A Celtic pilgrimage

FEATURE

THE Columba Experience is a week-long walk through Argyll, from Southend to the island of Lismore, following in the footsteps of the Celtic saint Columba who brought Christianity to Scotland in the sixth century. We began our walk by gathering in Tarbert where we stayed for our first night before travelling together by minibus to St Columba’s Footsteps in Southend.

There, we had a commissioning service conducted by the minister of Southend Parish church. No two days were the same, some days were longer than others, some involved meeting people as we were walking, others involved getting boats. It was brilliant walking through such beautiful scenery.

Sometimes our walk was through forest, at other times it was along the side of lochs or through valleys. Along the way, we came to appreciate why the people of Columba’s time used boats as the main form of transport.

While walking, we had time to reflect on our faith and on scripture. We began each day by reading a passage of scripture and praying for our day ahead. When we came to a rest spot we would reread the bible passage of the day and then walk for about half an hour in silence reflecting on the passage. This silence was easier or more difficult depending on what the walking was like for that section of the day. I struggled most when the time of silence coincided with a long uphill slog along a forestry commission track on day two. To end our time of silence we would find a spot where we could stop and if we felt like it we could share an insight we gained from our time in silence.

It was a real privilege to meet so many people along the way. As we walked we stopped at every church we passed on the way. Some nights we slept in churches and many of the evenings we met people in the communities we stopped in and shared in food and fellowship. The people we met on our pilgrimage were so supportive and encouraging, if a little bemused about what we were doing. It was brilliant getting to know people and we were always so sad to leave a place and the people we had met.

The Columba Experience is more than a walk. It is a pilgrimage journey, meeting people both of the present communities and of the past and hearing their stories.

Along the way we got to know each other and the people we met. It was the weirdest thing arriving into Oban and being confronted with such a busy and bustling town when we had got used to the peace and the quiet of the small villages we stopped in along our route. I would one hundred percent do it all again this year.

The Columba Experience is a pilgrimage for 18-25 year-olds. This summer there are two walks, beginning on June 13 and 20. The application deadline is mid-May. To find out more go to facebook.com/ thecolumbaexperience or instagram.com/ thecolumbaexperience

This article appears in the April 2020 Issue of Life and Work

Click here to view the article in the magazine.

To view other articles in this issue Click here.

If you would like to view other issues of Life and Work, you can see the full archive here.