Pilgrimage to Scotland

Shamanic Pilgramage to Scotland 

Highlands & Western Isles-Edinburgh-Glencoe-Isle of Skye-Standing Stones of Callanish-Cairngorm Reindeer Center

September 6th - 14th, 2025

Early Bird Price Save $400

(This trip is limited to 13 people)

WELCOME! (Fàilte!)

I’m so thrilled to offer this awesome trip to the spectacular Scottish Highlands and otherworldly Western Islands.

I like to call this a shamanic pilgrimage rather than a trip because it combines the sheer awe and the fun of touring the Scottish Highlands with the spiritual nourishment of making ceremony to the land, working with Celtic spiritual forces, honoring ancestors, learning fabulous wonder tales, and filling our lives with a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Throughout time, shamans and seekers have made pilgrimages to natural "power spots" to gather new power, insight, wisdom and healing. This is our goal. The journey is conceived as specifically spiritual and shamanic, reverent for the land and the ancestors, and meditative, rather than getting the same photographs of the same spots that you see on the internet. We will have a great amount of fun and revelry, and we will have pubs close by wherever we go, but rather than line up with tourists and tour buses, I’ve designed this trip to have more contact with the land than with people. The trip will also include some shamanic teachings along the way. We go on this trip in September because there are fewer tourists, and because the annoying summer midges are usually gone (cross fingers).

This journey will be the least physically demanding trip I’ve lead to Scotland. Most of the power spots we will visit are easily accessible with a walk of less than ten minutes. Please feel free to contact me if you have questions: Jaime@drummingthesoulawake.com


It is possible that the below itinerary may change. I hope not, but I have to say that.

2025 ITINERARY

All travelers must be in Edinburgh Sunday night the 7th.  Many people like to come in earlier, because our trip does not explore Edinburgh.


Monday, Sep. 8th: Edinburgh to Dunino Den. An off-the-radar ancient site for druidic ritual, filled with nature spirits. Drive to awesome Glencoe. Side trip down the Glen Etive Road to Etive Waterfall or Skyfall Waterfall. Easy hiking and prayers. This area is associated with the Irish story, Deirdre of the Sorrows. Stay in Glencoe one night.


Tuesday, Sep. 9th: Glencoe to Isle of Skye. Lodging on Skye Sept 9, 10, 11. I try to find lodging for us in out-of- the-way places.


Activities planned:

  • Visiting ancient castle ruins near Torkavaig, an isolated spit of land jutting out into the sea – the mythic home of the warrior goddess, Scathach
  • An all-day boat trip out of Elgol to hopefully see seals, dolphins, other wildlife, and the stunning Cuillin Mountains from the water, driving through the otherworldly Quiraing, 
  • Dipping into the holy healing waters of Loch Sheanta, and visiting the Faery Glen.


I have to say some of the itinerary on Skye may shift. Hopefully not! I don’t plan to take us to the super famous Faery Pools, because they have become a frazzled mess of tourists and traffic, and because we will get the same (more) magical power from Loch Sheanta, possibly with no one else around.


Friday, Sep 12th - Sunday 14th: We will take a mythic water-crossing to the Isle of Lewis and the mind-boggling Standing Stones of Callanish, erected 2,000 years before Stonehenge. I’ve been here many times, and this powerful site never fails to bring me to my knees in wonder. We will also explore a beautiful beach on Lewis, as well as other ancient sites.


Sunday, Sep 14th: Back to the mainland, through Ullapool, and through Inverness. We will not really stop in inverness, but we will stop at the riveting Munlochy Clootie Well, and ancient sitr for prayers. Then onto the beautiful Cairngorm mountains. We will stay the night, and next day visit the Cairgorm Reindeer Center where will take a short hike to commune with and feed the reindeer. When we arrive back in Edinburgh this evening, our trip is formally over.

Early Bird Price: $3,100 for the first 4 to register

Regular Price: $3400

Reserve your spot(s) by making a $500 deposit per person. 

You may use the PayPal Button below (with a $15 PayPal fee) or you can pay through Venmo with no fee (@DrumSoul). If you use Venmo, you must add your email address to the note or I won't be able to contact you! You may also send a check to Drumming the Soul Awake, 4227 Lyndale Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55409. An email telling me the check is on its way helps. If you mail a check, I cant guarantee that your spot won't be taken by someone paying online while the check is in the mail.


The deposit is non-refundable if you withdraw from the trip for any reason unless I can fill your spot. It is refundable if the trip gets cancelled from my end for any reason. 

Deposit for:
Your Name Please

​​The price includes lodging for seven nights in shared rooms (typically two people per room in twin beds, but a minimal possibility of three in a room for one of the stays). The lodging is comfortable but not luxurious, charming but not lavish - all so I can keep the price of the trip as reasonable as I can. The fee covers ground transport in a 15-passenger mini-bus beginning when we leave Edinburgh to when we return to Edinburgh the final afternoon.


The price does not include your airfare, food and drink, tips for drivers. It does not include lodging in Edinburgh the night before our trip begins, and the night the trip ends. (This is because some people extend their trip before or after our formal adventure.) Also, it does not include the fee for the all-day boat trip (approximately $100). Based on previous trips, it's somewhat safe to budget about $90 per day for food, and $175 per night for decent lodging in Edinburgh.


Single and shared rooms: If you want a single room add on $800 and let me know when you register.  Sharing a room with a total stranger is not something everyone can do well. If you are nervous person, or really need your space, if you tend toward cranky, or if you are someone who snores, or has a CPAP machine, or is a very light sleeper, or is up and down at night, I highly recommend you not try to save money by doing a shared room.


Please contact me  with any questions: 
jaime@drummingthesoulawake.com

What Previous Traveler's Had to Say...

"Being in a class or ceremonial space with Jaime is the spiritual experience I always wanted from church but never found. Jaime moves easily between the sacred and the silly, putting everyone at ease and creating an amazing camaraderie and intimacy between strangers. The class was motivating, inspiring, and thought-provoking. I would take any class from Jaime because I know that in anything he leads, I will be reminded of how sacred life is and feel connected to my deepest self." 

"Traveling with Jaime was a life-changing experience. He led us to places of extraordinary beauty and spiritual power, where we had a perfect mix of structured teachings and free time for personal exploration. What began as a group of strangers felt like a family by the end of the trip. For anyone interested in cultivating a more spiritual life, a trip like this is an invaluable opportunity to immerse yourself in a kind of beauty and wonder that can further you on your path. Since coming home I've felt stronger, more centered, and more peaceful than ever. I'm already planning my next trip abroad with Jaime!"

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