This trip commences in the Scottish city with the most impressive Cathedral and important history of religious life. The founder of Glasgow, St. Kiltegern had a lasting impression on the area he named "Glas Ghu" or Green Meadows and today we can visit his tomb inside the incredibly well preserved crypt at Glasgow Cathedral, a Medieval edificice above the main city.
 
We'll be exploring "Thin Places" - areas on the west coast of Scotland known for their peace and calm as well as pre-Roman Christianity, where saints and scholars devoted their lives to prayer and peace, visiting some very intereting Celtic Churches in stunningly beautiful landscapes. We'll trace the religion to Ireland, from where it came, with a quick ferry to Belfast from Cairnryan and continue our pilgrimage to the site of St. Patrick's Cathedral and tomb in Armagh, a place enshrined since shortly after Patrick's first visit to Ireland in 432 AD.
 
Between Belfast and Dublin we'll visit some monastic sites designed to be distant from the main towns as oases of peace and tranquility - Monasterboice being such an example. From Dublin, we'll visit Glendalough monastery in Wicklow, the Garden of Ireland and Clonmacnoise, on the River Shannon, once the most important religious settlements in Ireland and visited by Pope John Paul II on his visit to Ireland in 1979.
 
This promises to be a very interesting trip allowing us to explore the changes to monastic and church life through the centuries engaging with its artwork, architecture, structure and beauty, as well as being an important personal spiritual journey for all participants. The last time we did this trip, everyone was a changed person by the end of it, including the driver and guide. What a really special way to connect with nature, our spirituality and our own missions to become better people.