A Sacred Celtic Journey (part 3): Scotland

Sacred Celtic Journey: Scotland

Sunday July 7

We arrived midday in Edinburgh, Scotland from Bristol, England and took a bus to our hotel, the Apex City Hotel.

Quick pic of us before we leave to find our hotel

I settled into the energy of Scotland. And later, Richard would tell me how much it all meant to him.

Looking across the street from our hotel. The Apex City hotel in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Dinner tonight with some of our group at Fiddler’s Arms. ❤️😉🍀

Monday July 8

We had no idea the heart expanding treat we had in store for us as we visited Rosslyn chapel (think DaVinci Code and the Knights Templar), and the amazing grounds, Yew tree, and glen below the chapel. We learned, and felt, so much!

Upon setting foot on the grounds of Rosslyn Chapel, our soulful guide, Patricia McGivern, had a friend of hers join us and offer an invocation or meditation. As Hazel spoke, and with my eyes shut, I felt myself calm. This time, instead of seeing my field of vision blue (that I’ve talked about before), my view was completely different! My field of vision began to fill with a soft pink, and then quickly turned to a deep and bright ROSE! (One could even call it a vibrant rose color!) Ah!

After walking for a time and taking in a cemetery, natural spring, well, and energy vortex, we made our way through a thicket (where I was once again stung by the stinging nettle), to arrive at one of the most stunning of sights. Thankfully, Hazel picked a few dock leaves for me to squeeze some fluid from to heal it.

We learned so much from Kris! Like how Robinhood is actually a VIKING story that is told in Scotland. And that Rosslyn chapel has 126 plus pictures of the greenman. The greenman is a male energy archytype. (Note: I had been pulling the greenman card out of my oracle deck for months prior to this trip!)

The Yew Tree

The base of the hundreds of years old, magnificent Yew tree.

As one who fancies how, We Are All Connected, you can imagine how deeply fascinated I was with how this Yew tree grows. It grows out and circles back (if left unattended and trimmed), into itself to continue expanding!

The Yew is an exquisite example of communion and continuity! ❤️🦋🌀🙏☯️🍀

Incredible Yew tree and grounds at Rosslyn.

Yes, this Yew was the most impressive thing I saw at Rosslyn! I sensed its incredible power. If you have been to Rosslyn and not seen this Yew tree behind the castle, then you missed experiencing a most enduring piece of ancient wisdom.

It is said that the castle and chapel were built on this land because the Yew tree was here!

Legend has it that the Yew tree was the first tree created! It is the tree of life and death. And all evergreens came from this tree!

I want to go to Wales where they have 40 or more Yew that measure up to 17 feet wide with walkthroughs!

To get some scale of size, look at the immensity of this Yew, as our friend, Kim (with hands on her heart), gazes at it!

I felt as though I couldn’t get close enough to this grand tree. It pervaded all of my senses! ❤️🦋🌀🙏

I kissed on of the Yew branches that was near to me just before Kris told us it is poisonous! Thankfully, I didn’t chew on one of its leaves! It did me no harm.

If you touch it or sit on its roots on a warm summers day and it will cause you to hallucinate.

Druid legends come from the Romans, but they didn’t know about the Yew tree! It was hidden from them!

Now, I can look back on the spaces between its branches that form the trunk of the Yew and meditate for hours on its magnitude, perseverance, and majesty. ❤️😘

The Castle

The upper portion of the gate that captured my imagination with sod and life growing atop!

I noticed the alignment of where a shell mortar had damaged two of the pillars on the backside of the wall.

The Chapel

The parts of the chapel that most interested me were the colors used in making it look so unique, and the statues that brought the mysteries from the East together with the beliefs of the West. The co-mingling of art was astounding!

The Greenman’s card I kept seeing from before starting this trip.

We really loved the basement chamber (or crypt), of the chapel when Kris sang an Acappella song for us! Stupendous!

Since no photography was allowed inside the chapel, I happened upon a guidebook that someone had thrown in the trash and I took pictures from it! Ha!

I don’t recall if this white shadow figure was on the brochure picture or not, but it’s cool nonetheless.

We walked around and around the exterior examining its architecture.

Richard was intrigued by this “dark angel.”

Thank you to our guide at Rosslyn, Kris Kinosis! ❤️🦋🌀🙏☯️😉

As our group continued touring the glen in the rain at Rosslyn, Richard and I waited inside. I had found the brochure and happily snapped pictures I had wanted. Before our group returned, I saw a kilted man outside and snapped his picture through the glass. ❤️😉🍀

We arrived back to Edinburgh later in the day. On the bus ride back into the downtown area, we spotted several Murray businesses. Though our spelling differs, it’s all the same clan.

See the people looking out the window? Loved the architecture of the dwellings. 😉🍀

I loved the roses and many flower gardens in people’s yards.

Our group walked through Edinburgh our first evening there, had a delicious and authentic Scottish meal at Fiddler’s Arms.

Inside, we had such impromptu fun with this video selfie machine! 🤣❤️😉

Tuesday July 9

Our tour bus took us took us on about a 5 hour drive or so from Edinburgh for a beautiful and picturesque 3 days in Isle of Skye. Yes, we knew this was out in the middle of nowhere, so we brought plenty of snacks!!! We really enjoyed hours of scenery on the ride.

Our bus stopped in Kyle to take a short walk and look at the magnificent cliffs and waterfall. This was a place of dinosaurs!

Our tour included a stop at Eilean Donan castle, which was very cool. We roamed the grounds, had lunch, and took the castle walking tour as well. It was fascinating!

When we arrived in the seaside town of Portree we had no sooner checked into our hotel that a bagpipe parade began. What an aWEsOMe way to welcome us to town! ❤️😉

The picturesque view from our hotel in Portree.

Until they did a flip turn and we all had to scatter!

Wednesday July 10

Today was my dad’s birthday, (he would have been 80), so I had him on my mind most of the day. And this was the day we went to see the Faerie Glen.

Though it was a bit misty, we all made our way to the spiral at Faerie Glen.

I naturally (or intuitively) picked up a small stone while performing my “Thank you to the 4 directions” at the Faerie Glen spiral. Ah! But something told me not to keep the stone though, so I found a space for it where I felt it was good to leave it.

While walking back to the bus, I stopped and looked down to admire the plants along the road and I caught a glimpse of something shiny.

I picked it up and it was a rock with quartz on one side. In my thoughts I heard, “This is your gift from us, for listening earlier and not taking the first stone you had picked up”!

Wow! I was so honored to have been heard and acknowledged by spirit there. I am glad that I am open to receive. ❤️🦋🌀😉

This was our last night in Portree.

Thursday July 11

Our bus took our group to see the Faerie pools today, but the weather had turned a bit blustery.

Though the weather made getting to the Faerie pools an issue, it actually made the drive there more enjoyable due to the many waterfalls we saw along the way.

Richard and I stayed with our bus and driver at the car park. Always listening to our guidance and keeping our ears open, we heard seasoned hikers tell our bus driver (through his window) that they wouldn’t recommend trying to get to the pools because there had been a lot of rain and you couldn’t cross the stream (or small river) as the water was too high and moving too fast. I prayed all in our group who decided to go that they would be okay, and thankfully they were. When they got to the stream, they had chosen not to cross it. Whew!

I walked around the car park and took pictures of more foliage and waterfalls.

We had a lovely lunch after we left the Faerie pools area at the Kintail Lodge.

We stopped along the way back to Edinburgh to have our closing ceremony and last past life regression with Patricia on the bus.

Richard told me later that everyone must have been really tired, because we all had fallen asleep part way through the session! Ha! I know I fell asleep, but I had a most wonderful dream!

Friday July 12

We enjoyed being back at the Apex City Hotel, where the Grassmarket area was bustling with vendors setting up for the Jazz festival the next day.

We spent this day in Edinburgh and some went to the castle, and others went shopping and exploring. We walked to the castle, but didn’t go in. We took in a few shops and bought our Murrey clan tartan and some gifts.

We walked the Royal Mile and checked out several area landmarks and historical monuments. We spent some time just BEing at some of this points of interest and pondering those times in history.

The castle sits high above the Grassmarket area.

Witches well

So much judging by the misinformed! And to cause someone’s death! My husband (eagle eye of an artist) spotted the well when we were there and we also took pictures. I, having an alchemist nature, have always had a soft heart for those who use herbal remedies, homeopathy, energy (faith and prayer) medicine, and so on. Only God Omniscience truly knows what was going on then (and now). So, I treat these sacred reminders with respect and reverence. I look forward to a day when truth is revealed.

We imagine at one time (before the door was put in), this would have read, “Thank God for All His Gifts.” 1616

I learned that the name Dunedin means Edinburgh of the South in Scottish Gaelic.

We had lunch on our own at Biddy Mulligans.

Biddy’s is a Scottish pub with traditional standing bar.

Loved the pub green glass window panes. See the double decker bus going by outside?

Saturday July 13

Our Sacred Celtic Journey group met in the hotel lobby to say our goodbyes and wish everyone well. After taking a few last pictures, Richard and I set out to explore the vendor booths at the Jazz festival and take in some excellent Live music.

One of the gals we toured with saw our Murray marker while she was out and shared the photo with us. We tried to find it, but never did though the bus took us right by its location.

We stayed in Edinburgh until our morning flight back to Dublin (and 3pm flight back to Orlando) on July 15. Stay tuned for another post about that.

To read parts 1 and 2 of our journey, click here and here.

To learn more about Patricia (Patricia McGivern, certified hypnotist, author, and speaker and amazing leader of this tour, click on her name in the link above.

Also, I am working on another post regarding our Game of Thrones day tour, and if you’re a fan of that show, you won’t want to miss it. 😉

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