Celtic Retreats in Scotland
Kildalton Cross, Isle of Islay.
Celtic Christian Retreats & Pilgrimages
- drawing fresh inspiration from Celtic Christianity -
Introduction
We offer a range of Celtic Christian retreats in various locations as we wander by foot across a spiritually rich landscape, sharing reflections, insights and meditations, all out of doors. These retreats are not physically challenging, although significant hikes can be built into the itinerary to help identify more with that sense of making a pilgrimage.
Our retreats and pilgrimages draw upon our rich Celtic Christian heritage from a historical and spiritual perspective. The sharing of Biblical texts, Celtic prayers and poems aim to reconnect us with a rich heritage of a gentle and deep spirituality.
The 3rd part in the Z-Rod trilogy: A Celtic Saga of Warriors and Saints.
Martin is the author of six published Christian books, the most recent ones being the ‘Z-Rod trilogy - a historical fiction, featuring rugged Irish saints adventuring in Scotland among the warrior societies of the Picts. He has been running retreats for over 15 years. He is keen to share the creation-centred testament of the early Celtic fathers to help us reconnect with a lost spirituality for which many yearn.
Celtic Christian Retreats in Argyll.
3 and 4 day retreat options, with different content and locations.
Celtic Christian Retreat in the footsteps of Pictish & Celtic monks.
A 4-day retreat travelling just north of Inverness following in the footsteps of early Celtic and Pictish monks
You may also be interested in the Columba tour which is featured in the video on this page. Go to Columba for more information
Also refer to the blog: Celtic Christian Retreat: https://www.roamingscotland.com/blog/
Some TripAdvisor Reviews
Exploring early Celtic history on the West coast of Scotland
“The highlight was the 'course' Martin had prepared for me to learn about Celtic Christianity. He skillfully wove this into our trips and walks over the days. Martin has huge knowledge in this area. He shared with me about the key saints and people of that time as we drove and as we walked and then we would discuss. We visited places such as St Columba's cave, St Conan's Kirk, and Kilmory Knap Chapel (to see Celtic grave stones). In order to discover the fuller picture of life at that time, we also visited Fort Dunadd where the Dalraida kings were crowned as well as standing stones and tumulae erected by the druids. Martin prepared and left me with some substantial and very helpful written notes from what he shared. It was a wonderful and memorable trip. I would highly recommend Martin just as a walking guide but also as a specialist teacher in the area of Celtic history.”
“The weather was very variable and Martin was flexible to change the programme as necessary.”
“Thanks Martin for a truly great 3 days in Argyll. You have opened up a completely new area for me. It was a lovely restful time with lots of inspiration. Thank you so much for planning and executing such a lovely retreat. It was great to spend time too of thinking about the early Celtic peoples. Very thought provoking. A real holiday with a difference.”
“This is the third time I’ve been on a trip with Martin …. but this one far exceeded expectations! A group of us from the church joined him on the lovely Kintyre Peninsula to learn something of the beginnings of Christianity in our land. We were taken on a fascinating journey, hearing about the Picts and Scots of ancient Dalriada, visiting hill forts, standing stones, burial cairns and stone markings which abound in this area before hearing about some of the early saints; Columba, Cuthbert, Ninian and Patrick & seeing ancient Celtic crosses to learn of the significance of their markings in a Pictish culture. Along the way, Martin made history live for us as he read from biographies of the saints. Our accommodation on the beautiful Kirnan estate was fantastic & there was plenty of time for coffee stops, a never to be forgotten barbecue and various picnics. Altogether a fantastic time and one that we’d hope to repeat!”
“Thank you for an excellent time, I really enjoyed it. It was all I had hoped it would be largely thanks to your preparation and working things through. The days went far too quickly but as I reflect I think we covered a lot of ground - literally in terms of walking but also in our discussions. And all in the most wonderful corner of God's creation. It was wonderful to have such a knowledgeable guide. You have whetted my appetite and I am motivated now to look into the Celtic tradition further.”
“Come Lord, come down, come in, come among us.
Come as the wind to move us;
Come as the light to prove us;
Come as the night to rest us;
Come as the storm to test us;
Come as the sun to warm us;
Come as the stillness to calm us.
Come Lord, come down, come in, come among us.”
Celtic Daily Prayer
A customer’s impressions of the Columba Experience.
