Heritage Trips

Robert Burns Museum and Ferry to Belfast: Thursday, April 17
The group hopped on the bus right after breakfast and made their way through rain showers to Alloway, UK to visit the museum and birthplace of poet Robert Burns and walk across the Brig o’Doon bridge. Back on the bus, the group traveled to Cairnryan and boarded the ferry to Belfast, arriving after a two-hour sea journey on a rainy, foggy day.

Glasgow: Wednesday, April 16
The tour group began the day with a visit to Glasgow Cathedral. The rest of the day was on your own. People rode the hop-on, hop-off city tour bus, visited the Clydeside Distillery, the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, and the St. Mungo Museum of Religious Life & Art, and more.

Loch Lomond/Luss/Iona: Tuesday, April 16
A dozen Derry members made alternate plans to visit Iona (by ferry, bus, and train) while the rest of the group traveled to Loch Lomond to take a boat ride, followed by a brief stop at the village of Luss. The group arrived mid-afternoon at Glasgow and had time to explore the city before a group dinner.

Oban/Inverary/Glencoe: Monday, April 15
The planned trip to Iona was cancelled due to high winds and rain. Instead, the group toured Inverary Castle and lunched in town. Ask the Royers about the fish & chips! The tour continued into the highlands where we saw snow capped mountains and rainbows coloring the landscape. At the Glencoe National Nature Reserve, we explored a recreation of a turf and creel house.

Edinburgh/Stirling/Oban: Sunday, April 14
The tour group began the day by worshiping at St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh (the church where John Knox preached). Following the service, they stopped at the Helix Park to see the Kelpies, then continued on to Stirling Castle where we had a serendipitous meeting with the Englund-Kriegers and a travel group from Lower Marsh Creek Presbyterian Church. After exploring the castle (including a photo op with Carol Schneidereit and Alan Brechbill checking out the king’s and queen’s chairs), the Derry group drove two more hours to reach Oban.

Edinburgh, Day 2: Saturday, April 13
Six golfers spend the day in St. Andrews. Everyone else enjoyed a city tour on the bus, then a chance to explore Edinburgh Castle. In the afternoon, people chose their own adventure: some went to the National Museum of Scotland, others explored Holyrood Palace and Queen Elizabeth’s Britannia yacht. The evening concluded with a Scottish dinner and entertainment.

Departure and Edinburgh, Day 1: Friday, April 12
Firth of Forth bridge sighting, visits to the 900-year-old St. Giles Cathedral and the John Knox House, the Royal Mile and a pub visit!