Friendly people, friendly church. When I visited Queen's Cross (Parish) Church on Sunday 7 July…read more2019, it was a few hours after the morning service had ended and the grounds were quiet and tranquil. A small parking lot in front of the building was a stone off-white colour, which paired well with the grey of the stones composing the building. An informational bulletin/board out in front of one of the entrances provided the time of the weekly Sunday service as well as what one might call a mission statement, contact information, and flyers for upcoming events.

A progressive and inclusive church offering a warm welcome.read more

vibrant inclusive churchread more

I found St. Machars Cathedral after first spotting and walking in the connected cemetery on the…read moremorning of Sunday 7 July 2019. I was exploring Old Aberdeen on foot and after finding St Machars Hall (which I dubbed St Machars Tomb), I decided to see if I could find the corresponding cathedral. After taking the wrong street and not finding the cathedral I opted to check out a cemetery along the road. While exploring the cemetery, I noticed a larger building resembling a cathedral. Reading the headstones, I made my way along the side of the larger building to its front. A few cars were parked out front. Turns out it was St. Machars Cathedral, which I had given up on trying to find... Learned that exploring a cemetery could (and did) lead to me finding something else I was looking for. The graves in the cemetery were well laid out and headstones easy to read. Vegetation was well curated.

Well-worth the visit. Everyone is welcome. The structure is breathing ... massively high ceilings…read morebearing numerous familes' coat of arms. The pews are well-worn, indicative of an active congregation. Definitely worth a visit - and some quiet time.

Stayed here as part of a study abroad class. We lived 7 days exactly as the monks do. We attended…read moreall the services and conducted our meals in groups according to the rule of St. Benedict. It was an amazing experience! The monks are very friendly and love to have visitors. We were able to arrange tours and lectures with various monks throughout the week. The men stayed up in the guesthouse at the church while the women stayed down the road at the women's retreat house. We cooked group meals and had class down there too. It was an amazing experience and well worth the visit. If you can only attend one service, come for compline. A short, candlelit service offered daily.

This medieval monastery (founded 1230) is the only one in Britain which is used by roman catholic…read moremonks. The Abbey is about 6 miles from Elgin in Morayshire, Scotland and is surrounded by forests and hills. Upon entering the grounds you immediately feel peacful. Visitors can join in prayers in the daily mass. Contributions can be made to the onging restoration. This Abbey is also a retreat for men and women but only men can become monks in this monestry. The monks grow their own vegetables, plants and honey etc. Home grown items are sold in the abbey shop along with books and souvenirs. A spiritual peaceful place to spend time in and take in the beautful countryside and enjoy the architecture and history of this beautiful abbey.