Life After Rugby: How Rory Lamont Brings Discipline and Healing to Retreat Leadership
- Shannon Brown
- Oct 8
- 5 min read
Rory Lamont’s career as a professional rugby player took him from Glasgow Warriors to Sale Sharks, Toulon and onto the international stage with Scotland. Known for his speed, tenacity and courage under pressure, he represented his country in the Six Nations and at the Rugby World Cup. For more than a decade, his life revolved around the discipline of training, the intensity of competition and the camaraderie of teammates.
But when a severe leg injury cut his career short, Rory’s life took a radical new direction - one that would ultimately lead him to co-found CAIM, a leading centre for health and wellness retreats in Scotland.
The Challenge of Transitioning Out of Sport
Retirement came suddenly in 2013 after a devastating leg break during the Six Nations. Despite multiple surgeries, Rory faced chronic pain, stalled recovery, and the harsh reality that his professional playing days were over.
The physical pain was mirrored by something deeper: a profound loss of identity. Sport had given Rory not just a career but a sense of purpose and belonging. Without it, he found himself adrift.
Like many retired athletes, he faced anxiety, depression, and disorientation. What had once been clear - the next match, the next goal, the next season - was replaced by uncertainty. The discipline that had defined his life now felt directionless.
Searching for Healing Beyond Conventional Medicine
Conventional medicine offered little hope of full recovery. Chronic pain, fatigue and the emotional toll of retirement remained unresolved. Determined not to accept a lifetime of limitation, Rory began looking beyond mainstream approaches.
This search took him on a remarkable journey. He travelled to Central and South America, where he encountered indigenous traditions and plant medicines that opened new dimensions of healing. These experiences revealed that physical pain was only part of the story, emotional wounds and spiritual disconnection also needed attention.
Back in Europe, Rory explored practices that supported long-term wellbeing:
Breathwork as a tool for nervous system regulation and emotional release.
Meditation to quiet the mind and build resilience.
Nutrition inspired by plant-based, Medical Medium-informed protocols, which helped reduce inflammation and restore vitality.
Cold-water therapy and sauna to strengthen both body and spirit.
Through these explorations, Rory came to a life-changing realisation: healing is holistic. True transformation requires care for body, mind and spirit together.
Co-founding CAIM: A Sanctuary for Healing in Scotland
This realisation led to a new mission, to share what he had discovered. Together with his wife and co-founder Shannon, Rory created CAIM in the Perthshire Highlands: a retreat centre dedicated to deep rest, renewal and growth.
CAIM is more than a venue; it is a sanctuary. The word itself, drawn from an ancient Celtic prayer, means a circle of protection, a fitting symbol for a space designed to hold guests in safety while they heal.
Set among private 5.5 acres of woodland, CAIM offers a natural environment that supports every retreat. Here, the forest becomes a co-facilitator, helping guests ground and reconnect.
Each wellness retreat in Scotland at CAIM is unique, a carefully curated mix of practices which may include:
Breathwork to unlock emotion and deepen presence.
Nutrition workshops and plant-based meals to cleanse and restore.
Heart coherence practices to bring balance to mind and body.
Meditation and mindful movement to cultivate calm.
Sauna, cold-water immersion and time in nature for resilience.
Intimate connected groups (typically no more than 12 guests) to ensure personalised attention and authentic connection.
Unlike larger, impersonal retreats in Scotland, CAIM focuses on depth and intimacy. Every detail is designed with intention, creating conditions not just for relaxation but for transformation.
Leadership Through Discipline and Empathy
Rory’s leadership style is shaped by two powerful forces: discipline and empathy.
From rugby, he carries the discipline of commitment and resilience. This ensures CAIM retreats are effective and grounded in practices that deliver real results.
From his healing journey, he brings empathy. Having walked through injury, identity loss and emotional struggle, Rory understands what it feels like to be vulnerable. His openness and authenticity help guests feel safe enough to face their own challenges.
This blend of strength and compassion makes Rory a unique leader in the world of healing retreats in Scotland. Guests see not just a facilitator but a guide who embodies the resilience he teaches.
Why Rory’s Story Matters for CAIM’s Guests
Many guests arrive at CAIM carrying their own burdens - burnout, illness, grief or a sense of being lost. They come seeking rest, clarity or renewal.
Rory’s story resonates deeply with them. His transformation shows that healing is possible, even after profound loss. It proves that resilience can be rebuilt and life can be reimagined.
For guests, knowing their retreat leader has lived through pain and emerged with purpose builds trust. They see that their struggles are not obstacles but invitations to grow.
One guest said:
“Rory has played a huge part in helping me shift my perspective for several reasons. Firstly, his ability to speak with so much clarity helps make some of the most profound wisdom - that would have once felt so out of reach for me to comprehend – become completely digestible. I always leave his company feeling like I have learned something new and extremely valuable for both myself and those around me that I am able to pass the knowledge on to. Moreover, by simply being his wonderful self and allowing me to feel
safe in his company to fully let go, he has helped me shift a huge prejudice I held against men in Scotland. After so many years of having nobody to really respect or look up to in terms of male figures in my life, there was a deep rooted wound that I knew I had to overcome to experience more freedom and safety in my relationships”
Testimonials: Voices of Transformation
Further guest feedback reflects the impact of Rory’s leadership and the sanctuary he and Shannon have created:
“Rory - your knowledge is second to none, I immediately had trust in you from the beginning”
“The venue is beautiful and the food is next level. Rory has great nutritional knowledge & it has really relit my own obsession with looking after my body as well as my mind.”
“I honestly can’t stress how impactful and important the work you’ve helped me do has been. It’s not being dramatic in the slightest to say I genuinely
feel you helped save my life over.”
Such reflections highlight why CAIM is recognised as one of the most authentic wellbeing retreats in the Highlands.
A New Chapter: From Athlete to Facilitator
Rory’s transition from professional athlete to retreat leader embodies the truth that life after loss can be richer, more authentic and more impactful. His journey shows that what seems like an ending can be the beginning of something far greater.
From the discipline of rugby to the empathy of lived healing, Rory now brings both qualities to CAIM. His retreats are not about escape but about helping people reconnect to their strength, their purpose and their capacity to thrive.
For those seeking a retreat in Scotland where authenticity meets expertise, CAIM provides more than a getaway. It offers a sanctuary for real, lasting change.
Step Into a Retreat With Rory
From the intensity of professional rugby pitches to the stillness of the Scottish Highlands, Rory Lamont’s story is one of discipline to self, healing and transformation. Today, he channels that journey into leadership at CAIM, where he and Shannon guide health and wellness retreats in Scotland that invite guests to reset, reconnect and restore.
For anyone longing to step away from noise and return to balance, Rory’s story is both an inspiration and an invitation: healing is possible and it often begins with the courage to pause.
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