Religious Studies Tour to Britain – Early Christianity in the British Isles

En route we will visit Inveraray Castle, the 15th Century seat of the Campbell Clan.

Known as the “Gateway to the Isles,” Oban is a bustling port located on the Firth of Lorne in the Argyll and Bute area of Scotland. Built on a steep hill, the town is dominated by the immense McCaig’s Tower, an eccentric Colosseum-like structure built in the 1800’s. With regular ferries leaving for the Isles, it is one of the most visited places on the west coast.

Enjoy an evening meal with your group.

Today we will travel from the Oban Area to Isle of Mull and Iona.

Visit the home of the McClean Clan from the 13th century that was used to hold Spanish Armada prisoners in 1588.

We will board the ferry at Oban and set sail for Iona. The 13th century Abbey is the highlight of Iona, standing on the site of Columba’s first church.

We will board the ferry at Iona and set sail for Isle of Mull.

We continue on our journey from Iona to the Oban Area.

Enjoy an evening meal with your group.

En route we will stop at Stirling Castle.

Tour the castle, which dates from the Middle Ages and was an important seat of two kings; James IV and James V. View the Museum of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, presenting an excellent exhibit of colors, pipe banners, and regimental silver. From the castle there is a wonderful view of the Wallace Monument.

Edinburgh is widely regarded as one of Europe’s most attractive cities, due primarily to its impressive medieval and Georgian districts and surrounding Lothian Hills. It is as famous for the arts as it is for its long and turbulent history. Both the Old and New towns are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Enjoy an evening meal with your group.

This house dates from the early sixteenth century and is where Knox spent the last few months of his life. Today, the Church of Scotland operates the house and our visit will include artifacts associated with Knox and the Reformation.

Visit Edinburgh Castle, a place filled with history, legend and lore. Our visit will include St. Margaret's Chapel, the State Apartments, the Great Hall and the Crown Chamber, which houses the Honours of Scotland (Scottish Crown Jewels).

We will have some free time for shopping and exploration.

Enjoy an evening meal with your group.

Today we will travel from Edinburgh to Lindisfarne. Visit the ruins of the priory at Lindisfarne.

Tour the 16th-century fort cleverly converted into a private home.

We continue on our journey from Lindisfarne to Durham Area.

Well known for its magnificent Norman Cathedral and its 11th century castle, the name ‘Durham’ comes from the Old English ‘dun,’ meaning hill fort, and the Old Norse ‘holme,’ which translates to ‘island.’

Visit the greatest Norman structure in England, completed in 1133. The cathedral is one of Britain’s most architecturally innovative buildings, and as such it was one of the first World Heritage Sites in the country and remains one of the most beloved cathedrals in England.

Enjoy an evening meal with your group.

Today we will travel from Durham Area to Hadrians Wall. Explore the world famous Hadrian's Wall, the fortress wall defining the extent of the Roman Empire. The Wall is entirely in Northern England and is 73 miles in length, and winds through Northumberland and Cumbria.

Visit the best-preserved site along this ancient Roman wall.

We continue on our journey from Hadrians Wall to York Area. Visiting York is like walking through a living museum. Its medieval structures are impressively preserved in its timbered houses and winding, cobbled streets, surrounded by the remains of the city walls. Founded by the Romans in A.D. 71, York was, for a long time, a strategic point used by both Saxons and Vikings.

Take a walk through the Shambles, Europe's best preserved medieval street, although the name is also used to collectively refer to the surrounding maze of narrow, twisting lanes and alleys as well. The street itself is mentioned in the Domesday Book, so we know that it has been in continuous existence for over 900 years.

Enjoy an evening meal with your group.

This recreation of part of the old Viking city, discovered many feet below present ground level, was reconstructed to appear as it stood in A.D. 948. A ‘time car’ will take us back through the ages and detail this unique aspect of York’s history. We continue on our journey from York to Lincoln Area.

Visit this beautiful city that is nestled between the Lincoln Cliff and the River Witham. Originally founded as a Roman town it grew over the centuries around the Lincoln Cathedral and Lincoln Castle.

Discover the magnificent Lincoln Cathedral, which held the honor of being the tallest building in the world from 1300 to 1549. The cathedral’s library includes one of the four surviving copies of the Magna Carta, the Lincoln Chapter Bible from 1100 AD and a schoolbook from the 15th century containing the first recorded Robin Hood rhyme.

Enjoy an evening meal with your group.

Today we will travel from Lincoln Area to Coventry. Coventry is the 11th largest city in the UK and famous for its three spires, ribbon industry, watchmaking and motor manufacturing. It was the world's first twin city when it formed a twinning relationship with Stalingrad (now Volgograd) during World War II. Coventry was a prime target for the German bombing raids in World War II which in 1940 resulted in the medieval cathedral being hit. After the war, the first totally modern cathedral was built alongside the ruins.

Tour both the old and new Coventry Cathedral. The Old Cathedral was a beautiful Gothic structure begun in the 14th century. It was left in devastating ruin, aside from its spire, following the Coventry Blitz in WWII. Rather than bulldoze the remains, when plans for a New Cathedral were unveiled, the ruins were left as sacred ground and a remembrance garden, while the new structure became a celebration of 20th century modernist architecture. We will have the opportunity to explore both structures.

We continue on our journey from Coventry to Cotswolds Area. The Cotswold Hills are one of the most beautiful areas of England and have been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The area was made wealthy in the Middle Ages by the wool trade and is characterized by captivating small towns and villages built of yellow Cotswold sandstone, set amid expansive rolling hills and grasslands.

Enjoy an evening meal with your group.

Today we will travel from Cotswolds Area to London. London is the largest city in Europe: quite a feat, considering its location on a relatively small island. London's location is perfect for an administrative, communications and trade center, as the Romans realized when they founded their city in AD 1st century. London is filled with countless historic and cultural treasures that meld seamlessly in this exciting, contemporary city.

Visit Sir Christopher Wren's Renaissance-style masterpiece. Our visit will include an ascent to the Whispering Gallery, an acoustic marvel in which the faintest whisper can be heard clearly on the opposite side, plus time at the American Memorial Chapel. If we are lucky, we will be here when the massive organ fills the entire cathedral with breathtaking music.

Enjoy an evening meal with your group.

See where English kings and queens have been crowned since 1066. Our Blue-Badge Guided Tour will include the Royal Chapels, containing the tombs of the English monarchs, as well as Poets’ Corner, featuring memorials to many famous British literary figures.

Enjoy a relaxing way to view many of London’s most magnificent sights. Our trip will take us past the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben and under the famous Tower Bridge.

Visit one of Britain’s most fascinating and important historical structures. Begun as a fortress by William the Conqueror, the Tower is now primarily associated with the legendary figures imprisoned and executed here over the centuries. Our visit includes the armories, a display of instruments of torture and execution and the breathtaking Crown Jewels Exhibit.

Enjoy an evening meal with your group.