Trip to Scotland

Shamanic Pilgramge to Scotland 

Glasgow-Aberfoyle/Oban-Isle of Skye-Callanish-Inverness

August 31 - September 13, 2024

WELCOME! (Fàilte!)

We call this a pilgrimage rather than a trip because it combines the sheer awe and the great fun of touring the Scottish highlands and Hebrides Islands with the nourishment of making ceremony to the land, working with ancient Celtic spiritual forces, honoring ancestors, learning fabulous wonder tales, and filling our lives with a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The trip will culminate with a mythic water-crossing to the Isle of Lewis and the mind-boggling Standing Stones of Callanish, erected 2,000 years before Stonehenge. 


Throughout time, shamans and seekers have made pilgrimages to "power spots" in order to gather new power, insight, wisdom and healing. We will visit power spots and enter the entire experience from a different angle than typical tourist trips do. Whether it's visiting caves, waterfalls, beaches, faery glens, rivers, wells and hills, or ancient ritual sites, we will work with the ancestors, deities, and the spirits of the land wherever we go. The trip will also include some shamanic teachings along the way. 

Some of the Itinerary is subject to change, but the descriptions below give you a good taste of the kinds of adventures await:


This is a moderately physical excursion. About half of the power spots we will  visit are accessible with a short, easy walk. Other destinations may include:

  • Descending into a mysterious 100-foot deep gulch with a red waterfall that is reached by about 50 stairs down (and back up, of course).
  • Climbing a small mountain to commune with the spirits of high places and take in spectacular scenery. (Expect this to be a moderately intense 4 hour experince. (For perspective, the last time we made this climb, about five years ago, a couple of (admittedly feisty) 70 year-olds made the climb - in in a sleety, wind-driven rain to boot. We will make advance prayers for sunshine this time around!)
  • The Faery Pools on  Isle of Skye require a 25 minute walk on some up and down ground (and, if you dare, a submersion in the awesome, bracingly enervating waters!). 
  • I don't at want to scare you off - most of the journey is rather benign, physically, and there is always scotch nearby to put strength back in yer weary bones. But, if you are severely limited in walking, parts of this trip would be difficult for you, and you could skip some of them if you want to. You can certainly come on the trip and choose which bits you'd rather skip. Please feel free to contact me if you have questions: Jaime@drummingthesoulawake.com

This Itinerary is subject to some change, but gives you an idea of the kinds of experiences.

All travelers must be in Glasgow Saturday night, August August 31st - the night before our formal departure on the adventure.


Day 1-2: Travel from Glasgow to the incredible Trossachs region and Aberfoyle. Faery mountains and waterfalls, incredible scenery, and that indescribable "hum" of the vibration of this land.  Here is a lovely video:  https://youtu.be/wXS-0HU6xNY. 

We may climb the beautiful smallish mountain, Ben 'An: https://www.seelochlomond.co.uk/discover/climb-ben-aan


Days 3-7: We will have four nights at one of the most magical places on earth - the Isle of Skye.  There are many incredible sights on Skye. Two of them are The Faery Pools, and, perhaps the most otherworldly landscape I've ever seen, the Faery Glen , and the utterly otherworldly land of the Quiriaing (one of our moderate hikes, if the weather permits).


Days 8-10: We will ride the giant, and very smooth-sailing, ferry  from Skye to the Isle of Harris and drive up to the starkly beautiful Isle of Lewis, the location of the breathtaking  Standing Stones of Callanish.  (About a 3 hour ferry ride, plus an hour drive.) This Neolithic site is 2,000 years older than Stonehenge. It is an off-the-beaten-track wonder. The stones are situated to gaze out across the water toward a mountain ridge known to locals as "Sleeping Beauty" in English or "Cailleach na Mointeach" in Gaelic - which translates as "The Old Woman of the Moors." We will make ceremony here to the goddess of the land, to the Mother Earth, sending blessing, power, healing and thanks to her, and asking for her guidance in our lives. ​We will also visit a beautiful coastal areas and an old Gallic village.


Days 10-12: Travel to Inverness, with a two-night stay.  Inverness is a sweet, artsy city surrounded by powerful sites, including the Munlochy Clootie Well, the Calva Cairns, Loch Ness, and the Culloden Battlefield.   


The finalized itinerary will be avaibale soon. 

Price: $3750

SAVE $400 by being in the first 8 to register ($3350)

Reserve your spot(s) by making a $500 deposit per person. 

You may use the PayPal Button below (with a $15 PayPal fee) or you can pay through Venmo with no fee (@DrumSoul). If you use Venmo, please add your email address to the note or I won't be able to contact you! You may also send a check to Drumming the Soul Awake, 4227 Lyndale Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55409. an email telling me the check is on its way helps. 


The deposit is non-refundable if you withdraw from the trip for any reason unless I can fill your spot. It is refundable if the trip gets cancelled from my end for any reason. 

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"Traveling with Jaime was a life-changing experience. He led us to places of extraordinary beauty and spiritual power, where we had a perfect mix of structured teachings and free time for personal exploration. What began as a group of strangers felt like a family by the end of the trip. For anyone interested in cultivating a more spiritual life, a trip like this is an invaluable opportunity to immerse yourself in a kind of beauty and wonder that can further you on your path. Since coming home I've felt stronger, more centered, and more peaceful than ever. I'm already planning my next trip abroad with Jaime!"


​​The price does not include airfare, food and drink, tips for drivers. It does not include lodging in Glasgow the night before our trip begins, and the night the trip ends. (This is because some people extend their trip before or after our formal adventure.) Based on previous trips, it's somewhat safe to budget about $85 per day for food, and $130 per night for decent lodging in Glasgow or Edinburgh.


The price does include lodging for eleven nights in shared rooms (typically two people per room in twin beds, but a minimal possibility of three in a room for one of the stays). The lodging is comfortable but not luxurious, charming but not lavish - all so I can keep the price of the trip as reasonable as I can. The fee covers ground transport in a mini-bus (15 passengers) beginning when we leave Glasgow to when we return to Glasgow the final afternoon.


Single and shared rooms: If you want a single room add on $950 and let me know when you register. Sharing a room with a total stranger is not something everyone can do well. If you are nervous person, or really need your space, if you tend toward cranky, or if you are someone who snores, or has a CPAP machine, or is a very light sleeper, or is up and down at night, I highly recommend you not try to save money by doing a shared room. Please contact me  drummingthesoulawake@gmail.com with any questions.


jaime@drummingthesoulawake.com

"Being in a class or ceremonial space with Jaime is the spiritual experience I always wanted from church but never found. Jaime moves easily between the sacred and the silly, putting everyone at ease and creating an amazing camaraderie and intimacy between strangers. The class was motivating, inspiring, and thought-provoking. I would take any class from Jaime because I know that in anything he leads, I will be reminded of how sacred life is and feel connected to my deepest self." 



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