This tour connects the sites together so you can experience a sense of the essence of Scotland’s sacred past. It includes information on vital ley lines that span Scotland, early history of the Knights Templar, local legends of early Celtic saints and elemental beings, and most of all imparts a sense that this land is still magical when you take time to explore it off the beaten track. If time is short you may join the tour at a later stage for the reduced price of £1100 if you can reach Oban for collection (Day 3 or 4).

Sacred sites of Templar Scotland August and October 2010

Proposed Templar Scotland Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Edinburgh and transfer to Stirling. Overnight in Stirling.

Day 2 – Visit Stirling Castle ancient seat of the Stewarts, nearby Bannockburn (where the Knights Templar fought and won a famous battle), and the Kings Knot (contender for Camelot with some Celtic historians). Drive to the picturesque port of Crinan via Loch Awe. En route visit a Columban early church site overlain with Templar history. Overnight in Crinan.

Day 3 – Drive through remote and atmospheric Knapdale to view early Templar stones and coastal settlements, and then travel to Loch Melfort on west coast of Argyll. Visit Dunadd Fort where Columba inaugurated local kings of his Dal Riada clan. Overnight in Loch Melfort Hotel and relax in its glorious gardens.

Day 4 –Visit the unique Kilmartin Museum set beside linear cemeteries, stone circles, standing stones and rock carvings in Kilmartin Valley. Take the late ferry from Oban to Mull. Overnight on Mull

Day 5 – visit the enigmatic church of Dervaig (also known in Gaelic as “sacred place”). Take the incredibly scenic coastal road through Mull and cross to Iona. Overnight at the St. Colomba Hotel beside the ancient island abbey.

Day 6 – Spend the whole day wandering at leisure on Iona visiting natural and prehistoric sites as well as the abbey. Special maps are provided to guide you.

Day 7 – Leave Iona and return to Mull. Visit Duart Castle the stronghold of the Macleans. Return to Oban and travel over the mountain passes and along Loch Tay to Kenmore. Overnight in the Dale of Fortingall.

Day 8 – Explore the antiquities of Fortingall (includes the oldest tree in Europe that was at the centre of Druid rituals). Walk above Glen Lyon to the energetic split rock named locally as the Praying Hands of Mary, Stay again in the Dale of Fortingall

Day 9 – Visit other ancient sites in the vicinity including St Mary’s in Grandtully, Croft Morag stone circle and the old mortuary at Weem. Return along the Tay Valley and head for Edinburgh

Day 10 – Spend the day in Roslin Glen and Rosslyn Chapel and Rosslyn Castle environs.

This tour is borne of Jackie's knowledge and interest in history and the energetic qualities to many of the Templar sites in Scotland. Since the Knights Templar often built on earlier sacred sites, the tour looks at various bodies of knowledge through the ages and also how the land itself is vibrant in attracting special groups such as the early Christain "Culdees" to settle on it over time. The early knights worked closely with those who were well versed in the art of navigation, and many of their sites in Scotland were coastal.

The knights seemed to possess a good understanding of sacred geometry and geomancy and settled accordingly. Jackie has written two books on this subject and is able to dowse the patterns on the land.Dowsing at the sites is encouraged but not necessary. Rods are provided free, while locally made pendulums locally produced are for sale at a reasonable rate. A wide range of people enjoy the tour.