Magical Ireland and Scotland

Sacred is the place and time,
We share our breath with wind,
Our thirst with water,
And our passion with fire.

Join us on a Mystical Journey that will focus on the ancient sites and sacred places of Ireland. We will explore the four corners and the sacred center of Uisneach. Throughout our journey in this special land, we will walk on worn stones and winding paths that will lead to sacred places in our hearts. We will drink the waters from holy wells that have been held sacred from the time of the Druids. We will explore the energy that has given these waters their healing qualities, and hold the healing stone that has been held by many through the ages of time.
The prehistoric and historic sites of Ireland are among the most spectacular in the world and the country is rich in folklore, fairytales, myth and legend. Ireland truly has a magic all of its own.

On this tour, we will journey to standing stones, holy wells, cromlechs, ring forts, chambered cairns, Celtic churches, ancient-crosses, round towers, beehive huts, Ogham stones, windswept islands, and a multitude of ancient sacred shrines. From the massive quartz-encrusted Neolithic chambered cairn of Newgrange to the tiny Beehive huts of the Culdee monks on the island of Skellig Michale, we will have many opportunities to connect with the spiritual realms.

Our journey begins at Shannon Airport. From there we travel to Craggaunowen Castle and the medieval church of Killinaboy with its "Sheela-Na-Gig" carving. Then we journey on to The Burren where we will visit the Poulinabrone Dolmen. After a night spent by the sea at Galway, we cross the famous bay to the Aran Islands and Inishmore, a place of peace and beauty whose earliest inhabitants were Fir Bolgs of the first millennium BC. Here we will see beehive huts, holly wells, round towers, a medieval castle and Dun Aenghus - a magnificent stone fort.

Next we travel to Sligo on our way to Carrowmore - the most extensive megalithic complex in Ireland. We shall see the Cairn of Queen Maeve of the Fomorians and Carrowkeel, a collection of the most mysterious mounds in all Ireland. On now to Navan in the County Meath via the Loughcrew Mountains where we can see the wonderful megalithic art of Cairn T. Then to Navan Round Tower and Slane Friary, the site of an early Christian monastery founded by Saint Erc - and the place where St. Patrick lit the first paschal fire in Ireland in 433 AD. We also explore the ancient town of Kells with its famous high crosses.

On the following day we journey to the magnificent valley for the Boyne River where lie the spectacular Neolithic monuments of Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth with their fine decorated kerb stones and megalithic art. Then on to the Hill of Tara which is said to represent the womb of Mother Ireland in which rests the golden child or High King. The High Kings of Ireland were crowned here, and tradition recalls that the central Lia Fail stone roared when the King was accepted.

We will have a free day in Dublin to visit its famous museums, galleries, theatres, and pubs which resound with Irish traditional music. Then we will make a special visit to Clonegal Castle, the home of Olivia Robertson, High Priestess of the Fellowship of Isis. She will lead us on a guided meditation into the Goddess mysteries. On the way we will visit the largest dolmen in Europe - the 100-ton Brown’s Hill dolmen. Then on to Tipperary via the magnificent Rock of Cashel and St. Patrick’s Holy Well and thence to the tranquil beauty of Lough Gur, sit of the Goddess. Onward to the lively town of Kenmare en route to Waterville in County Kerry from whence we cross the ocean to the breathtaking island sanctuary of Skellig Michael with its glorious Celtic traditions.

Dingle Peninsula has a wealth of early Christian sites and we will enjoy the rare beauty of light and colour of the Atlantic Ocean stretching out before us. Here is a veritable cornucopia of sacred sites that will delight us all. A special treat will be a swim with Fungi the dolphin in Dingle Bay. We end our tour with a farewell party before departing next day to Shannon

SCOTLAND

Scotland is a land of heart-stopping beauty, a land where our ancestors, the ancient Scots, celebrated the pagan festivals amongst the great stone temples and buried their dead in elaborate chambers aligned to the rising and setting sun. On this tour we shall explore and discover our spiritual heritage among the stone circles, fairly glens, Druid cells, sacred islands and bonnie lochs of this enchanted land.

Our journey begins in Glasgow, from whence we will travel to Oban via Loc Lomand, Inverary, Temple Wood stone circles and Kilmartin cairns. Then we will cross the water to the sacred isle of Iona via Mull. We will visit the hermits cell and a thirteenth century nunnery. We visit the Abbey with its splendid St. Michaels Chapel and St. Columbas Bay. We shall celebrate the summer solstice on Iona's highest peak (300 ft) Dun I.

Onward to Dingwall near the Black Isle via Fort William, Urquart Castle, Loch Ness with perhaps a welcome from Nessie) and stay at Scotland's oldest inhabited castle Tulloch where well be welcomed in the traditional way by a bagpiper. Then we'll visit the magical fairy glen at Rosemarkie, the clootie well at Cromarty and the 300 BC Clava Cairns. Onwards to Thurso via the Grey Cairns of Camster as we pass through the stunning scenery of the north east coastline. From here we cross the Pentland Firth to the glorious Orkney Islands and the imposing prehistoric Maes howe, Europe's finest passage tomb with its dragon carvings; Stennes and Ring of Brodgar stone circles and Skara Brae - a miraculously preserved village of 3500 BC. A feature of our Orkney visit will be to meet Ronald Simison, the resident discoverer of the Tomb of the Eagles at Isbister, a neolithic totem site. Being on Orkney is like being at the edge of the world.

Our journey southward takes us to Aberfoyle where we are joined by Fiona Davidson who takes us to the Fairy Knowe at Doon hill where the mystic Robert Kirk was stolen away by the fairies and his spirit locked into a pine tree atop the hill.

Our final day is spent in Edinburgh, although en route a special treat will be a visit to Roslyn Chapel (made famous by Dan Brown's best-selling book The Da Vinci Code) a Templar enclave festooned with ancient and arcane pagan and Christian carvings that hold keys to hidden Masonic mysteries and possibly the Holy Grail itself. On the Edinburgh Castle and Scotland's oldest shrine - St. Margarets Chapel. On our last night in Edinburgh, we will be entertained by pipers, harpers and storytellers.
 

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