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.

This is in old town and has a cemetery attached. Reading the tombstones was both sad and beautiful…read moreas you imagined life in the olden days.

Right next door to Leakey's Bookshop is this glorious church with its fantastic graveyard and…read moreabsolutely worth a visit. As pressed for time to make our dinner reservation, we didn't really go inside the church, but could tell it had lovely stained glass windows, which I hope can check out next time. Instead I wandered around the graveyard, which had a glorious amount of Celtic crosses on the gravestones as well as a crypt from the 1600s! My favorite graveyard stone was probably the chess piece (but was unable to identify what piece it exactly was - I think perhaps the knight?) Two other things: 1) Check out the bridge over the River Ness which is located right outside the Church - it is a suspension bridge and so I enjoyed the springiness & sway when walking across it. 2) On the pathway outside the church, heading towards the bridge, look down on the pavement, right before crossing the road. There is a stone engraving "Many waters cannot quench love, nor can rivers wash it away." Its from the Song of Solomon (I googled). Yelp 73/ 2019

Ancient church used by King James IV when he trotted through Tain on his Pilgrimage, he liked it so…read moremuch and was a touch of a masochist so came 18 times. This chapel built circa 1400 is dedicated to Duthac who was a somewhat cool dude who had a bit of a cult thing going (though sadly, only after his death) pilgrims aplenty came to venerate his relics (this has nothing to do with cooking). Some people like to compare it to Rosslyn Chapel but even though RC may have appeared in a weird Tom Hanks movie, St Duthac's wins because it is almost 50 years older and has the relics of a bona fide saint, so yah boo sucks to you Rosslyn and all your stone carvings!

St Ninian's is linked with Dalmore & Auldearn…read more For the 2nd year I have sponsored The Highland Hospice - Light up the Highlands to remember loved one no longer with us with a donation. As originally from here, that is why went for St Ninian's, however that are other places you can choose from around the Highlands (check out Highland Hospice website)

St Andrews aka Inverness Cathedral. Another nice cathedral…read morebut not as nice as several others we've visited. 6 pounds and it wasn't very big and not as much to see. We have been to far nicer that didnt even charge but accepted donations. They did have sign saying we were ok to step on stage in the front as some places don't allow this. They also had bathrooms which didnt see at some others. If youvlike cathedrals and are in the area give it a visit. But I wouldn't drive out of my way.

This is a beautiful cathedral. I could hear the beautiful church bells from a ways off. The inside…read moreis somber and peaceful. It is not quite as ornate as some of the other ones in the country or in the rest of Europe. They had a special market set up outside today which was a nice perk of visiting.

There are a lot of beautiful churches and cathedrals in town and this is another one of them. Very…read morenice architecture and check out of the wolves at the entrance and on top and the story behind them.

I have mixed feelings on this one. Mostly because they charge to go all the way inside. You can see…read moreinside from the entrance, but it's around 6 pounds to go all the way in. St. Giles cathedral in Edinburgh allows you to go in for an optional donation and is much bigger and has more to see, so this doesn't seem with the spend. But it is beautiful, albeit small.