Celtic Tours

Kathie Walters
and
Celtic Pilgrim Tours
Tour of Scotland & Ireland
http://kathiewaltersministry.com

Tuesday, April 7th to
Sunday, April 19th, 2009
Please understand that this is not a "ministry" trip. This is a relaxing vacation where you will be ministered to and get to chill out. We let go of the religious mindsets and enjoy the Lord and allow Him to minister His love to us. Kathie will hang out with you and the angels will be a real part of it too. The Holy Spirit will set you free ---you will have a wonderful time.

You need to read Celtic Flames and Columba before the tour to understand what you are seeing.

Tuesday 7th April
Overnight flight to Edinburgh

Wednesday 8th April

We leave Edinburgh and head north for Inverness. This will take us through the Scottish Highlands to Perth; from here we leave the tourist route and go a very scenic way through some of the highest roads in Scotland. One stop will be in Crathie, this is close to Balmoral, the Queen's summer residence, where you can visit the Church that Queen Elizabeth attends. Then we go to Tomintoul, this is the highest village in Scotland, and Grantown on Spey from here we rejoin the main tourist route for Inverness.

Faith at Bangor Bay

Thursday 9th April

Today we go Nessie hunting on Loch Ness. First you will board a boat and spend about an hour sailing on the loch; you will see Urquhart Castle from the water. Then we will rejoin your coach and drive down the Great Glen, along the full length of Loch Ness to Fort William where we will have a lunch stop. From there we head up Glen Spean past Loch Laggan, Newtonmore, Kinggussie and Aviemore, famous for its Sky Slopes. We will take the 'Old Military Road' to Nairn and return to Inverness. You must remember, you are not to banish Nessie, the Loch Ness monster; they need it for the tourists.

Gallarus Oratory

Friday 10th April

We drive again through the Scottish Highlands to Edinburgh, stopping in Stirling. You will see majestic mountains; the tops will have snow staying for most of the year. Scotland is an ancient and culturally rich country, with a colourful, though often bloody, history. This turbulent and romantic heritage is reflected strongly in the breathtakingly varied countryside of the Highlands, in its old communities and towns, and in the people who live and work there.

Stirling's history is probably one of the most famous in the world, especially since the major motion picture 'Braveheart', starring Mel Gibson, was released. A visit to Stirling Castle is an essential part of any visit to central Scotland. Its location rivals even Edinburgh Castle's for sheer magnificence as it sits on its high volcanic rock, visible for many miles in every direction.

One of the best vantage points from which to view Stirling is the top of the national Wallace Monument; a prominent Victorian tower which stands above the river on a rocky crag and catches the eye for miles around. In the 1850's there was a tide of nationalism that swept across the globe. One of the outcomes was the erection of the National Wallace Monument in memory of a great Scottish hero. The original structure was completed in 1869 with an addition to the building at a later date. This addition was the 'Hall of Heroes' in which you can find marble sculptures of other Scottish heroes as well as information concerning such greats as Robert the Bruce, Sir Walter Scott, Robert Burns and David Livingston.

Stirling Castle

Saturday 11th April

Free day in Edinburgh. Until the late 18th century, Edinburgh consisted, almost exclusively, of what is now known as the Old Town (the area where you will find the Castle, Royal Mile and Grassmarket).

The world famous University was founded in 1583, setting in motion the city's educational and professional development. The Bank of Scotland was founded in 1695, the first of many new ventures that would see Edinburgh established as a leading financial capital by the end of the 20th century.

1707 saw the Act of Union, which joined Scotland and England together politically, and moved power from Edinburgh's old parliament to London's Westminster.
By the late 18th century, Edinburgh was home to a rapidly expanding population of 35,000. The rich lived right on top of the poor, often quite literally, as housing was in the form of tenements which were several stories high, with the poor living on the lower floors and the rich on the more desirable upper and middle floors.

In 1822 King George IV made his historic visit to the city. By then, Edinburgh was already Britain's most important financial city outside London, and, due to its neo-classical architecture, was known as 'the Athens of the North'. As well as all the history Edinburgh, it is a thriving modern shopping city.

Sunday 12th April

We drive south along the east coast to England, Berwick upon Tweed and The Holy Island of Lindsfarne. Berwick-upon-Tweed is the most northern town in England and over the centuries has changed hands between England and Scotland no less than 14 times. Today it is a popular holiday spot with people drawn to see its town walls, beaches, shops and cafes and of course the famous Berwick Swans on the River Tweed beneath the equally famous border bridges. In the 7th century, Lindsfarne was one of the great seats of Christian learning in Western Europe and was where the beautiful Lindisfarne Gospels were written. I think it's significant we are going here on Easter Sunday.

Cillairne

Monday 13th April

Saul Church site of Patrick's first church in Ireland

Saul Church, built on the site of St Patrick's first Church; the peace of God permeates this Church. St Patrick's Centre; this is the only centre in Ireland dedicated to St Patrick. St Patrick's grave, in the grounds of Downpatrick Cathedral and Down County Museum, this former gaol and military barracks where famous United Irishman Thomas Russel (The Man from God Knows Where) was hanged in 1803, now houses the St Patrick Heritage Centre, telling the story of Ireland's Patron Saint and the area's strong links to the founding of Christianity in Ireland. The Museum complex also contains a restored Governor's Residence where visitors can see fascinating displays about life in earlier times, as well as a reconstruction of 18th century cells where prisoners were held before transportation to Australia. Short tour of Belfast.

Irish man with Donkeys in Ireland

Tuesday 14th April

The Antrim Coast Road, described as the most scenic route in the British Isles, the Antrim Coast Road closely follows the coast with the sea on the side and for the most part, towering cliffs on the other intersected with glens, waterfalls and small villages. Sandy beaches and little harbours abound. Colonies of birds line the cliffs. To geologists and archaeologists this is a rich hunting ground along its 50 miles. Examples can be found of nearly every kind of rock formation, glacial deposits, raised beaches flints etc. The Glens of Antrim are completely un-spoilt and of outstanding natural beauty. The landscape is dominated by a high plateau cut by deep glens which sweep eastward to the sea. Above all it is an area of contrasts; gentle bays are separated by blunt headlands, exposed moorlands give way to gentle valleys, wide vistas to enclosed farm lands. The Giants Causeway.

Hill of Tara

In Ireland, there lived a gentle giant called Finn MacCool. At fifty two feet six inches, he was a relatively small giant. But across the sea in Scotland there was a rival giant called Benandonner. The two Giants hollered across the sea of Moyle, each demanding a trial of strength. This was agreed, and hospitable Finn offered to make the contest possible by building a rocky causeway between the two countries. But to do this, they needed some helpers which told how Finn built a path across the sea from County Antrim to Benandonner's lair - Fingal's Cave on the island of Staffa. But, the work was so laborious that Finn fell asleep with exhaustion. Oonagh was Finn's wife, a giantess; she woke up early the next morning to find Finn sound asleep. Then she heard the sound of thunderous footsteps and saw the mighty Benandonner approaching. He was truly gigantic. Finn would be no match against this Scottish giant. Quick thinking Oonagh covered the sleeping Finn with a nightgown and bonnet..."Where's Finn?" bellowed Benandonner, "Where is the coward hiding?" He peered at the sleeping Finn. "Be quiet," Oonagh warned Benandonner, "or you'll waken the baby!"

Benandonner panicked. If the child was this big, how much bigger might Finn be? He did not stay to find out... He hastily retreated across the causeway, destroying most of it in his wake...

Dunluce Castle

The castle, as seen today dates largely from the 16th and 17th centuries built by the MacDonnell's, however the outer walls with round towers are attributed to being built in the 14th century by the MacQuillans. The Castle can only be reached over a bridge which now replaces the original rocky connection. The bridge leads to the "New" Scottish style gatehouse built after the original was destroyed by cannon in 1584 by the Lord Deputy of Ireland, Sir John Perrot. The two openings in the old gatehouse wall were for cannons that Sorely Boy MacDonnell salvaged from the wrecked Spanish Armada Galleon ship. The Girona sank nearby due to storms in 1588. The Castle remains include a Manor House built in the 1630s. This had a Great Hall with two fireplaces and three bow windows. The Kitchen Court complex, part of which fell into the sea in 1639 during a dinner killing many of the kitchen staff, also contained a workshop on the ground floor with accommodations above. In the north east Tower, one of the two defensive. Towers in the outer walls lay the entrance to a concealed tunnel offering escape to the beach.

Hill of Slane

Wednesday 15th April

We drive west today stopping in Enniskillen, and visiting Ballyshannon, Mullaghmore and Sligo, then on to our hotel in Galway. The West of Ireland is an enchanting place filled with wonderfully atmospheric towns and villages, long stretches of stunning coastline, soaring sea cliffs, and craggy countryside that boasts a uniquely desolate beauty and a vibrant cultural heritage rich in tradition.

Thursday 16th April

Tour of Connemara visiting Kylemore Abbey and Cong. This is where the movie 'The Quite Man' with John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara was made. A remarkable county with a truly unique atmosphere, Galway in the West of Ireland gets under your skin like no other place in the world. Dramatic, haunting and utterly wild, the craggy countryside at times looks unforgiving, at times rich with bursts of colour and dotted with tranquil, picture perfect lakes. The Gaeltacht area of County Galway offers an authentic insight into life through the Irish language. On top of all this, Galway's got great beaches, soaring mountains, lovely villages, fabulous pubs and some of the friendliest people in Ireland. This evening we will enjoy good food and entertainment at the Dunguaire Castle Banquet

Friday 17th April

Free morning in Galway. Galway City is one of the most chilled out spots in Western Europe. Despite being a city, it feels like a big town in County Galway known as the City of the Tribes, after the 14 affluent tribes who ruled during the middle ages, this thriving city is the most westerly in Ireland and enjoys a strong artistic heritage and a flourishing arts, music, theatre and film scene. Summer in Galway is a never-ending stream of excellent festivals and eating, drinking and entertainment all taking place outdoors in the balmy air of this warm-hearted city. Enjoy the atmospheric pubs in this West of Ireland city, the beautiful location at the edge of Galway Bay, the pretty medieval streets and the lively weekend markets with a city break you'll never forget. Leaving Galway we will drive from the west coast to the east coast and to our hotel in Dublin.

Saturday 18th April

Free Day in Dublin. Dublin meaning Town of the Hurdled Ford, is both the largest city and the capital of the Republic of Ireland. It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin Region.

Founded as a Viking settlement, the city has been Ireland's primary city for most of the island's history since medieval times. Today, it is an economic, administrative and cultural centre for the island of Ireland, and has one of the fastest growing populations of any European capital city. The writings of the Greek astronomer and cartographer Ptolemy provide perhaps the earliest reference to human habitat in the area now known as Dublin. In around A.D. 140 he referred to a settlement he called Eblana Civitas. The settlement 'Dubh Linn' dates perhaps as far back as the first century BC and later a monastery was built there, though the town was established in about 841 by the Norse. From the 17th century the city expanded rapidly, helped by the Wide Streets Commission.

Georgian Dublin was, for a short time, the second city of the British Empire after London. Much of Dublin's most notable architecture dates from this time. The Guinness brewery was also established at this time. The 1800s were a period of decline relative to the industrial growth of Belfast; by 1900 the population of Belfast was nearly twice as large. Whereas Belfast was prosperous and industrial, Dublin had become a city of squalor and class division, built on the remains of lost grandeur, as best described in the novel Strumpet City, by James Plunkett, and in the works of Sean O'Casey. Dublin was still the primary centre of administration and transport for much of Ireland, though completely bypassed by the Industrial revolution.

The Easter Rising of 1916 occurred in the city centre, bringing much physical destruction. The Anglo-Irish War and Irish Civil War contributed even more destruction, leaving many of its finest buildings in ruins. The Irish Free State rebuilt many of the buildings and moved parliament to Leinster House. Through The Emergency (World War II), until the 1960s, Dublin remained a capital out of time; the city centre in particular remained at an architectural standstill.

Sunday 19th April, 2009 - Flight home from Dublin

Tour April 7 - 19, 2009

Total Cost $3350.00, which includes airfare from NY or Newark
All hotels, breakfasts, dinners, ferry, transportation in Ireland and Scotland. We will also get your add on fare from your airport to Newark and charge that to your card when the tickets are purchased

Land only cost $2450.00 Deposit plus $1950.00. Includes All hotels, breakfasts, dinners, ferry, transportation in Ireland and Scotland.

Single Room Supplement $560.00 This is for the extra cost for a single room in addition to the $3350.00 total cost.

Deposit $500.00 to secure your place due Jan 26, 2009 Click here to Sign Up and make deposit. The Deposit is non-refundable.

Second payment of $1450.00 due Jan 26, 2009.

Final Payment of $1400.00 is due Feb 26,2009.

For further information:
Sharon
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478-757-8071

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Testimonies from Past Tours

Kathie Walters
www.goodnews.netministries.org/kathie.htm

Anointed Children and Youth
www.goodnews.netministries.org/

last updated 1/12/2009