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Bring your group to Gowanbank, SU Scotland’s Outdoor Activity Centre and Conference Venue!

Looking for a welcoming residential activity and conference centre in Scotland? Whether you’re planning a youth retreat, church weekend, leadership training, or simply time away to connect and grow as a group, Gowanbank offers the flexibility and support to make it happen.

What we offer

At Gowanbank, we offer comfortable accommodation for groups who want to enjoy outdoor adventure, meaningful time together, or a peaceful space for reflection and growth.

We’re here to help you shape your time at Gowanbank around your goals, whether that’s:

You can run your own programme, or we can help design it with you, as hands-on or hands-off as you need.

Why choose Gowanbank Outdoor Activity Centre?

We’re small, friendly and flexible. You’ll get:

  • Exclusive use of the centre (if you meet our minimum group size)
  • Tailored support to plan your programme
  • A peaceful rural setting that feels like home
  • Great value with bursary support available for priority groups

It’s your visit, and we’re there to help make sure you get the most from the centre and your time with us.

Coming with a school group?

You’ll find all the information you need on our dedicated schools website, Classroom Outdoors. 

Want the place to yourselves?

If you are happy to pay the minimum occupancy for the centre, you will be the only group here. The place becomes yours, and you can use it exactly the way that suits your group. No negotiation with other groups over space, resources or activities. Programme times and the duration of activities can be flexible too.

How to book

  1. Get in touch with a few details: when you’re thinking of coming, the size and type of your group, and what kind of experience you’d like.
  2. We’ll help you work out what’s possible and check dates.
  3. Once you’re happy, we’ll confirm your booking and help you plan your visit.
  4. You can manage your booking on our easy-to-use online booking portal.

Call us on 01560 323 370, email us at gowanbank@suscotland.org.uk, or fill in our enquiry form – we’re happy to chat everything through.

Prices for 2026

Self-catered – up to £95 per person per weekend.

Catered weekends – up to £165 per person per weekend.

Minimum occupancy – 34

Both prices include full use of the facilities. All prices include VAT.

For midweek bookings, prices vary depending on your requirements. Please note there is no minimum occupancy for midweek bookings.

Contact us to make a booking or to discuss variations to these prices or minimum occupancy, or to discuss 2027 availability and prices.

NB: These prices are for non-school groups. For school bookings, please get in touch or visit our dedicated schools website, Classroom Outdoors.

Weekend Availability
  • 11th to 13th December 2026
  • 18th to 20th December 2026
  • 8th to 10th January 2027
  • 18th to 20th June 2027
  • 25th to 27th June 2027
  • 20th to 22nd August 2027
  • 27th to 29th August 2027
  • 3rd to 5th September 2027
  • 10th to 12th September 2027
  • 17th to 19th September 2027
  • 24th to 26th September 2027
Midweek Availability

We do have plenty midweek availability for training events or conferences. Get in touch to discuss our midweek availability. Please note there is no minimum occupancy for midweek bookings.

For school residentials, please visit our Classroom Outdoors website.

SU Scotland Classroom Outdoors logoLooking for school residentials? Visit our dedicated schools website, Classroom Outdoors.

Want to book onto an SU Holiday during the school holidays? Visit our SU Holidays website. 

  • We enjoyed another excellent time at Gowanbank. The staff were amazing and created such a hospitable environment. Gowanbank feels like such a 'thin place' and we always come away from our time there feeling that we have met with God.

    Baptist Union of Scotland - INVEST

  • The aim of our trip was to build relationships between the young people but the outcome was much more than planned. The young people are now more engaged in the Team Inspire activities and volunteering opportunities due to the relationships they have built with each other. It also gave us staff members a chance to get to know their personalities a little better in an informal way.

    Team Inspire, North Ayrshire Active Schools

  • We were warmly welcomed and the staff could not have been more helpful. The accommodation was warm and comfortable and the food excellent! We would definitely use Gowanbank again for our gathering of people from around the world.

    Timelanders Writers Team, SU International

  • Throughout, staff have been helpful and accommodating, even changing the programme at short notice to accommodate the needs of an individual within the group. Staff built up strong relationships with the pupils which supported learning. Pupils spoke about the activities across the 8 week program every day they returned from Gowanbank - this is significant as they are a challenging group of pupils who rarely say positives about learning.

    Grange Academy, 2025

  • It was one of the best weekends we've ever had. Location and views beautiful, we had the freedom to do our retreat knowing that staff were on call if we needed them. We felt very free.

    Broken Chains, Ayr

  • Our experience with Gowanbank has been excellent from the start of the process to the residential itself. [Our highlight was] the off-site rock climbing. Seeing the young people push themselves out of their comfort zones and supporting their peers all the way.

    Dyce Academy ASN School Residential, 2026

  • The way the Gowanbank team made this happen during a busy time was superb. Such a brilliant centre and team and we can’t wait to be back. The young people found the centre and activities incredible. Such a fab experience and team. Everyone was brilliant!

    West Glasgow New Church, 2026

  • The house was a great big space for the group, with lots of room for activities and chill spaces and a good variety of room sizes. Activity staff were much liked by all the young people. They were calm and supportive when the participants were nervous and were exactly what the group needed. Very knowledgeable and fun to be around. Kitchen and housekeeping staff were very friendly and accommodating and all young people felt comfortable and well looked-after.

    Glasgow Life Youthwork Group, 2026

  • The facilities were great, and having a separate lounge as well as a meeting room was so helpful.
    I loved that you have ensuite bathrooms in every room. Your volunteers and staff are also excellent and nothing was too difficult for you. It was a pleasure to be there.

    Blessed To Be A Blessing Retreat

  • We had a wonderful time at Gowanbank. Incredible customer service and help with booking and prep, warm welcome on site. All staff were friendly, helpful and accommodating. Thank you!

    Staff Away Day, St Silas Church, 2024

  • Just a beautiful place and great value for money. Food was outstanding and staff couldn't have been nicer.

    Cross Training Ministries, 2024