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All inclusive prices from
£1300 per head for 10 days
August and October 2010
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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.
TEMPLAR
AND SCENERY TOUR OF SCOTLAND in
association with Shona Fraser of Scotland Direct www.shona-Fraser.com
10 Days July 9th till 18th August 8th till 17th
2010
Day 1: Departing from Edinburgh
On your arrival a member of the
team will meat and greet you either at the airport Edinburgh orGlasgow, we
can also arrange to meet if you arrive at the train station.If you are
arriving by car we will send you details on how to arrive at the hotel.The
accomodation will be in a quality hotel near Edinburgh.You will be free to
explore Edinburgh and in the evening you will meet with the well
acknowledged guide of Temples and other storical places of interest.Dinner
at hotel
Introduction to historic presence of Templars in region by visiting old
kirks that have Templar burial markers in their graveyards, ancient wells
frequented by them before battle etc - Also a visit to private
pre-Reformation Well.
Day 2 :Midlothian
Visit to Roslin Glen and adjacent
Rosslyn Chapel and castle, and then after lunch visit peripheral chapels in
Midlothian whose owners were affiliated with the Templars-these are called
collegiate chapels. End at the ancient headquarters of the Templars in
Midlothian hear of the Battle of Roslin which was so similar yet relatively
unknown to the more famous one at Bannockburn - in which William Wallace
was the hero not Robert the Bruce!
Day 3 :Border Abbeys
Visit to Melrose Abbey in the Borders where Robert the Bruce's heart is
buried, and the charming sister monastery where Walter Scott is buried at
Dryburgh Abbey. Hear of the famous fairy legend of Thomas the Rhymer, the
astronomical research on Melrose, Templar associations, Robert the Bruce,
Arthur and the Eilden Hills, early Celtic saints Cuthbert and Aiden.Time
permitting visit to Floors Castle.
Day 4
Departure to Stirling in the upper Forth Valley -
Visit Stirling Castle ancient seat of the Stewarts this castle was the
Stewart stronghold to whom the Templars and Sinclairs were allied with -
discuss the role of both families in Templar "history", nearby
Bannockburn (where the Knights Templar fought and won a famous battle), and
the Bannockburn Centre itself. Also Wallaces Tower if keen - and/or ancient
wells and chapels, the Kings Knot etc if you are interested. These latter
places were used in Templar times too.
We will the proceede towards
Pitlochry where we will stay for 2 nights we will visit Dunkeld Cathedral
that had bishops linked to Templars and Culdees in earlier centuries -
proceding to Arbroath to view Abbey
where Declaration of Independence was signed
Day 5
We will visit Tay Valley- Masonic ceiling,
stone mausoleum at Weem with Templar connotations, Menzies Castle, and some
of earlier sites such as stone circle at Croft Morag to talk of alignments
in landscape with Rosslyn and elsewhere,we will then procede to Glen Lyon
,a beautiful and remote Perthshire highland glen, to hear legends and
discuss the interests and purposes of the Templars- some chapels indicate
very early links with them here.
Day 6
Departure to Oban passing through
Inverness to say hello to Nessie and a visit Urquhart castle
we will pass by Fort Augustus and
Fort William. Hotel accomodation for 2 nights
Day 7
Visit to Loch Awe where yews were
used to make arrows for Robert the Bruce's army, and visit secluded chapel
with Templar stones lying abandoned in grass- onto Kilmartin Glen where
many Templars were buried - or rather their stones have been collected and
placed here. There are wonderful similar graveyards for these sailors in
more remote peninsulas in the west. Kilmartin Glen is prehistoric and the
whole region was explored by Columban monks, Columba himself inaugurating
the kings of his clan Dalriada at the fort of Dunadd nearby. There is much
to explore and discuss in this glen.Free time to explore the local area.
Day 8
Trip to Knapdale to visit remote chapel
and enjoy the scenery-passing by more standing stone and wells that make
alignments from early Celtic times,we will then procede towards Edinburgh
passing through Glasgow time permitting we will stop to visit Glasgow
Cathedral.Accomodation near Edinburgh 2 nights
Day 9
A day to relax and enjoy the
Capital city of Edinburgh if you book in the month of August you will be
able to attend the most popular event Tatoo with various entertainment from
all over the world
Day 10
Departure for your destination
Price :
£1.690.00 per person in a double
room
Single
on request
Includes: All transfers referring the itinerary, accommodation in a
quality hotel, for 9 nights, dinner with a glass of wine, a rich
traditional Scottish breakfast with buffet of various other products.
2 nights Scottish entertainment.
Not included: Travel Insurance, entrance to historical and non structure.
Transfer can be arranged if you
arrive at any other airport on request.
 Jackie Queally +353 (0)85 8338726
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