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Pilgrimage to The Isle of Man

Prices from £1,495 pp

Single Supplement £195

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A visit to the Isle of Man is a step onto an island steeped in history, myth and above all, for those on pilgrimage, what was a centre of Celtic Christianity.  The evidence is everywhere in the beautiful glens, on the hills and cliffs, within the ancient churches, carved in stone and somehow held in every breath of wind.

During the earliest times, there were no churches as we know them as parish churches today, but many tiny keeills –chapels only large enough to hold a very small number of worshippers, some were for a single hermit. We will hear about the tradition and history of keeills at the Thie dy Vea Retreat Centre in Peel, and see a modern reconstruction in the cathedral gardens, of what they would have looked like, as only ruins remain at the actual sites.

While there are many Celtic crosses throughout the British Isles, there is a particular abundance of them on the Isle of Man. Our pilgrimage will take in a number of places where there are some particularly fine examples of Manx crosses – such as near Maughold Church and within the Church at Kirk Michael.

The Isle of Man is also a tourist destination, and we shall step back in time to travel its Victorian trains, view its industrial archeology, learn of its Viking history, relived on Tynwald Day, the Manx national day and hear of its ancient parliament, language, folk traditions, dance and music.  This is a trip not to be missed!

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Itinerary

  1. Travel to The Isle of Man

    You are met by a McCabe representative at Heysham where you will catch the ferry to Douglas. On arriving you are met by your Tour Leader, Rev John Mann and be transferred to your hotel. In the evening,  he will give you an introduction to the Isle of Man and the local area of the Douglas Seafront, and you will meet your fellow pilgrims for a welcome drink and dinner at the hotel.

  2. Maughold, Ramsey & The Point of Ayre

    Our first day takes us north from Douglas, through some lovely countryside to the ancient monastic site of Maughold where we will join a service in the local church including a short talk from the resident priest about monastic settlement. After a stroll to view St Maughold’s Well, which is spectacularly situated high above the sea on Maughold Head, we drive to Milntown House & Gardens for lunch and some free time to enjoy the gardens there. Our last stop of the day is The Point of Ayre in the north of the island where, with some luck, we will see gannets, terns, other coastal birds and seals.Dinner this evening is in the hotel.

  3. Tynwald, Peel & Thie dy Vea Retreat House

    We set off for the west of the Island, first to St John’s for a talk about the Manx Parliament and the significance of Tynwald Day and Tynwald Hill. We continue our drive west to Peel, walking from the ruins of the former cathedral, set within Peel Castle on St Patrick’s Isle to the newer, St German’s Cathedral, which has recently undergone major re-development. Our group will enjoy a talk about the Cathedral and its important work followed by a delicious picnic lunch provided by the Dean of the Cathedral. After lunch there will be time for a walk before we meet at Thie dy Vea retreat centre where we will hear about the Keeills., and enjoy the facilities of this peaceful place, and have a time of quiet reflection. We return to Douglas by a scenic route, before enjoying dinner once more in our hotel.

  4. A steam train ride, the Calf of Man and Cregneash

    We depart our hotel for Douglas Station, and board the Victorian narrow gauge train for Port Erin. Our coach collects us from the station and we take the road to the southern tip of the Island overlooking the Calf of Man, where we have lunch in this spectacular setting.  We continue to Cregneash National Folk Museum, which was used as the backdrop for the Irish village in the film Waking Ned and we have a short service in the little church there. After an all-important ice cream stop in Port Erin, we will wend our way over the hills back towards our hotel, pausing for a walk to get a great view of the sun setting over Ireland. On the return to our hotel, we will have dinner.

  5. Laxey & Snaefell Mountain Railway

    We drive to Laxey and catch the first tram of the day to the summit of Snaefell Mountain. This spectacular mountain railway was constructed in the late Victorian era in just eighteen months.  From the top, if the day is clear we will see England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, the whole of the Isle of Man, the Irish Sea, and some say, the Kingdom of Heaven itself!

    On our return in Laxey, we walk to the Laxey Wheel, another incredible feat of engineering. Lunch is at the Ballacregga Mill Tearooms.

    After lunch we will visit three churches to view some of the finest Celtic & Norse crosses on the island. Our first stop will be St Adamnan’s, a tiny and very ancient church hidden deep in the Manx countryside, for prayers and a hymn together, followed a drive over the hills via Sulby Glen to the north-west to Kirk Andreas and finally to Kirk Michael, close by, where we will hear from a local expert on the design, development and variety of the crosses, and here too, at this historic site, we shall have a closing service before returning to our hotel for dinner and our final night.

  6. Douglas and return to the mainland

    This morning will be at leisure for you to explore Douglas. The Manx Museum is well worth a visit, as is the Roman Catholic Cathedral, and St Thomas Church with its noted murals and stained glass.  There are coffee shops and a horse tram ride to enjoy, a walk around the inner harbour.

Essential Information

Do note that this pilgrimage is based on making your own way to and from Heysham Ferry Terminal. 

Included excursions

  • Ancient Monastic Site of Maughold.
  • The Point of Ayre.
  • St John's - A talk about the Manx Parliament and the significance of Tynwald Day and Tynwald Hill.
  • Peel - St German's Cathedral & a Talk with the Thie dy Vea Retreat Centre.
  • Steam train ride to Port Erin.
  • Cregneash National Folk Museuem.
  • Tram ride to the summit of Snaefell mountain.
  • St Adamnan's, Kirk Andreas and Kirk Michael.

Included Extras

Accommodation, Return Ferry Rides from Heysham to the Isle of Man (including 23kg of checked luggage), breakfasts, 3 lunches throughout the tour and dinners, entrance fees, transport, and gratuities.

Included meals & drinks

Meals: A full breakfast each morning, dinner each evening and three lunches. Evening meals will be in the hotels and lunches will typically be in local restaurants.

Drinks: Welcome drinks on the first night at the hotel. Water is included with all meals. All other drinks are at your own expense.

Our team on The Isle of Man

Our dedicated McCabe Tour Leader is there solely for our guests. They will escort all excursions, lead worship and be available for any queries and offer local advice, hints and tips for you to get maximum enjoyment of your time with us.

Your accommodation

You will stay in a 3 star hotel in Douglas.

Practical information

Clothing

The UK weather and English summer has its own mood as we are all aware. Please do cater for all eventualities remembering that the coastal winds can make warmer days still seem cooler. Also comfortable walking shoes, trainers or boots would be advisable.

Mobility

There is a certain amount of walking (and stairs) involved on a daily basis on this pilgrimage so please make sure you pack comfy footwear for this so that you are prepared. Your Tour Leader will keep you updated on a daily basis with what to expect the following day. If you are finding it difficult to keep up then please make sure you tell them so they can help you to find places to rest and relax and then you can re-join the group at a later stage.

Whilst this is not a trekking or adventure holiday there will be some walking required where you may be on your feet for up to 90 minutes and the terrain may be a little uneven. The paving may not always be smooth and seating not always available.

Cancellation insurance

Whilst UK residents are fully covered under the UK National Health Service we do advise that you have insurance in the event of having to cancel your travel plans and need to claim loss of deposits or payments made.

Ensuring that your holidays are appropriately protected is one of our main priorities. That’s why we have specifically chosen Holiday Extras as our *preferred travel insurance provider to ensure that you are protected before and whilst you are travelling. Holiday Extras offer McCabe Travel guests favourable rates for single trip, multi-trip and annual policies.

For more information or to obtain a quote click below for their website

https://www.holidayextras.com/travel-insurance

Or call them on 0800 083 3551 to speak to a friendly advisor.

Please quote AG628 upon calling to receive the best rates

The McCabe Educational Trust

The McCabe Educational Trust is an independent registered charity with the aim of helping inspiring people we meet on some of our pilgrimages. As ‘the haves’ encounter the ‘have nots’ the Trust has become a practical tool for one to help the other.

McCabe Pilgrimages invite all travellers to become partners in this work. A £20 voluntary donation to the Trust’s work is added to every pilgrim’s invoice and all money raised in this way is given in full to the projects the Trust supports. This scheme is voluntary and confidential with nobody put under any pressure to participate.

Full financial security

All money paid to McCabe is fully secure. Holidays including flights are covered by our ATOL license from the Civil Aviation Authority, and holidays without flights are protected by our membership of the ABTOT bonding scheme. If a pilgrimage is cancelled, for instance through lack of numbers or for political considerations, McCabe will promptly refund all monies paid.

AITO Quality Statement

McCabe Pilgrimages is a member of the Association of Independent Tour Operators. The Association represents Britain’s leading independent tour operators and encourages high standards of quality and service. McCabe abides by the Association’s Code of Conduct and adheres to the AITO Quality Charter.

You can read McCabe reviews on the AITO website here

 

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