Barely three miles long and one mile wide, this small sacred isle holds a profound peace and breathtaking beauty that touches everyone who goes there. St. Columba (or Colum Cille, in Gaelic) established the first Celtic Church and monastic community here in 563 CE.
We will look to Celtic traditions and ancient spiritual practices to deepen our own connection to the sacred. To embark on a pilgrimage is a calling, one that our ancestors understood before us. We will walk the land of Iona together as pilgrims, wandering to special places on the island to embrace the wilderness and to pray with nature.
For a 7-night / 8-day once-in-a-lifetime transformational journey. We welcome people of all faiths or non-faiths as the voice of the Great Mystery knows no denomination.
Each day you will be led through experiences that:
+Restore the Natural Rhythm of your Body
+Reawaken your Heart
+Reclaim your Center
Collectively and individually, we will listen for the whispers of the sacred within ourselves, the land, water, plants, animals, Iona Abby, each other, and sacred locations that have been prayed over for thousands of years.
You will be supported with your pilgrimage from the moment you sign-up through your return home. You will receive travel recommendations, packing lists, practices to prepare for your journey, suggested reading, and more.
August, 2nd 2025
You will meet Wendy and Kathleen in Oban. Travel to Iona is a pilgrimage in itself; we’ll travel together by ferry, coach across the island, and another ferry to arrive on Iona. Oban is a three-hour train journey from Glasgow; we recommend that you arrive in Oban on Friday and stay overnight at your choice of hotel or B&B to avoid a very early-morning train journey from Glasgow.
August 2nd, 2025 – August 9th, 2025
RHYTHMS OF OUR DAY
Morning: Create openness as we arise to experience the sacred. (Rising of the new day sun in the east – opening ourselves to new possibilities of connecting with the sacred within and around us.) Begin the day with prayer, meditation, or gentle movement. People of all spiritual traditions, or no tradition, are welcome. Following morning service and breakfast, we’ll explore our theme using movement, reflection, journaling, and connection through the island.
Midday: Embodied wisdom and Sacred alchemy (deep connection within and the land -spaciousness for the inner work of the soul) Lunch will be followed by an afternoon break with time for personal reflection, wandering the island, or rest.
Evening: Rest and Reverence (as we make our through the daily medicine wheel we end up being held by the earth, landing in deep rest and reverence for all of life) We’ll come back together with a reflective gathering to integrate our day’s experience, followed by dinner and evening prayer.
August 9th, 2025
After breakfast, we’ll bid farewell to the island and travel by ferry and coach back to Oban to part ways.
Bishop’s House Retreat Center
We’ll have exclusive use of Bishop’s House, a beautiful center built in 1894 that serves as a retreat house for the Scottish Episcopal Church—though you don’t need to be of any particular faith tradition to enjoy their warm welcome and hospitality!
Bishop’s House is a retreat house, not a hotel; it offers comfortable, simple accommodation including wholesome home-cooked meals, use of a library with open fire, access to a beautiful chapel, and a view of the sound of Iona. All bedrooms are up one flight of stairs and each bathroom is shared by several guests. Although Bishop’s House itself is just a short walk from the ferry, this retreat will require some walking over rough ground, short uphill walks, and muddy terrain. In order to participate fully in this part of the pilgrimage, you should be comfortable walking two to three miles on uneven ground. Please see the FAQ section below for more details on location, weather, and accommodation.
There is a very limited number of rooms available so please register early.
If you have specific roommate requests, please let Kathleen know at the time of registration: Kathleen@katmcintyre.com
What is not included in the price:
We’ll have exclusive use of Bishop’s House retreat center. Expect simple, comfortable, and cozy accommodation, bathrooms with a private tub or shower shared among a few guests. We’ll be asked to help set and clear away dishes from the table, and help with a few very simple housekeeping tasks before we depart.
There are a limited number of single rooms available. Register early to reserve one of these. If you are travelling with a companion please let us know this when you register. If you are travelling on your own and would like to share a room, we are happy to match you with a roommate.
All three meals – breakfast, lunch, and dinner – are included and served at Bishop’s House for the duration of our retreat.
Food is home-cooked, traditional Scottish fare served family style; expect wholesome and hearty but basic meals: fish, meat, or poultry, cooked vegetables or salad, soups and fresh-baked bread. Vegetarian and gluten-free meals are available; if you have a specific food allergy the staff will do their best to accommodate. Tea, coffee, and herbal teas are freely available. You are welcome to enjoy meals out at one of several wonderful restaurants on the island serving higher-end meals, including local organic produce. A guest-use refrigerator is also available. There is no alcohol served at Bishop’s House, but participants are welcome to bring their own alcohol for thoughtful consumption on the premises, or enjoy a visit to the local pub!
WiFi is available in the library and lounge. How much money do I need to bring with me?
Although all your necessary expenses are included in the pilgrimage fee, Iona has a number of wonderful craft and artisan shops, an excellent bookshop, and several cafes, restaurants, and a pub, so you may want to budget accordingly! There is limited access to ATMs on the island, though you can pay with a debit or credit card in most shops.
For US and Canadian citizens: Phones and laptops require a simple outlet adapter. Hair dryers are available from Bishop’s House, if needed. If you have any medical equipment that requires use of an electrical outlet, such as a CPAP, please let us know in advance so we can help you plan accordingly.
Scotland is often rainy and cool but there can also be sunny and warmer days especially in July. It is a temperate climate and rarely gets very hot or very cold, although the damp and wind can make it feel colder.
At a minimum, bring sturdy, water-resistant walking shoes and a waterproof jacket; we recommend waterproof boots, water-resistant hiking trousers or rain pants, and a really good rain jacket! You may also want to bring a simple day pack, water bottle, and a head torch, in case you want to ramble home after dark.
Iona is a completely walkable island, and you can’t experience its full beauty without some walking. We will include different outings to sites on the island as part of our retreat experience. We recommend that you be able to walk about 2-3 miles over uneven ground in order to participate fully in this part of our experience.
The deposit of $500 is an administrative fee that secures your space in this intimate retreat and is nonrefundable. There are no exceptions to the refund policy. As this is a once in a lifetime pilgrimage we expect this to sell out quickly. If you are called to this special place please do not delay. The balance of the program fee is due by February 1st, 2025 and is nonrefundable after that time. We HIGHLY SUGGEST that you obtain travel insurance to include trip cancellation (“cancel for any reason” coverage will give you the widest leeway for cancellation), which will cover financial losses from any personal emergencies or other events which require your cancellation.
In the unlikely event that we either do not have enough participants registered six months prior (by the final payment due date) or if there is an emergency which prevents us from leading the experience, all of your retreat fees paid will be refunded. However, we are not responsible for any other losses, including travel expenses, which you may incur due to this cancellation.
We recommend flying into Glasgow airport. (You can fly into Edinburgh, though it is a longer train ride from Oban, and you may need to change trains in Glasgow.) From Glasgow Airport you can take a shuttle bus into the center of town. Trains to Oban depart from Queen Street Train Station, and it’s just a few hundred feet from the Oban train terminal to the ferry. You can buy your train tickets in advance to save some money, or you can purchase them at the time of departure. It takes about three hours to make the journey to Oban by train. Although it is possible to take a bus from Glasgow to Oban, we highly recommend the train as it’s more comfortable, and a beautiful journey!
