonal yoga

Penny, who also runs Kinlochleven-based Mountain Yoga, says the focus of her sessions is “seasonal yoga”.

“Each session is associated with an element,” she explains. “In traditional Chinese medicine, the element for winter is water.

“So it’s like a moving meditation with the element of water in mind. The power of water gives us flexibility and fluidity; we’re trying to flow through the movements.”

Gayle gets into the swing of wild yoga. Image: Sandy McCook.

Penny formed Wild Yoga Glencoe in 2018 with Claire Thomson, aka The Highland Yogi.

Together they run outdoor (plus some indoor) yoga sessions and retreats. Other stunning spots include Glen Etive and the Hidden Valley of Glencoe.

A similar wild yoga session is planned at Steall Falls during Fort William Mountain Festival on February 18. Image: Sandy McCook.

“Our aim is to head out somewhere beautiful, meet nice people and do some yoga, with the seasons in mind,” says Penny.

“Practicing yoga in such an inspiring landscape is so important to us. It’s wild, invigorating and energising. We often include mindfulness. And we always have cake!”

Festival packed with events

Meanwhile, the festival programme is packed with guided outdoor events, inspiring speakers, workshops and engaging films.

Outdoor instructor and festival coordinator Anna Danby says: “It’s a privilege to be part of organising the 20th anniversary festival and bringing together everyday adventurers, elite athletes, mountain professionals and local residents to share stories.

You’re sure to get a heat up during wild yoga sessions. Image: Sandy McCook.

“The aim is to encourage everyone to be inspired by, respect and protect our natural landscape and, with our 2024 programme we’re confident all our visitors will leave feeling motivated to do just that.”

Coffee and cookies – or cake – are always part of wild yoga sessions with Penny. Image: Sandy McCook.
  • Fort William Mountain Festival runs from February 15-18 and boasts an exciting programme of workshops, speakers, activities and films. Events take place across Lochaber, centred around the festival hub at the Nevis Centre. There’s everything from mountain illustration, nature writing, wild swimming, trail running, mountain biking, winter walking, mountaineering, skiing and, of course, wild yoga. Plus there’s the chance to meet Hamza Yassin, the wildlife cameraman, TV presenter and winner of Strictly Come Dancing 2022. For more details see mountainfestival.co.uk/
  • To book a place on the Steall Falls Wild Stravaig/Wild Yoga session on February 18, see wildyogaglencoe.co.uk Tickets are selling fast.
  • Gayle stayed overnight at Glen Nevis Youth Hostel. The dog-friendly hostel offers a range of private en-suite rooms and shared dorms. Facilities include an open-plan living area with log-burning stove and mountain views, self-catering kitchen, decking area, drying room, laundry and bike store. You can order a continental breakfast, plus snacks and drinks are available at reception. hostellingscotland.org.uk/hostels/glen-nevis/

Conversation