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Do you long for more time to deepen your faith? Does the hustle and bustle of daily life make it hard to focus on spiritual reflection? Perhaps it’s time to consider a retreat, a chance to step away and reconnect with what truly matters.
Embarking on a retreat is a tradition nearly as ancient as Christianity itself, and in today’s fast-paced, distraction-filled world, it’s a practice that has never been more essential. In 2025, with the relentless demands of modern life, a retreat offers a unique opportunity to connect on a deeper level with God by providing a break from normal life for reflection. There are lots of misconceptions about retreats, that they are only for religious experts for example, when in practice they are ideal for any Christian who is looking for space and time to explore their faith alone and with fellow pilgrims, preferably somewhere far away from the everyday.
This is why McCabe Pilgrimages organises retreats to Iona. Iona is a small island of the Inner Hebrides and is considered the ‘cradle of Christianity’ in Western Europe because it is the place St Columba landed in 563 to begin his mission to Scotland and beyond. The monastery Columba founded is believed to be the place where the Book of Kells originated and although it was destroyed by Viking raids, a new monastery and nunnery was built in the twelfth century bringing medieval pilgrims to the island. Although dissolved during the reformation, the Abbey was restored in 1899 and in 1938 the Abbey tradition of work, worship and teaching was revived by the Iona Community, an inclusive ecumenical Christian organisation.
To make the location even more special, Iona is an unspoilt natural environment and rich in wildlife. It has been described as a ‘thin place’, a concept in Celtic Christianity used to identify sacred spaces where the space between heaven and earth is more permeable and God feels nearer and closer to us, making it the perfect place for reflection and prayer.
The first McCabe Pilgrimages retreat of 2025 departs during Lent on the 31 March, the period of the liturgical calendar when reflection and prayer prepare us for Holy Week and Easter. It will be led by Amy Boucher Pye https://amyboucherpye.com/ . Amy is a writer, speaker, and spiritual director and is the author of several books, including 7 Ways to Pray and is an experienced retreat leader including leading retreats for McCabe.
Amy will join you at your hotel in Glasgow, the central departure location and provide you with contemplations for the journey. Leaving Glasgow the next day with Amy, you’ll travel past the scenic shores of Loch Lomond through the Trossachs National Park and Loch Awe to Oban where you’ll take the ferry to Mull. Landing in Mull, you’ll travel by coach across this beautiful and historic island to Fionnphort before taking the short ferry ride to Iona where your hotel, the St Columba is a short walk away.
The hotel is situated close to Iona’s historic Abbey, the spiritual home of the Iona Community and a popular site of Chrisitan pilgrimage throughout the centuries. With spectacular views across the Sound of Iona towards Mull from the spacious hotel lounge, this welcoming hotel will be your base for the retreat. The hotel’s kitchen cooks from scratch and uses locally sourced ingredients, including produce from its own organic garden.
Once on Iona, most days will start with Celtic morning prayer. In addition, Amy will also lead daily sessions using the seven time-tested prayer practices to encounter the living God: praying with the Bible, receiving and extending forgiveness, practicing God’s presence, listening prayer, the prayer of lament, praying with the gospels imaginatively and finishing with the prayer of examen to help you pray through what you’ve gained while in the beautiful and spiritual setting of Iona. You will also be invited to continue your personal exploration of the prayer exercises during the day. One afternoon of the retreat Amy will lead a prayerful walk where the tranquil landscape will invite a deep sense of spiritual connection plus you will also have free time to explore Iona yourself. For those interested, you can also join evening worship at the Abbey most nights.
Don’t worry if you can’t join us in Lent, McCabe Pilgrimages have a pilgrimage to Iona in August and another retreat departing in October led by Revd Henriette Howarth, Co-ordinator of Prayer and Spirituality in the Diocese of Leeds. McCabe Pilgrimages are the UK’s foremost specialist in faith tours and have been taking pilgrims to Iona for over 10 years, so you know you’re in good hands. Below is just some of the feedback we have from our customers about their experience:
“an excellent retreat programme and experience”
“such a lovely programme with amazing leaders and a superb location”
“I enjoyed the whole week and the company of the other pilgrims”
If you are a faith leader and would like to lead a group retreat from your community yourself, as long as the group comprises of more than 15 people, we can organise everything for you. McCabe Pilgrimages has over 40 years experience working with all Christian denominations coordinating pilgrimages, faith based tours and retreats across the UK, Europe and beyond.
So, if you would like to take time out to explore, reflect and connect on a deeper level to God, do consider a retreat and to Iona, a thin island steeped in ancient Christianity where nature and spirituality come together in harmony. Join us for a transformative experience—recharge your spirit, deepen your faith, and find peace in the beauty of Iona. Book your space today and embark on a journey of renewal by clicking here.
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McCabe Travel is the UK’s foremost specialist in providing high quality worldwide faith-based tours, using our expertise, local connections and community engagement, that appeal to both organised Christian church groups and the independent traveller.
To find out more visit https://www.mccabe-travel.co.uk/ or email info@mccabe-travel.co.uk or call us on 01252 226 133
