Celtic Compass

04/10/2026

Did you know that the British Isles is actually an archipelago of over six thousand islands many small and uninhabited, some with towering cliffs, some with pure white sandy beaches, all unique and special. For seabirds and shorebirds this is heaven and means we have globally important populations of some species. If you have never seen gannets dive at 60pmh or heard puffins grunt and puff in their burrows or the pink footed geese return to their winter breeding grounds, honking as they fly high in formation, come and explore some of the wonders of these isles.

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Colours of the Sea

Where ocean meets sky in a glorious blend,
The puffins emerge, on them we depend.
Each splash of color, each flight so bold,
Tales of adventure in plumage unfold.

These guardians of shores, in coats of delight,
Brighten our world with their radiant flight.
As surf kisses rock, and breezes entwine,
Puffins remind us that nature’s divine.

21/09/2026

Very excited to be bringing in some more geology tours for 2027 on the Isle of Mull and Iona with the wonderful and esteemed James Westland, geologist extraordinaire, more details to follow. Iona contains some of the oldest rocks on the planet, so old they contain no fossils and the Isle of Mull is a story of ancient, complex and fiery volcanic activity, there is much to explore, including lots of shiny crystals! Truly fascinating rock heaven.

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12/09/2026

Many of the roads on Mull have simply breathtaking views with great opportunities for wildlife spotting and that get away from it all feel. Then there are very special roads such as this one that takes you to the atmospheric remains of a 13th century medieval church with fascinating historical artefacts, aside a highland loch filled with wild brown trout. The track then leads you on to a beautiful white shell sandy beach, making the trip down the track very worthwhile despite all the bumps and possible strapping in needed! Come and explore with Celtic Compass.

https://www.celticcompass.com

05/09/2026

I always find the words of John O'Donohue so profound and beautiful. When I took this picture I just felt the magnificence and power of the place. To be alone and at one in nature is a blessing for all of us.

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JOHN O'DONOHUE

Excerpt from his book: The Invisible Embrace

When the mind is festering with trouble or the heart torn, we can find healing among the silence of mountains or fields, or listen to the simple, steadying rhythm of waves. The slowness and stillness gradually takes us over. Our breathing deepens and our hearts calm and our hungers relent. When serenity is restored, new perspectives open to us and difficulty can begin to seem like an invitation to new growth.

This invitation to friendship with nature does of course entail a willingness to be alone out there. Yet this aloneness is anything but lonely. Solitude gradually clarifies the heart until a true tranquility is reached. The irony is that at the heart of that aloneness you feel intimately connected with the world. Indeed, the beauty of nature is often the wisest balm for it gently relieves and releases the caged mind.

Photo © Celtic Compass
Glen More, Isle of Mull - Home of White Tailed & Golden Eagles

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19/08/2026

On the Isle of Mull, there is a very special little church called Kilmore Church in Dervaig, which has some very beautiful and striking stained glass windows. Recently there was a flower festival in the church making the place feel even more special. If you are heading to the Mull be sure to visit.

https://www.celticcompass.com

27/02/2026

It's that very special time of year, the stirring of the land, lambs being born, first early flowers appearing, bringing a feeling of new beginnings. A time to reconnect with the land, so eloquently written about by the wonderful late John O'Donohue in his poem To Learn from Animal Being

Nearer to the earth's heart,
Deeper within its silence:
Animals know this world
In ways we never will.
..

May we learn to return
And rest in the beauty
Of animal being,
Learn to lean low,
Leave our locked minds,
And with freed senses
Feel the earth
Breathing with us.

Excerpt from To Learn from Animal Being,
To Bless the Space Between Us

Provider of specialised tours in Scotland. Tour through ancient and sacred sites led by guides expert in their fields.

01/02/2026

Imbolc Blessings to all

The festival of Bride (Imbolc)

In Scotland Saint Brigit was known as Bride, and like the goddess reigned over fire, art and beauty and presided over the birth of spring. The Cailleach, old woman of winter was transformed into Bride, the Fair Woman of February, fragile, but growing stronger each day as the sun rekindled it's fire.

Alexander Carmichael wrote in Carmina Gadelica (1860 - 1909). "Bride with her white wand is said to breathe life into the mouth of the dead winter"

Bride's day is 1st February.

"Bride put her finger in the river,
On the Feast Day of Bride
And away went the hatching mother of the cold."

Carmina Gadelica

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Beautiful art work, Personification of Spring - Ruth Sanderson

09/01/2026

Here's to 2026 and looking forward to welcoming you on one of our tours. Time to come and explore the beauty and magic of the Hebrides and the western seaboard of Scotland.

https://www.celticcompass.com

Provider of specialised tours in Scotland. Tour through ancient and sacred sites led by guides expert in their fields.

28/12/2025

A fascinating lecture on Pictish Kingship, showing some really interesting finds, especially the animal figurine moulds, only ones found in the British Isles.

Ethnogenesis and Kingship AD 300-900

This March 2025 lecture by Professor Gordon Noble FSAScot drew on over 10 years of excavations and survey in Northeast Scotland to posit a new model for the development of kingship and the ethnogenesis of the Picts in Northeast Scotland.

The lecture:This lecture draws on over ten years of excavations and survey in Northeast Scotland to posit a new model for the development of kingship and the...

21/06/2022

Wishing everyone a very Happy Solstice from some happy Hebridean sheep who even have their own balloons to celebrate!