Celtic Tours

KATHIE WALTERS MINISTRY

AND
CELTIC PILGRIM TOURS, BELFAST
INVITE YOU TO A FANTASTIC AND FUN
TOUR OF SCOTLAND AND IRELAND.
YOU WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.
April 4, 2012 - April 17, 2012
- PLEASE NOTE - THIS IS NOT A MISSION TRIP OR A MINISTRY TRIP- IT'S A CHILL OUT TIME FOR YOU TO ENJOY THE LORD AND GET CHANGED AT THE SAME TIME- GOD ALWAYS SHOWS UP BIG TIME - AND BRINGS DIFFERENT WAVES OF THE SPIRIT

Have you always wanted to visit Ireland and Scotland? Do you have Celtic Heritage? Are you interested in the rich Christian history of the Celtic lands? Are you ready for a much needed break filled with two weeks of beautiful scenery, amazing spiritual places, great shopping and lots of soaking, getting free and fun?
Come with Kathie on the 2012 tour of Scotland and Ireland! You will have the time of your life and be forever changed!

Full itinerary below:

Wed April 4 Overnight Flight to Edinburgh

Thur April 5
Transfer from Airport to your Hotel
Scotland is the land of the Thistle and the Heather. A great destination, our country is a haven of environmental cleanliness, beauty, wilderness and romance. Its ruggedness, honesty and authenticity makes it one of the most interesting countries of the world. As Madonna said - Scotland is 'dripping with atmosphere and romance' - this evocative nature coupled with the buzzwords of film, celebrity, challenge, adventure, reality makes it a must see country.

Fri April 6
The Holy Island of Lindisfarne & Bamburgh Castle
Bamburgh Castle Once home to the kings of ancient Northumbria, Bamburgh Castle is one of Northumberland's most iconic buildings. Home to the Kings of Northumbria this magnificent coastal castle was completely restored in 1900. Collections of china, porcelain, furniture, paintings, arms and armour. It is the home of the Armstrong family, and the building is all in use which maintains a welcoming lived-in atmosphere. A Royal Centre by AD547, the rocky outcrop has been occupied since the prehistoric period. The present fortress is the result of restoration and expansion over the centuries, a building of historic and general interest with the public tour passing through the museum room, grand kings hall, cross hall, armoury and the Victorian scullery.
The Holy Island of Lindisfarne. Lindisfarne Priory was one of the most important centres of early Christianity in Anglo-Saxon England. Founded by St Aidan in AD635, the site owes its fame to St Cuthbert, the greatest of Northumbrian holy men, who lived and died there. Stroll around the Monastic buildings which formed the living quarters of the monks, the remote setting adds to the unique atmosphere of the Priory. St Mary’s Church the oldest building on Holy Island, the only building that retains work from the Saxon period. It is very likely that St. Aidan worshipped on this site from arriving in 635 AD.
Location has always been the attraction for the occupiers of Lindisfarne Castle on Holy Island. From the original Tudor builders looking for a strong position to protect the island harbour to the wealthy Edwardian bachelor seeking a quiet retreat from London, the situation of the Castle has intrigued and inspired for centuries. Lutyens' renovation hides and emphasises the old fort, while overlooking Gertrude Jekyll's garden and the Lime Kilns, magnificent evidence of Lindisfarne's industrial past.

Sat April 7
Free day in Edinburgh
Edinburgh is one of Europe's most beautiful cities, draped across a series of rocky hills overlooking the sea. It's a town intimately entwined with its landscape, with buildings and monuments perched atop crags and overshadowed by cliffs - in the words of Robert Louis Stevenson, 'a dream in masonry and living rock'. From the Old Town's picturesque jumble of medieval tenements piled high along the Royal Mile, its turreted skyline strung between the black, bull-nosed Castle Rock and the russet palisade of Salisbury Crags, to the New Town's neat grid of neoclassical respectability, all columns and capitals, porticoes and pediments, the city offers a constantly changing perspective. And it's all small enough to explore easily on foot.

Sun April 8
The Scottish Highlands and Oban
The vast Highlands of Scotland are one of Western Europe's last great wildernesses. Just as you imagine or have seen in movies like The Highlander, the mountainous scenery is breathtaking with a dramatic coastline. The Highlands are the largest of the 32 council areas in Scotland, merging the former counties of Ross and Cromarty, all of Sutherland, Caithness and Nairnshire, and parts of Argyll and Moray. Although the Scottish highlands do stretch further south this area is governed by the Highland Council.
Loch Lomond is a freshwater loch is around 39 kilometres and has a maximum depth of about 190 metres. Of all lakes in Great Britain, it is the largest by surface area, and the second largest by water volume. Traditionally a boundary of Stirlingshire and Dunbartonshire, Loch Lomond is located in the current council areas of Stirling, Argyll and Bute, and West Dunbartonshire, and its southern shores lie approximately 23 kilometres north of Glasgow. Loch Lomond is now part of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. Ben Lomond is on the eastern shore: 974 m in height and the most southerly of the Scottish Munro peaks.
The most important town of Argyll is Oban which has an interesting town center with lots of shops. Oban port is the gateway to the Hebrides with the important Calmac ferry terminal. From here ferries leave for Mull, Coll, Tiree and the Outer Hebrides. That and the fact that Oban is the only large settlement in the area makes the town one of the busiest places in this part of Scotland. Remarkable is the location of the distillery in the town centre. It was there before the city expanded in the 1900's to its present size.

Mon April 9
Iona and the Isle of Mull
The Isle of Mull is the second largest island of the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland in the council area of Argyll and Bute. Mull is the fourth largest Scottish island and has an area of 338 square miles. The coastline of Mull is almost 300 miles long. The population of Mull, Iona and Ulva is around 1,800 people which is probably doubled in the summer because of the many tourists that visit Mull each year. Much of the population lives in Tobermory, the only burgh on Mull until 1973, and its capital. Mull is surrounded by the Sound of Mull in the north, the Firth of Lorn in the south and east and the Atlantic Ocean in the west.
Iona
In 563 Saint Columba, exiled from his native Ireland, founded a monastery on Iona with 12 companions. From Iona they set about the conversion of pagan Scotland and much of northern England to Christianity. Iona's fame as a place of learning and Christian mission spread throughout Europe. Iona became a holy island where several kings of Scotland, Ireland and Norway came to be buried. Notable burials on Iona include: King Donald II of Scotland, King Malcolm I of Scotland, King Duncan I of Scotland, King Macbeth of Scotland and King Donald III of Scotland. Many believe that the Book of Kells was produced, in whole or in part, on Iona towards the end of the 8th century.

Tue April 10
Leaving Scotland we sail across the Irish Sea to Ireland
You will travel south past the edge of Glasgow and down the Ayrshire coast to Cairnryan to board a car ferry for the 2 hour crossing to Belfast, Ireland.

Wed April 11
Bangor Abbey, Saul Church and Downpatrick
The ancient Abbey of Bangor was one of those renowned Irish monasteries, which gained for Ireland the title of "The Isle of Saints and Scholars ".
The Founder, Comgall, was born at Magheramorne, Co. Antrim in 517 A.D., of the race of Fiacha Araidhe, founder of the kingdom of Dalaradia. Comgall's father was Setna, a Pictish warrior; his mother's name was Briga. Having shown early promise of a vocation to the Christian ministry, he was educated under St. Fintan at Clonenagh, and also studied under Finian at Clonard and Mobi Clairenach at Glasnevin. He was ordained deacon and priest by Bishop Lugidius, either at Clonmacnoise or Connor.
Comgall founded his most famous monastery at Bangor about 558 A.D. The ancient Annals differ about the exact year, giving various dates between 552 and 559. The earliest, the Annals of Tighernach, and the Annals of Innisfallen, give 558 A.D. as the date of the foundation.
Here Comgall gathered round him a band of monks, whose saintly life and scholarly attainments became the wonder of their age.
Down Cathedral is a Church of Ireland cathedral. It stands on the site of a Benedictine Monastery, built in 1183. Saint Patrick's remains are buried in the graveyard. Magnificent stain glass windows, box pews and beautiful organ case enhances this interesting building.

When St Patrick came to Ireland in 432 he meant to sail up the coast to county Antrim where, as a young slave, he had tended flocks for six years on Slemish mountain. But strong currents swept his boat through Strangford's tidal narrows and he landed where the Slaney river flows into the lough.
Nothing daunted by this change of plan, Patrick set about his missionary business, starting with Dichu, the local chieftain. Dichu was quickly converted and gave him a barn (sabhal pronounced 'saul' in Gaelic) for holding services. Over the next 30 years Patrick converted the Irish to Christianity. He died at Saul in 461 and was buried in Downpatrick.


Thur April 12
Drive to Galway
This will take you south to near Dublin and then across the middle of Ireland to the West Coast


Fri April 13
Free day in Galway
Galway City, known as the City of the Tribes with its seaside suburb of Salthill, is an important tourist centre and a gateway to the scenic areas of the county.
In the 1400s, there began in Galway the rule of the 'Tribes', as the leading fourteen families were called. Their names were Athy, Blake, Bodkin, Browne, D'arcy, Deane, ffont, French, Joyce, Kirwan, Lynch, Martin, Morris, and Skerritt

Sat April 14
Leaving Galway we drive to Dublin Visiting The Hill of Tara, Slane Hill and Monasterboice on the way.
Though best known as the seat of the High Kings of Ireland, the Hill of Tara has been an important site since the late Stone Age when a passage-tomb was constructed there. Tara was at the height of its power as a political and religious centre in the early centuries after Christ.
The Hill of Slane has been associated with Christianity since the 5th century and was the location of the Pascal fire lit by St. Patrick on Easter Eve of the year 433 AD in defiance of the royal edict on the High King of Tara. The Easter Fire is still lighted each year on the hill.

Soon after St. Patrick, a monsatery associated with St. Earc was built on the site. Little is know of the history of this monastery until the church was rebuilt in its present form in 1512 when Sir Christopher Fleming founded a Franciscan friary. The church was built to a very simple plan but has a fine bell tower. Nearby are the remains of a college which was founded to server the church and housed four priests, four lay-brothers and four choristers. It was built around an open quadrangle with the priests' residence to the north. The current surviving structure includes the windows, fireplaces and a double garderobe (toilet).
Monasterboice is said to have been founded by St. Buithe (d. 520), a follower of St. Patrick, in the late 5th century AD. (There is evidence that the site had pre-Christian sacred significance as well.) It is from St. Buithe that the Boyne River gets its name. According to legend, the saint ascended directly into heaven via a ladder lowered from above.
The settlement was captured by invading Vikings in 968 AD, who were then comprehensively expelled by Donal, the Irish high king of Tara. St. Buithe's Monastery was an important center of spirituality and scholarship until the Cistercians arrived at nearby Mellifont Abbey in 1142, after which Monasterboice declined.

Sun April 15
Powerscourt and Glendalough
Powerscourt House, a Place Apart, even the avenue leading to the Palladian house echoes the magnificence of the whole estate, being a mile long and lined by over 2,000 beech trees. In addition the 47 acres of gardens are remarkable for their grandeur of scale, at the same time combining great delicacy and refinement of detail.
The house was gutted by fire in 1974 but recently has been reborn as an exceptional tourist destination. An exhibition brings to life the rich history of the estate, while the double height Georgian ballroom has been restored and hosts weddings and corporate events. The house is now home to the best of Irish design in gifts, clothes, and furniture in the Avoca Stores and the Interiors Gallery. You can also treat yourself to a dish from the Avoca Cookbook in the Terrace Cafe. Visitors to Powerscourt can also enjoy a visit to Tara's Palace on the upper floor of the House.
The gardens at Powerscourt were laid out in two main periods. When the house was rebuilt in the decade after 1731, the surrounding grounds were also remodelled. The design reflected the desire to create a garden which was part of the wider landscape. To the north formal tree plantations framed the vista from the house, while a walled garden, fish pond, cascades, grottos and terraces lay to the south. Walks wound through the wooded grounds and a fine tree lined avenue was created. A century later the 6th Viscount Powerscourt instructed his architect, Daniel Robertson, to draw up new schemes for the gardens.
For thousands of years people have been drawn to 'the valley of the two lakes' for its spectacular scenery, rich history, archaeology and abundant wildlife.
Glendalough is a remarkable place that will still your mind, inspire your heart and fill your soul.
Glendalough has long been an area renowned for its natural beauty and history and it is one of the most visited places in Ireland.
The Glendalough Valley is located in the Wicklow Mountains National Park and has many attractions to entice, entertain and enthral visitors, from its world famous Monastic Site with Round Tower (pictured to the right) to its scenic lakes and valleys, as well as a selection of walks and trails in the area including The Wicklow Way.

Mon April 16
Free day in Dublin
Dublin, the capital of Ireland, situated in the east of the country offers the same facilities as any other European city while still maintaining the most traditional and vibrant of Irish culture. Dublin has some wonderful sites to see, like the River Liffey that cuts the city in two or Grafton street, the cities shopping heart, and the famous O’Connor’s street. Ireland is passionate about its sport and in Dublin you will find the two main sporting stadiums, Croke Park and Lansdowne Rugby Ground. Dublin was the home of Oscar Wilde, James Joyce and many other poets and writers, and will prove a thrilling experience for anyone, surrounded by music and the unique hospitality of Dubliners.

Tues April 17
Transfer to Dublin Airport for your flight home.

Tour

Total Cost $3995.00, which includes airfare from Newark, double occupancy hotel accommodations, breakfasts, dinners, and transportation. We will also get your add on fare from your airport to Newark and charge that to your card when the tickets are purchased. The Irish Night is not included in this price.

Land only cost $2900 which includes double occupancy hotel accommodations, breakfasts, dinners and transportation. No airfare is included in this package. The Irish Night is not included in this price.

A non-refundable $350.00 deposit to secure your place is due right away. Click here to Sign Up and make deposit. Please pay the deposit as soon as you can as this tour will fill up quickly - spaces are limited. For payments made after deposit please use drop down menu to subtract your $350 deposit.

Single Room Supplement $600.00 This is for the extra cost if you would like a single room in addition to the $3995.00
total cost or $2900 land cost. Due by Feb 23, 2012.

For multiple installments on full price tour:

First payment of $350 is due immediately.

For payments made after deposit please use drop down menu to subtract your $350 deposit.

Second payment of $1825.00 due Feb 1, 2012.

Final Payment of $1820.00 is due Feb 23, 2012.

Payment for the Irish Night of $100.00 which will include:
A fantastic Irish dinner and show. Due Feb 23, 2012.

Come along and enjoy all the entertainment, you really do not want to miss out!

Your evening commences with a four course Irish banquet, followed by traditional Irish entertainment.

For further information:
Sharon Busby
goodnews@reynoldscable.net

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Click here to view video excerpt of 2009 tour

Click here to view video excerpt of 2010 tour If you enjoyed this you should get the dvd below!

Full DVD of 2010 tour may be purchased by for $10.00 plus shipping of $3.95

Testimonies from Past Tours

last updated 01/18/2012