Pictures from Scotland and England

A Pilgrimage to our Spiritual Past

A Pilgrimage to Scotland and England

Led by:

The Rev. Mary Alice Lyman

Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville
Lawrenceville, NJ

July 7 – 16, 2009

Trip map

DAY 1, Tuesday, July 7, 2009 - Depart the United States. Dinner on board the aircraft. D

DAY 2: Wednesday, July 8, 2009 - Arrive in Glasgow the second largest city in Scotland. Our journey begins as we travel through the spectacular Trossachs to Loch Lomond, the largest of Scotland’s lakes and according to Sir Walter Scott “The Queen of Scottish Lakes.” We will enjoy a boat ride on the Loch then continue on to Oban for dinner and overnight. D

DAY 3: Thursday, July 9, 2009 - This morning we travel to Iona. We step back into the Celtic spiritual history of Scotland today. We will worship at Iona Abbey at the 9:30 AM service. Surrounding the chapel is the Reilig Odhrain, the sacred burial ground which is said to contain the graves of 48 Scottish kings including that of Macbeth’s victim, Duncan. We will then meet at 11:30 AM at St. Martin’s Cross in front of the Abbey and embark on a Pilgrimage Walk of Iona. St. Martin’s Cross, dating to the 8th century is the finest of Iona’s Celtic crosses and is decorated on one side with the serpent-and-boss and on the other with Holy figures. Today’s expedition around the island will be physically challenging. We will be visiting places of both historic and religious significance. We return to Oban for dinner and overnight. BD

DAY 4: Friday, July 10, 2009 - Today we travel to the town of Perth, the capital of Scotland from the 12th century until James I was assassinated here in 1437. We will visit St. John Kirk (Kirk is the Scottish word for “church”), it was here that John Knox preached in May 1559, adding a driving force to the Reformation in Scotland. Dinner and overnight Perth. BD

DAY 5: Saturday, July 11, 2009 - We will visit Scone Palace, the home of the Earl of Mansfield and where a vast collection of needlework, china, furniture and other objects are on display. We will see Moot Hill, where Scottish kings were once crowned (while sitting on a sacred stone, which was carried away by Edward I, and only recently returned by the English). We continue on to Edinburgh for dinner and overnight. BD

DAY 6: Sunday, July 12, 2009 - This morning we will be free to wander the ancient cobbled streets in small groups with chaperones. In the afternoon we will attend the 12:30 PM Gaelic worship service at Greyfriars Presbyterian, where in 1638, the National Covenant was presented and signed in front of the pulpit. After lunch we enjoy a sightseeing tour of Edinburgh. We will see the Royal Mile, the shopping district to Princess Street, the medieval town, the elegant squares of the Victorian and Georgian part of the city, St. Giles Cathedral, the Palace of Holyrood House which is the official residence of the Queen of England when she is in Scotland, and the Castle. Time permitting we will be free to wander the ancient cobbled streets, shop, or visit one or two of the many art galleries and museums in small groups with chaperones. Overnight Edinburgh. B

DAY 7: Monday, July 13, 2009 - We travel to the cathedral city of Durham, once the capital of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria, and now a thriving university town. The city has been preserved and protected and offers a great deal of insight into the England of old. We visit Rosslyn Chapel, known for the quality and variety of its stone carvings. The chapel is believed by many to be the burial place of the Holy Grail and was featured in the novel, The Da Vinci Code. We visit Durham Cathedral, begun in the 10th century and now admired by historians and architects from all over the world. We will see the bishop’s throne, the Sanctuary Knocker, and the tomb of Bishop Hatfield. Time permitting we attend Evensong at the cathedral. Dinner and overnight Durham. BD

DAY 8: Tuesday, July 14, 2009 - Our journey continues to Hadrian’s Wall, built in 122 during the rule of Hadrian to keep Roman Britain safe from hostile attacks from the Pictish tribes. We continue on to Lindisfarne, known by many as Holy Island. The causeway to the island floods on high tide and we will cross only when the tide allows. We begin our exploration of the island of Lindisfarne where religious history dates from the beginning of Christianity in England. St. Aidan established a monastery on Lindisfarne in 635 AD and St. Cuthbert was buried here in 687. We will visit Lindisfarne Priory and have time for walking and meditating. Dinner and overnight Alnwick or Berwick on Tweed area. BD

DAY 9: Wednesday, July 15, 2009 - Today we will travel through Sir Walter Scott Country. We visit the abbeys at Jedburgh and Melrose. Jedburgh Abbey is the most intact of all of the Borders Abbeys. We will also visit Melrose where the Cistercian Abbey was one of the most famous of all of the Borders Abbeys. Sir Walter Scott supervised the partial reconstruction of the abbey considered to be one of the most beautiful ruins in Great Britain. We continue on to Edinburgh, Scotland where we will enjoy a “farewell to Scotland” dinner. Overnight Edinburgh. BD

DAY 10: Thursday, July 16, 2009 - Today we say “goodbye” to Scotland and transfer to Edinburgh Airport for our return flight home. B

Price: $2,999.00  Price is based on double occupancy without airline taxes and fuel surcharges.  Roundtrip air from Newark, NJ.  Air transportation available from other cities.  Single supplement is $269.00.

** The price is not guaranteed and may change due to the fluctuation of the British Pound and the US dollar.  We make every effort to avoid any increase and will only do so if the value of the dollar falls against the British Pound.  Your pricing was based on the exchange rate of $1.73023 to the British Pound. **

Final Payment due April 7, 2009

Cancellation Penalties
◊ October 30, 2008 – April 7, 2009 - $200.00 plus any unrecoverable fees.
◊ April 8, 2009 – June 5, 2009 - $300.00 plus any unrecoverable fees.
◊ After June 6, 2009: NO REFUND

Price includes Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance.

$200.00 per person deposit due with registration and copy of passport.

Meals: B Breakfast, L Lunch, D Dinner

The itinerary is subject to change due to local conditions or at the discretion and direction of the leader or guide.