Spiritual Scotland Tour
Scotland is a land of folk lore and fable, of ghouls and witches, of will o’ wisps and mysterious monsters. The stunning, rugged landscape of Scotland has awakened the imaginations and sparked passion in the people who have lived here for thousands of years.
Hear tales of ancient heroes and mystical beings; feel the spirituality of our sacred Scotland through stones, stories, traditions and energy. This journey is not only about exploring the history of the land but it is also you finding your own connection with the ancient power of these beautiful historic places be they church, cairn, mountain, stone or hidden glen. Every hill, every loch, every gnarled and weathered tree has it’s story to tell and if you listen closely, you just might be lucky enough to hear it.
Come with us as we explore not only relics of humans but also natures cathedral - stunning geological formations that have captivated humans through-out the ages.
12 Day Spiritual Scotland
"Hear tales of ancient heroes and mystical beings; feel the spirituality of our sacred Scotland through stones, stories, traditions and energy."
Let the Adventure Begin...
12 days, 12 nights £2980 per person
30th April - 12th May
Blur the borders between fantasy and reality on our adventures across Scotland. Our goal is to bring history, folk lore and like-minded people together to create a magical vacation that will last a lifetime. Our epic journey encompasses everything you could dream of, such as visits to the iconic spiritual sites on Iona, Skye and Orkney. Visit the ancient mystery that is the Ring of Brodgar and see the atmospheric Loch Lomond. Wander the historic lochs, glens, towns and chapels with a small group of like minded people and absorb the energy of these magnificent places. Our tours are a perfect mix of story telling, history, experiences and sight seeing.
Tour Highlights
Here are just a taste of what to expect on this tour, plus lots of surprises and secret spots along the way!
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Be a part of the unique experience that is Beltane Fire Festival
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Small group experience - our tours are limited to 8 guests so you get the most authentic experience
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Learn about witches, fairies and folk lores as we visit sites associated with Celtic myths and legends
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Explore one of the most iconic spiritual sites in Scotland - Rosslyn Chapel
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Be transported back in time with retellings of folklores and legends
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See Loch Lomond, one of Scotlands most famous lochs.
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Feel the power of standing stones, stone circles, burial cairns and mystical rock art
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Venture to the sacred Isle of Iona - the most sacred place in Scotland and where the kings of Scotland chose to be buried
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Cross over the sea to the isle of Skye to explore the magic and beauty of this incredible place
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Visit the remains of a secret ancient druidic grove, and make a wish at its wishing tree.
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Spend some time exploring Pictish stones and settlements at Tarbat Discovery Centre
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Listen in awe to the beauty of a traditional Gaelic singer
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Catch the ferry to Orkney then spend the day visiting the amazing archaeology of these islands - including Neolithic settlement of Sarra Brae and the ancient Ring of Brodgar
We meet you In Edinburgh early in the evening at 1700. We will take you to your hotel to drop off luggage before meeting for dinner at around 18.30 – a chance for everyone to get to know each other. After dinner we will make our way to Calton Hill for the Beltane festival, which will start once it gets dark. The Beltane Fire Festival brings ancient Celtic traditions to life with a unique modern twist. When the drums start to thunder, the May Queen awakens and leads her followers on an immersive procession, with spectacular fiery displays, elaborate costumes, hypnotic drumming and storytelling. We watch as the May Queen transforms the Green Man from his wintry guise so they can rule together over the warmer months. The event culminates with the lighting of the Beltane fire at midnight. The festivities will go on all night, so you can choose when you leave and make your
own way back to the hotel, which is not far away.
Day Two
Today we will start with one of the most iconic spiritual sites in Scotland – Rosslyn Chapel and glen which has associations with the Knights Templar. It is renowned for it's fantastically carved stonework which bring into question who really ‘discovered’ America first….. This is a real ‘must see’. It’s also famous for its role in book and film, ‘the DaVinci Code’. From Rosslyn, we cross the Firth of Forth heading to the Kingdom of Fife, where we take you back to the time of Scotlands’ infamous Witch Trials when an almost hysterical fear of magic spread throughout the land and hundreds of innocent people were accused of witchcraft and cruelly tortured before being condemned to death. We then head to the hills! Stunning views today as we travel through the glens on the roads used through the centuries by the cattle drovers of old. We visit the Fortingall Yew – thousands of years
old and one of the oldest living things in Europe, standing in the shadow of Schiehallion, the ‘fairy hill of the Caledonians’. This if Roy Roy country, haunt of Scotland’s most famous outlaw and folk hero. We spend the night in the beautiful Trossachs National Park.
Day One
Day Three
We start with a visit to the Fairy Knowe and learn about the the wee folk of the hill and their connection with the Rev Robert Kirk. We then drive along the ‘bonnie, bonnie banks’ of Loch Lomond and through the Arrochar Alps to Dalriata where the
ancient kings of Scotland were crowned and into Kilmartin glen, famed thoughout the world for its abundance of standing stones, stone circles, burial cairns and mystical rock art.
From here we head North to Oban and we take a ferry to the Island of Mull, where we spend the night.
Day Four
We venture to the sacred isle of Iona today. We leave early to make the most of our time on the Island – the most sacred place in Scotland and where the Kings of Scotland chose to be buried. Iona was a sacred island long before Saint Columba built his first Celtic Church and established a monastic community here, spreading Christianity throughout Scotland. We learn of early Christian saints and ancient sacred wells as we explore this special place.
Day Five
Today our guests have a choice – they can either spend another day, peacefully absorbing the atmosphere of this special place or take to the water and visit Fingal’s Cave - an amazing cathedral like sea cave of basalt columns. In Celtic mythology, Fiann MacCumhaill was an ancient warrior -
once a Celtic God, worshipped by the Cult of Finn throughout the Celtic world. We travel back, across Mull to return to the mainland, where we drive through Glen Coe, a glen of
awesome proportions, with wild, towering mountains on both sides. Also known as the glen of weeping, it was the site of the infamous Glen Coe Massacre and it still holds an atmosphere of sorrow and mourning as the spirits of the murdered MacDonald clan, wander the hills.
Day Six
We drive beside Loch Ness today, keeping our eyes open for the loch’s most famous resident – Nessie! Then we head off through the hills visiting some ancient ‘brochs’ – enigmatic tower like constructions believed to be fortified homes. Then we cross ‘over the sea’ to the Isle of Skye. Skye is a magical place, full of strange geological formations giving rise to a rich culture of otherworldly beliefs. We visit the iconic Fairy Pools before heading to Dunvegan Castle, seat of the MacLeod of Skye. Here we will hear tales of the mystical Fairy Flag of Dunvegan and how it has saved the Clan through the centuries. We spend the night on Skye
Day Seven
Our second day on this beautiful island. We explore the North of the island today, visiting the otherworldly landscape of the Fairy glen, a sacred loch and its spring and the strange rock formations of the Trotternish Ridge, the Quirang and the famous Old Man of Storr. Then we head back to the mainland, to visit the most photographed castle in Scotland, Eilean Donan. We will take some time to explore the castle and to hear tales of the people of the sea – the Selkies!
Day Eight
Today we drive north through the amazing scenery of Torridon, to take a boat trip on a beautiful loch, where we visit a sacred island with remains of an ancient druidic grove. This is where an early Christian saint, who was revered as a God himself, built his church and people would bring their loved ones from across Scotland in hope of curing them of insanity. We also make a wish at its ‘wishing tree’. This is a little known and truly special place.
Day Nine
We visit the burial cairns, with their stone circles at Clava today before heading to the Black Isle to visit several lesser known sacred places in this area. We spend some time at the Tarbat Discovery Centre in Tain, full of artefacts from the Pictish settlement in the area and visit the amazing carved Pictish stones of the area. Heading north we hear tales of the witches of the area and if we have time, call in to some other interesting sites, such as Whalligoe Steps and the Hill O’Many Stanes, on our journey to the North coast to catch the ferry to Orkney.
Day Ten
We catch the early ferry to Orkney, then spend the day visiting the amazing archaeology of these islands. The Tomb of the Eagles, Maes Howe and the amazing stone circles on the Ness of Brodgar – the standing stones of Steness and the huge Ring of Brodgar.
Day Eleven
On our second day on Orkney, we visit the Neolithic village of Skara Brae to get an idea of how people lived on these islands 5000 years ago - a fascinating place. We then travel further forward in
time to visit the imposing St Magnus Cathedral, founded in 1137 by the Viking, Earl Rognvald, in honour of his uncle St Magnus who was martyred in Orkney. Further forward still, we visit the Italian Chapel – a plain, Nissan hut on the outside but a fabulously ornate place of worship on the inside created by the Italian prisoners of war, held on the Island of Lamb Holm during the second world war. Leaving Orkney behind, we begin our journey south stopping en-route to pick up a takeaway dinner at La Mirage in Helmsdale – famous for serving the best fish and chips in Scotland!
Day Twelve
The final day. We drive south through the Cairngorms National Park for some more stunning scenery, before arriving on the East Coast at Stonehaven where we visit Dunottar Castle, standing defiantly on a crag above the unforgiving North Sea. We learn of it’s history, before visiting a nearby ‘recumbant’ stone circle, with its ‘altar’ stone – very different from anything else we have seen so far. We continue our journey southwards, crossing the Firth of Tay into the Kingdom of Fife, where we call in to St Andrews, site of pilgrimages throughout the centuries as the resting place of the relics of St Andrew, one of Jesus’s disciples and Scotlands’ patron saint. Finally, we we visit some ancient caves where people have lived and worshipped their Gods both pagan and Christian, since Neolithic times, leaving some amazing rock art behind them. We cross the Firth of Forth to Edinburgh, where we say our goodbyes.
What's Included
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Accomodation
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All meals (B,L,D)
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Entry fees to all sites listed
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Comfortable transport whilst on tour
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Two knowledgable, local guides
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All experiences whilst on tour
The price listed above is based on a twin share in a twin or double room. If you require a single room, this can be arranged with at an extra cost. Please contact us for further details. Please note that this itinerary is intended as a rough guide and is subject to change at the tour guides discretion. We will do our best to adhere to this itinerary but your trip may be altered where necessary due to inclement weather, site closures, traffic and any other unforeseen circumstances that may endanger the safety of the group. The quoted price is inclusive of accomodation, meals, entrance to historic sites and all cultural experiences however drinks, snacks and flights to Scotland are not included in this price. Your tour guide reserves the right to ask you to leave the trip should your conduct in any way endanger the safety of yourself, your fellow tourists or your guide. Please read our terms and conditions in full as by booking with us, you are bound by these.
