Birds Eye Adventure Scotland

Why Scotland?

The sky. The air. The water. The land. The warmth of the Scottish.

At one point during my time on the Isle of Iona last July, I was cooking alone across the magical hostel kitchen from another man cooking alone.  We were being alone, together. I felt contented and at ease. He broke the silence with a comment that indicated to me that he did not share this sense of ease with our silence.  I can’t remember his exact words but there was an invitation to engage in conversation. I enjoyed meeting someone with whom our first exchange was to be a respectful disagreement and I responded with my own opinion. During the next two days, fueled by a blend of curiosities and convictions, coupled with exchanges both reverent and irreverent, I discovered something that captivated me about this man and his deep connection with the island of Iona. 

He had spent two years of his early childhood living in a tent with his siblings and his parents at the end of the island, yards from where we held our first conversation.  He shared that his father had been diagnosed with tuberculosis after working in the mines in India and his doctor prescribed as much exposure to Scottish air as his medicine.  24 hours a day for two years the air of the coast of Iona conspired with the spirit that moves it to heal his father completely.

I too felt the healing power of the Scottish air during my days there. Iona has been referred to by many as “a thin place” where there is simply a permeable veil between the spiritual and the material.  And as soon as I arrived and began walking, I knew I would return for more. And now, I am so excited to invite you to join me. So, first off, who are you?

Are you an adventurer in your heart?  One who understands that travel is challenging.  And that each leg of a journey is a chance to work through discomfort in all of its forms.  Mental, physical, emotional, spiritual. That each leg is also a chance to start anew. To reset the compass with a new true north. Embracing play.  Embracing sadness. Embracing fatigue.

Embracing curiosity. Embracing self.

I am an adventurous Half-Brit in heart, mind, and body.  My paternal grandfather was Scottish and my grandmother was English.  I lived in both Scotland and England in my early childhood. I got my traveling, seeker spirit from my dad and my love of color, pattern, texture, and language from my mom.  I love the way Scotland feels, looks, and invites, and I want to explore it again alongside you.

So, here are some of the details I think you will need to determine if you would like to join me.

The adventure will officially begin upon convening in Glasgow, Scotland on October 1st.  We will spend one evening exploring this historic seaside city before we take the train headed for the Inner Hebrides of Scotland the following day. We will stock up in Oban before heading on out by ferry, then bus, then ferry, then foot (30 minutes) to our final destination, Iona Hostel. There we will spend 5 nights.  Our space includes a lovely, large common area room where we will be cooking the majority of our meals together and enjoying the warmth of the wood burning stove, the wonderful on-site book collection, and the expansive views of the end of the island. Bring with you your art, your writing, your camera, anything you might want to play with over long stretches of unstructured, undistracted, island time. There will be opportunities for feedback and focus sessions on each of our work if so desired. After these five nights on Iona, we will begin traveling back to Glasgow and you have the choice to travel on or your own or with others or head on home.