The latest travel trend is coming to Tayside.
It’s a new alcohol-free holiday experience in Dunkeld for those who want an adventure without the hangover the next morning.
Getting away on holiday is a time to let your hair down and take a break from hectic everyday life – but for sober people, the options for group holidays can feel limited.
Lauren Burnison found herself in this position while travelling the world.
She gave up drinking alcohol five years ago while living in South Korea.
Combining her passion for adventure with her new alcohol-free lifestyle, she started We Love Lucid to provide teetotallers with a fun alternative to boozy group holidays.
And with staycations on the agenda this summer due to Covid-19, Dunkeld will play host to We Love Lucid’s next group trip.
Lauren explains: “My family recently bought a cabin in Dunkeld so I’ve started to spend a lot more time there. I just think the place is pretty special.
“You’ve got the nature, the food – I didn’t realise Dunkeld is such a foodie haven, which was a real pleasant surprise.
“You’ve got the river there which is great for various different activities – rafting, canyoning, tubing.
“It’s just a lovely place to go for this kind of thing. I just know people will really enjoy it, they’ll feel refreshed with the nice clean air, nice scenery.”
Food and drink delights of Scotland
Highlighting some of the best Perth and Kinross has to offer, the trip to Dunkeld involves river tubing on the Tay, a Kombucha tasting and a chocolate lunch at the Highland Chocolatier.
Lauren says: “We’re always trying to include new kinds of activities and this was the first time I’d come across river tubing.
“It’s not full-on adrenaline, but it’s great for people who are new to adventure.
“We have drinks tasting on all our trips, which just adds something special.
“People get to try some nice alcohol-free drinks and hopefully if the weather is good we can do it by the River Tay.”
‘This is about having a blast without booze!’
A growing number of Scots are reducing their alcohol consumption and looking to other ways of socialising.
Lauren says: “It’s quite a big decision to give up alcohol in today’s society and people who have done that tend to bond quite well because it has it’s own challenges.
“When people are doing something new together there’s research to suggest people bond much quicker. It’s like a shared vulnerability because they haven’t done it before.
“So, people hit it off so much more than another travel group who don’t know each other. They really enjoy the activities and how well they’ve connected with others on the trip.
“I usually start a WhatsApp group around a week before, which enables people to become acquainted.
“Usually people stay in contact, either via the WhatsApp group, or they’ll meet up afterwards. I ran a trip to Cornwall last year and people still send messages.”
‘Push yourself out of your comfort zone’
Taking a leap of faith after giving up alcohol can feel scary, but meeting up with like-minded people for an adventure is one way to immerse yourself in the sober lifestyle.
Lauren says: “Being away on a sober holiday with others who are drinking is the most boring thing.
“With these holidays, you eliminate that straight away. There’s just no comparison at all.
“Often people who do drink say ‘why don’t you just come on holiday and not drink?’, but if you’re ever in that situation you understand how rubbish that is.
“These trips are all about having a total blast without the booze, trying new things, meeting new people and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.”
We Love Lucid
www.welovelucid.com