CELTIC CHRISTIANITY IN SCOTLAND

The Experience

Day 1: Depart on your overnight international flight.

Day 2: Our representatives will meet you at Edinburgh 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 into our hotel for dinner and your overnight stay.

Day 3: Iona is the internationally renowned place of Celtic Christianity. In 563, Columba was exiled from Ireland and founded the monastery here in 564 A.D. 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 your overnight stay.

Day 4: 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 Kilmarnock hotel for dinner and an overnight stay.

Day 5: Journey south to the coastal town of Whithorn. Here, Candida Casa, or “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, as well as 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 that Celtic Christians faced in Scotland. Return to Kilmarnock for dinner and your overnight stay.

Day 6: Today, you’ll cross Scotland and stop in Stirling. Visit the Church of the Holy Rude, built over the original structure in the 1400’s. See the Battlefield at Stirling Bridge and continue to Edinburgh for dinner and your overnight stay.

Day 7: 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, the renowned as the home of golf! Return to Edinburgh for dinner and overnight.

Day 8: 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 as well as 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: Return home from Edinburgh with memories of the people and places of Celtic Christianity in Scotland.

Dates, Package Deposit & Payment Schedule

Reservation Dates

• Arrival Date: Monday, September 13, 2027. Group Flights depart from New York to Edinburgh Airport (EDI)
• Departure Date: Tuesday, September 21, 2027

Spaces are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Trip Deposit & Payment Schedule

• A payment of $300.00 per person is all that is due to secure your spot for this pilgrimage. This includes a $100.00 per person non-refundable cancellation fee. SEE CANCELLATION POLICY BELOW FOR MORE DETAILS
• Full payment for your trip is due 120 days prior to travel. Reservations submitted after this date are due in full and are 100% non-refundable; neither space nor pricing space is guaranteed.
• Edinburgh Airport (EDI) is where your transportation will meet you to bring you to your first hotel stop.
• If you would like a single stay, there is an additional supplement of $798.00 for the tour. These single supplement fees are in addition to the full price per person for your trip and will guarantee you will not share a room or stateroom during your trip.

Ability to Travel

Passengers registering for this tour accept the responsibility for being in good health and able to walk and travel on this tour. Because many of the sites are not accessible to the physically challenged, those needing oxygen, wheelchairs, or other ambulatory assistance will find the tour extremely limiting to their experiences.

Persons using C-Pap machines requiring distilled water will need to inform Hidden Gem Travel ahead of time, so we can work with local operators to prepare as it is not always available. We reserve the right to refuse or revoke travel to anyone who is, in the sole judgement of us, incapable of group travel without causing undue demands upon the staff or other tour participants. Accessible rooms are very limited and subject to confirmationn after receiving the registrant's written request.

This is an adult-only tour offering.

-Very Important - Please Read-

Reservation Cancellation Policy

Those registering for this pilgrimage should be aware of the following cancellation penalties: 

From the day of registration to 120 days prior to travel, you will be charged the $100.00 non-refundable cancellation fee plus any airline & land fees. Additionally, thereafter, you will be charged any airline penalties, land penalties and a single room supplement if your cancellation forces your roommate plus the following per-person charges: 119 - 75 DAYS PRIOR TO TRAVEL = $400.00; 74 - 60 DAYS PRIOR TO TRAVEL = $600.00; 59 - 31 DAYS PRIOR TO TRAVEL = 40% total cost of trip; 30 DAYS OR LESS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE = 100% NON-REFUNDABLE. Cancellations must be submitted in writing no later than 12pm CST on the day of cancellation.

Registrations reveived after the final payment due date have additional fees  starting at $100.00 per person. Additional fees will be advised after registering.

Statements of Responsibility

Hidden Gem Travel, and ETS Tours do not accept responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to delay or changes in air schedules, hotel overbookings, other hotel related problems or causes, and/or travel supplier cancellations or postponements. Travel suppliers include all tour operators, cruise lines, airlines, hotels, bus companies, entertainment venues, agencies, and any other travel supplier used to operate the tour.

All such losses or expenses will be the responsibility of the passenger. ETS Tours reserves the right to make adjustments to the itinerary as deemed desirable by us, and we reserve the right to cancel any tour prior to departure. If a tour is canceled beyond the control of us, ETS Tours will provide a refund or a future travel credit to be used two years from the date of issuance for the value of all funds paid by the passenger less nonrefundable travel supplier prepaid deposits, travel supplier change fees, nonrefundable travel protection premiums, and a $150 administration fee collected by ETS Tours.

Travel Insurance

**If you have any questions about the travel insurance please call Travel Insured at 1-800-243-3174. We (Hidden Gem Travel) are not a licensed insurance company and cannot legally answer any insurance-related questions.**

Not purchasing travel protection could result in the loss of your travel money and/or require more money to correct the situation. Without protection, there is no way to recoup any costs, losses, or expenses incurred.  The price of Travel Protection is NOT included in the price of room selections and is non-refundable once purchased.

Having travel protection is definitely important and we recommend it for everyone. However, the choice to have travel protection is solely up to you, and you are welcome to purchase through any company you like.

Click here to purchase travel insurance.

When you click the link, you will need to answer a few questions about your trip, and you'll be redirected to a page with their policy plans and pricing.

The website offers plans like the "Worldwide Platinum Trip Protector" plan with optional add-ons like CFAR (Cancel for Any Reason), Optional Bed Rest to cover any quarantine expenses, and more. Travel Insured is the company we personally use and we highly recommend them for travel insurance needs.

If you want the CFAR (Cancel for Any Reason) benefit you will have to add it to the policy and you must purchase insurance no later than 20 days after you make your initial payment. CFAR is not available to NY residents.

The basic "Worldwide Platinum Trip Protector" plan which does not include CFAR can be purchased at any time, including more than 20 days after your first payment, but it will not cover the Pre-Existing Condition Exclusion Waiver or the Bankruptcy/Default of an airline, cruise line, tour operator or any other travel vendors. However, you can still cancel for a covered reason and potentially receive up to 100% in refunds as long as it's a covered reason.

Depending on the reason for canceling, travel insurance will cover 75-100% of your trip cancelation and many other things like medical services, trip delay, lost luggage, and more.

We strongly suggest you call and verify which policy will be best for your travel needs. You can reach an insurance agent at 1-800-243-3174.