Slow travel Cathedral tour of Scotland

There are many ways to plan a holiday in Scotland by train. Some want to conquer the castles, others want to bag Munroes, and then of course there are famous Scottish Whisky trails to soak up. One of our most popular recent additions is our Cathedral tour of Scotland.

Celebrated Scottish city cathedrals like St. Giles in Edinburgh and Glasgow or St. Andrews, are always a joy. However, some of the best cathedrals in Scotland are to be found in much wilder spots in the Highlands and Islands. We recommend visiting them by train and ferry to experience a slow travel and spiritual pilgrimage.

Image credit: flickr/Gary Campbell-Hall

Byway’s best cathedrals to visit in Scotland  

St Columba's Cathedral, Oban

When you take the train to Oban with a view to heading out to the Hebrides, it’s hard to miss the splendid St Columba's Cathedral on Oban’s waterfront Corran Esplanade, which actually only dates back to the 1930s. Prior to that date, the small Roman Catholic population of the region worshipped in a tin hut, and this structure was built slowly around it over two decades. Named after the Irish abbot and missionary who introduced Christianity to Scotland, this cathedral is one of many on St Columba's Way, a 210 mile (338km) trail between the Isle of Iona and Stirling, an epic coast to coast pilgrimage. 

Image credit: Unsplash/@jan_57

Iona Abbey and Nunnery

Although you are going in the opposite direction to that of St. Columba, for those not doing a chronological pilgrimage trail, the Isle of Iona is a wonderful next stop after Oban. From Oban, you can take a ferry to the isle of Iona via Mull, or you can spend a couple of days on the Isle of Mull first, one of our favourite Hebridean Isles. But for cathedrals, the Iona Abbey and Nunnery’s location is most definitely heavenly. 

Iona is a tiny island, just 1.5 by 3 miles, with a population of around 120 permanent residents. It is considered by people of faith as ‘The cradle of Christianity’ in Scotland, and an iconic sacred place. We’ll book your train, ferry and accommodation for you, and we highly recommend staying in a glamping pod on a small working croft that has been in the same family for generations.

Iona’s Abbey is on the site of St Columba’s monastery, which survived until the end of the 12th century after which a Benedictine Abbey was built. The Iona Community, a world renowned ecumenical group of people working towards peace, social justice and community living have not only protected the ancient sites, but also been prolific thought leaders in the international movement of peacemakers.

Walks and wild swimming on the Isle of Iona 

There are also very peaceful walks on the Isle of Iona, such as up to the highest point of the island, known as Dun I or Hill of Iona. Another popular stroll is up to Tòrr an Aba, the small hill above the Abbey where St Columba is said to have had his writing hut. And let’s not ignore the opportunities for wild swimming, a religion for many slow travellers. There are two bays to seek out on your walks, the most famous being St. Columba’s Bay, where the abbot is said to have first landed in 563 AD. The other bay is simply called the Bay at the Back of the Ocean and it’s one that is almost guaranteed to stir the soul. 

Image credit: flickr/Gitta Zahn

St. Magnus Cathedral, the Orkney Islands

This is a bit more of a stretch but totally in keeping with a slow travel holiday in Scotland. St. Magnus is Scotland’s northernmost cathedral, founded in Kirkwall, Orkney’s capital since 113, built by the Viking, Earl Rognvald. It’s still the hub of the community, and opens its doors not only to people of faith but also worshippers of music. With magnificent acoustics, it plays a central role in the annual midsummer St Magnus Arts Festival, held around midsummer for over forty years.

We can arrange a trip to the Orkney Islands for you, heading up on one of Scotland’s most scenic train routes,The Far North Line. You go all the way from Inverness to the end of the line at Thurso, Scotland’s most northerly town and train station. With spectacular sea views out to the island of Hoy and Dunnet Head, you then take the ferry to the Orkney archipelago from nearby Scrabster, just 3km by taxi or local bus from Thurso.

Image credit: flickr/Shadowgate

The Italian Chapel, Orkney

In total contrast to St. Magnus, The Italian Chapel on the Island of Lamb Holm in Orkney is a small white construction built around two Nissen Huts. Not only is this in one of the most tranquil locations, it was born out of war yet built as a place of peace. During WW2, Italian prisoners of war were brought to Orkney to help build a causeway to the island. By 1943 the prisoners’ status changed, when Italy gave in to the Allies and Italians built a place of worship in their newfound home. After the life journey they had experienced, it must have felt almost cathedral-like when they completed it. 

Image credit: flickr/Mustang Joe

Inverness Cathedral

Inverness Cathedral is definitely worth a visit. Dating back to 1869 and designed by local architect Alexander Ross, it’s located on the west bank of the River Ness, across the water from Inverness Castle. The stained glass west window is one of the largest of its kind in Scotland and the Cathedral also hosts a programme of classical and sacred music throughout the year. This programme, along with services of course, is picking up again post global lockdown. One community act of kindness during the pandemic is the cathedral’s Memorial Wall where people could leave a message of remembrance online to loved ones lost to the virus, which were  added to a crocheted butterfly in the cathedral building. 

Image credit: Unsplash/@swiel