Trip to Scotland

[Dundonian.on.Islay]

Well if you're looking for whisky Islay is a good place, 'the queen of the hebrides' has 8 distilleries which all conduct distillery tours regularly, or if you visit in the last week of may theres the feis ile, where each distillery has an open day, as for church history, admittedly I don't know much about the religious side of things but theres is Kilarrow parish church known as the round church in Bowmore, theres also the Kildalton cross carved in the later half of the 8th century and a few other places.

Heres a wee link with info about Islay,

Www.islayinfo.com

[cessna152towser]

If you are into churches you really need to include the south of Scotland.
Scottish Borders has Jedburgh, Melrose, Dryburgh and Kelso Abbeys, all of which are cared for by Historic Scotland, and if you are on a walking holiday these are linked by the Four Abbeys Way. Or you could walk St. Cuthbert's Way and cross into England and over the causeway to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne with its Lindisfarne Priory and St. Mary's Chapel.
Dumfries has Lincluden Collegiate Church and Sweetheart Abbey.
The south of the country is something of a drought area for production of single malt whiskies, but you could combine Glenkinchie Distillery with the Border Abbeys or Bladnoch Distillery with Glenluce Abbey over in the south-west.
I'll add some links to my photos of these Abbeys and Churches:-
Melrose Abbey:- http://www.ipernity.com/doc/351051/album/505655
Kelso Abbey:- http://www.ipernity.com/doc/351051/album/505653
Jedburgh Abbey:- http://www.ipernity.com/doc/351051/album/505649
Dryburgh Abbey:- http://www.ipernity.com/doc/351051/album/505603
Glenluce Abbey:- http://www.ipernity.com/doc/351051/album/505623
Lincluden Collegiate Church:- http://www.ipernity.com/doc/351051/a...7/@/page:11:18
Sweetheart Abbey:- http://www.ipernity.com/doc/351051/a...7/@/page:12:18
Lindisfarne:-http://www.ipernity.com/doc/351051/album/504105
Various Border Churches:-http://www.ipernity.com/doc/351051/album/503973
Blanchland Abbey (North of England, an hour's drive from Scottish Border):- http://www.ipernity.com/doc/351051/album/503427
and not forgetting Paisley Abbey, founded 1163, where William Wallace received part of his education and only two miles from Glasgow Airport:-
http://www.ipernity.com/doc/351051/album/505659

[cessna152towser]

Sometimes the smaller and less well known sites also have an interesting history. I visited the ruins of Old Dailly Church while doing some ancestry research. Site of a church from around 1200 until abandoned about 1800 and there are still Covenanters' Graves in the grounds.
http://www.ipernity.com/doc/351051/24527765

[Chaps]

Again, thanks for these ideas and keep them coming. I have a year to plan and I want to make sure I have a good understanding of all the options. I know I can't see everything, so I will rely heavily on your recommendations. Thanks.

[Ron Abbott]

Maybe you won't have time to get over to the Hebrides but if you did and had only one island to go to, Harris would be a good choice. Beautiful island and if churches are your thing, St Clement's Church at Rodel is an interesting place to visit:-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Clement's_Church,_Rodel

http://www.scotland-inverness.co.uk/rodel.htm

It doesn't take long on the ferry from Harris to Berneray which opens up the Uists to you, or alternatively it's not a long drive from southern Harris up to Lewis where the likes of Callanish is situated.

I often think Skye is over-rated and personally prefer Mull, which of course also opens up Iona to you. The last I was there I stayed just a mile or so from Dervaig where the church with the round spire is situated. A great place to stay there is at Druimnacroish :-

http://www.druimnacroish.co.uk/