Tours

Celtic Christianity in Scotland | Sept. 11, 2024

10 days
Scotland
Starting from $4048* Taxes & Fees Apply

Join us for a Celtic Christianity in Scotland tour on September 11, 2024, starting at $4,048 from New York, NY. You will see the “bonny, bonny banks” of Loch Lomond as we make our way north to Celtic Scotland to the coast to Oban. Ferry to Lismore, where there are two ruins of 13th century castles, Coeffin and Achanduin, on the island to explore. Continue on to Iona, the internationally renowned place of Celtic Christianity. See St. Martin’s Cross, take a city tour of Glasgow, see George Square, and Clyde Arc or known by the locals as “Squinty Bridge". Visit the Church of St. Mungo, the coastal town of Whithorn, Candida Casa, St. Ninian’s Cave, the Torhouse Stone Circle, considered a Druid site, and much more!

Register Early & Save
$150 by October 11, 2023
$125 by November 11, 2023
$100 by December 11, 2023
$75 by January 11, 2024
$50 by February 11, 2024
$25 by March 11, 2024

What’s Included

  • All Inclusive Pricing
  • Deluxe A/C Motor Coaches
  • Entrance and Program Fees
  • First Class Hotels
  • Fuel Surcharges and Gov't Taxes
  • Guided Tours
  • Hotel Gratuities
  • International Airfare from NY
  • Overseas Airport Transfers
  • Meals as listed on itinerary
  • Administrative fees

^ Additional Baggage & Optional fees may apply.

† If air purchased through EO.

Daily Itinerary

Day 1 September 11 – Depart Home

Depart the USA on your international overnight flight.

Day 2 September 12 – Welcome to Scotland

Our representatives will meet you at Glasgow airport and escort you to your bus. Pass the “bonny, bonny banks” of Loch Lomond as we make our way north to Celtic Scotland. From here, we will follow the coast to Oban, where we will check in to our hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 3 September 13 – Lismore

Take the Ferry today to Lismore. Saint Moluag founded a monastery on Lismore in the 6th Century AD. The island was a center of Celtic Christianity and later the seat of the medieval diocese of Argyll. Two ruins of 13th Century castles are also on the island – Coeffin and Achanduin. Return to Oban for dinner and overnight.

Note - The Isle of Lismore involves over 7 miles of walking. Those not willing or able to walk the distance are offered the option to stay in Oban for the day and enjoy the various sites, shops, and restaurants in the town.  

Day 4 September 14 – Mull & Iona

Iona is the internationally renowned place of Celtic Christianity. In 563, Columba was exiled from Ireland and founded the monastery here in 564 AD. From one of the best-preserved abbeys to St. Martin’s Cross, the island is a place of pilgrimage and reflection for Christians from around the world. The ancient burial ground contains the graves of many of the early Scottish Kings. You will take the ferry back, returning to Oban for dinner and overnight.

Day 5 September 15 – Oban to Glasgow

Depart Oban and head south for your city tour of Glasgow. Drive to George Square at the heart of the city. See the Clyde Arc or “Squinty Bridge,” as locals refer to it. On the south side is the pacific Quay and several parks to enjoy. Visit Glasgow Cathedral, also known as the Church of St. Mungo. Raised by St. Serf while ministering to the Picts (local Scots), he became a missionary to the people along the Clyde River, now Glasgow. His tomb is in the lower crypt. Check into your Ayr hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 6 September 16 – Whithorn

Journey south to the coastal town of Whithorn. Here Candida Casa – “White House” was built by St. Ninian around 397 AD. A monastery was founded around the site and became a place of pilgrimage for centuries. The late medieval priory is ruinous, with only a portion of the nave still visible. The museum in town contains the Latinus Stone, a 5th Century Christian memorial, and other finds from the site. See St. Ninian’s Cave along the shore. See the Torhouse Stone Circle, considered a Druid site, and be reminded of the local traditions Celtic Christians faced in Scotland. Return to Ayr for dinner and overnight.

Day 7 September 17 – Glasgow to Edinburgh

Today you will cross Scotland and stop in Stirling. Visit the Church of the Holy Rood, built over the original structure in the 1400s. See the Battlefield at Stirling Bridge and continue to Edinburgh for dinner and overnight.

Day 8 September 18 – Edinburgh

Edinburgh replaced Scone as the capital of Scotland in 1437. The site of Edinburgh Castle has held a fort since Celtic times. St. Margaret’s Chapel dates to the 12th Century. The present-day fortress continues to serve as a military post and a museum. Tour St. Giles Cathedral is dedicated to the patron saint of Edinburgh, whose oldest portions date to 1124. See also Holyrood Castle, an official residence of the British Crown whose grounds date back to an Augustinian Monastery. Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 9 September 19 – Dunfermline & St. Andrew’s

Cross the Firth of Forth to Fife. Stop at Dunfermline Abbey, where St. Margaret and Robert the Bruce are buried. Continue past picturesque fishing villages to St. Andrew’s, the ancient ecclesiastical capital of Scotland. Visit the ruins of St. Andrew’s Cathedral and the nearby castle with its notorious “Bottle Dungeon.” Wander through the “Old Course” at St. Andrew’s, renowned as the home of golf! Return to Edinburgh for dinner and overnight.

Day 10 September 20 – Return Home

Return home from Edinburgh with memories of the people and places of Celtic Christianity in Scotland.

Enhance Your Journey

Celtic Ireland Extension Starting from $1448

September 20 - 23,  2024 Starting at $1,448*

September 20 – Dublin
We will start our day in Dublin with a walking tour of Trinity College. Founded by Queen Elizabeth I in 1592, it is the oldest college in Ireland. We’ll visit the Old Library here and see the Book of Kells, an ornately illustrated Bible produced by Celtic Monks around 800 AD. Continue to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The church was transitioned from a Catholic church to the Church of Ireland over the centuries. Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver’s Travels and a critic of British rule, was a pastor here. Enjoy a driving tour of the city before checking in to the hotel for dinner and overnight.  

September 21 – Bru na Boinne, the Hill of Tara & Monasterboice 
Head north and discover the rich history of Celtic life at the Bru na Boinne Prehistoric Monuments. You will see one of the Passage Tomb sites here, Newgrange and Knowth. They are richly decorated with megalithic art. From the time of the first Celtic influence until the 1169 invasion, the Hill of Tara was the island’s political and spiritual capital. It contains several ancient monuments and, according to tradition, was the seat of the High King of Ireland. Walk the grounds of Monasterboice Monastery, where some of the finest 9th-century High Crosses can be seen. Founded in 521 AD by St. Buite, the ruins remain a testament to their Christian heritage. Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

September 22 – Glendalough & Dublin
Then on to the bus for a ride through scenic Wicklow County to Glendalough, one of the most beautiful spots in all of Ireland. Here St. Kevin founded a monastery in 498. See the Celtic High Crosses and a stone-roofed church. Explore the wonderful hiking trails around the two lakes. Finish the day with time on your own this afternoon in Dublin, before dinner and overnight.

September 23  – Return to the USA
Return home with memories of the people and places of your Celtic Christian heritage.  
 

Departure Dates

  1. Wednesday, September 11, 2024
    From $4048* Register Now!
*3.5% surcharge will be added to all credit card transactions.