NURTURING WRITERS & WRITING
"Moniack Mhor is a wonderfully inspiring and regenerative space." "Spending time at Moniack Mhor made such a shift in my writing and my confidence as a writer."
Read more about what we do
BURSARY SUPPORT
"Moniack Mhor supports writers from all backgrounds and from all walks of life. Our bursary programme provides access for those who may find fees a barrier to joining a residential or online course or retreat, or taking part in mentoring."
Find out about our Bursary Scheme
Young Writers
"To have someone take my work seriously and help me try and improve was a real confidence boost"
See Opportunities for Young Writers
RESIDENCIES & AWARDS
"The team at Moniack Mhor, with great care and thoughtfulness, have not only created a magical and functional space for the imagination, but also a refuge for genuine human connections.”
Find out about our Residency and Awards Programme
OUR BEGINNINGS
"Come on a journey to 1993: crofting tales linger but now the smell of paint is fresh in the air, the final pictures are being hung on stone walls and there is frantic unpacking of auction house crockery and cutlery. We welcome our first course, led by Liz Lochead, Roger McGough and the late Aonghas MacNeacail"
Read more about Moniack Mhor's story
Moniack Mhor is Scotland’s National Writing Centre. Based in the beautiful Scottish Highlands, we run courses in a range of genres tutored by some of the finest authors in the UK and beyond. With workshops and one to one tutorials, our courses provide an atmosphere to fully immerse yourself in your writing. The centre also offers writing retreats providing time and space, free from distractions, where you will find yourself part of a nurturing writing community. Other support offered by Moniack Mhor includes awards, bursaries, professional residencies to develop works in progress and a programme for young writers.
ONLINE POETRY COURSE
This course will explore the profound and intimate relationships between the body, trauma, and healing. You will leave with a deeper understanding of the body’s role in both art and life, learning how pain, vulnerability, and healing often lead to personal and artistic transformation.
YOUNG WRITERS' CAFÉ
Join Rafael for a fantasy writing workshop, and find out what spells you can cast in an hour or two! This playful, experimental workshop will explore writing magical ritual in our everyday lives and in fiction, using examples from fantasy fiction, theatre and poetry.
CRIME WRITING
This course, with Michael J Malone and Caro Ramsay, offers an opportunity to craft compelling crime fiction. An immersive course to take you from blank page to polishing the final draft with entertaining workshops on the nuts and bolts for creating chilling villains, twisty plots and perfect prose.
FIRST STAGES SONGWRITING
Join Kathryn and Michele, acclaimed singer songwriters and producers in a session that focusses on co-writing. Come along to this nurturing online workshop and discover the power of collaboration in songs. We’ll make use of breakout spaces and group working to generate seeds of ideas for new work. This friendly session would suit anyone who is new to making songs or who might already be writing but would like to learn approaches to working with a fellow writer. No experience or instrument needed!
HIGHLAND BOOK PRIZE
The longlist for the Highland Book Prize 2025 has been announced by the Highland Society of London and Moniack Mhor, Scotland’s Creative Writing Centre.
MONIACK IN A MONTH: FANTASY FICTION
How do you weave the multiple and dynamic strands of voice, character and world through your story without weighing down the tale? Through four interactive workshops led by Hannah Kaner, you’ll explore the foundations of world-building, and then delve into ideas and techniques that bring detail and depth to compelling characters and narratives as living parts of those worlds. Each workshop will include one or more writing exercise or activity.