Glen Clova, Scotland · 20 to 24 September 2027
You’ve felt the pull. Now it’s time to follow it to the Glen.
Four days on ancestral Scottish land at the autumn equinox, with Rhonda McCrimmon and a circle of twenty-six kindred spirits. Standing stones, fire, ceremony, and Celtic ways practised on the land, not through a screen.
Whether you're walking your ancestors' land or just following a pull you can't explain, you belong here.
Follow the pullYou've been doing the work. Reading, practising, showing up.
And still there's a gap between where you are and where you can feel yourself heading. Your practice wants to open further. The books and the online courses have gotten you this far, but you already know that the next part of your journey needs to have land under your feet and people around you who speak this language.
“Reading about Scotland and watching documentaries pale in comparison to experiencing Scotland in person.”
“I had read many books and taken some online courses, but I was craving something more raw. I wanted to be guided in person, to touch the magic up close.”
— Paige, Missoula“I have worked and practised online for over 15 years, and had many amazing online experiences. And as someone who values connection, sometimes we need to connect more personally and deeply, to other humans and to the land. This adventure created that space.”
— DianeYou don't need Celtic blood. You need the call.
Some come to walk their ancestors' land. Others just feel the pull. Both belong here.
For many people, there's something older underneath that, too.
A pull toward a tradition to belong to. If your roots are Celtic, you may have been circling this for years, carrying a sense that you should know something you don't, that there's a home here you haven't quite reached.
And if your roots lie elsewhere, or you have never been sure where they lie, you are just as welcome.
One moment in the year that cannot be edited.
Calendars get rewritten. The equinox, where day and night stand exactly equal, does not.
We hold this retreat at the equinox on purpose.
Calendars have been changed and rewritten across thousands of years, one system laid over another, each with its own starting point and story about where we stand in the natural world.
This has caused us to lose our footing with the natural cycles of the land where we live.
Thankfully, the equinox cannot be moved or edited. The moment when day and night stand exactly equal is simply true. It was true before anyone named it, and it stays true whatever story gets laid on top.
The sky is the one reference point no one has tampered with.
Coming back into step with nature’s cycles is what four days in Glen Clova, at the turning of the year, is for.
Four days in the glen at the turning of the year.
Ceremony, the Three Cauldrons, old sacred sites. Everything but your flight is included.
Threshold is a four-day Celtic retreat at Glen Clova, in the hills of Angus, Scotland, held at the Autumn Equinox from 20 to 24 September 2027.
Twenty-six of us, four days on the land, with Rhonda McCrimmon and guest teacher Wendy Dooner. Ceremony, the Three Cauldrons, the old sacred sites, and a choice of two paths on Thursday: Celtic Seership with Rhonda or Plant Spirit Herbalism with Wendy.
Every meal and your travel from Edinburgh (Ingleston park and ride) are included.
A guide, not a guru.
Rhonda teaches a real method, is honest about what knowledge has been lost to time, and is warm and direct about it all.
Rhonda is a Celtic seer, practitioner, and teacher, and the reason many people find their way to this work. She is known for being clear, direct, and kind in equal measure, and for teaching practical methods rather than asking you to take anything on blind faith. She is honest about what we know of the tradition and what has been lost along the way.
Students describe her as a guide, not a guru. If you have followed her online, you already know this. These four days are the chance to do the work with her in the room. She leads the Three Cauldrons, the seership, the land and ancestor work, and every ceremony of the week.
“Rhonda is a no-nonsense, straight-talking personality, adept at walking the line between modern and ancient. I really resonated with her deep connection to the land and to her guides.”
— Jessica McDougall, Saint Paul“Her humour kept things light, and her knowledge of the area made it heavy, laden with info. She also holds good boundaries, which sets the stage for the success of the group.”
— Sarah Bayle, OlympiaFour days off the screen, on sacred ancestral land
And the energy of a room full of kindred spirits doing this work together
Here is how your trip will unfold.
Monday 20 September — Arrival
The coach leaves Ingliston at 2 pm and carries the whole group north into the glen, reaching Glen Clova in time to settle in before dinner. In the evening we gather for the opening ceremony, where we meet one another, set our intention for the days ahead, and call in the land and the work to come.
Tuesday 21 September — The Three Cauldrons
A full day inside the Three Cauldrons, the old Celtic map of body, heart, and vision: Coire Goiriath, Coire Erma, and Coire Sois. We work through each cauldron in turn, finding and clearing what has been sitting in the way. In the evening, a healing ceremony led by Rhonda.
Wednesday 22 September — Land, ancestors and sacred sites
We take the work out onto the land. There is ceremony for ancestral connection, and we visit the places this part of Scotland is known for: the great hillfort of White Caterthun, the carved Pictish stones at Aberlemno, and the recumbent circle at Tomnaverie. In the evening, a BBQ under the hills, with ritual dancing for anyone who wants to join in. You are also welcome to watch and enjoy.
Thursday 23 September — Your day, your way
The group divides for the day, and you spend it on one of two paths: Seership with Rhonda or Plant Spirit Medicine with Wendy. Both are described below. As the light and the dark fall equal at the autumn equinox, we come back together in the evening for the closing Equinox ceremony to seal the work of the week.
Friday 24 September — Departure
Breakfast, check-out, and the coach leaves at 10 am for Edinburgh, arriving at Ingliston by early afternoon.
“It is like comparing apples to the best orange you have ever tasted. In person, and with the support of a group, is just delicious and what this life is all about.”
— Paige, Missoula“Scotland is my home, and the land welcomed me back with open arms. The history, culture and energy of the land is felt as you walk on it.”
— Doreen Breen, CollinsvilleChoose your day: Open to your second sight, or meet the plants as allies.
Seership with Rhonda, or plant spirit medicine with Wendy. You choose before you arrive.
On Thursday, the group splits, and you spend the whole day on one of two paths. Both are led by someone who has given their life to the work. You tell us which one calls you in the questionnaire you complete after booking.
Seership, with Rhonda
Spend the day learning that your second sight is real.
Seership is the ancient art of receiving what comes to you, and sharing it with others.
Throughout the day, you work in pairs and small groups, learning Rhonda's step-by-step approach to opening, receiving, and knowing when to speak and when to stay quiet.
For most people, the shift happens in the practice itself.
You give a reading, and you watch it land on the face across from you. The quiet doubt that has followed you, the “am I making this up?”, starts to give way to the kind of trust that only comes from watching it work, again and again, until the doubt has nowhere left to go.
Students leave this work saying things like “this moment changed everything for me,” and “I now decide to trust, and I am not afraid to get it wrong.” By the end of the day, you have done the reps, and you have your own proof.
Plant Spirit Medicine, with Wendy
Meet the plants of this land as allies, guided by a herbalist of twenty-five years.
Wendy Dooner is a medical herbalist and the author of Plant Spirit Herbalism. On Thursday, she takes the plant-path group out onto the land to work directly with its plants, hands in the earth. You learn to meet them as allies, not ingredients, through plant medicine and the slower craft of paying close attention.
There is a different kind of knowing that comes from sitting with a living plant on the ground where it grows. Throughout the day, you slow down, start to notice what you usually walk straight past, and begin a relationship with the green world that you can carry home. You spend it in the hands of someone who has worked this way for twenty-five years and written the book on it.
Stand where this land has been held sacred for thousands of years.
Land is the heart of this retreat. On Wednesday, we take the work outside, onto the ground itself, and out to places people have gathered for thousands of years.
IWhite Caterthun
A great Iron Age hillfort high above Strathmore. Its summit is ringed by a massive rampart of pale, tumbled stone, up to 20 metres thick, which is how the hill earned its name. Stand inside the walls and the whole strath opens beneath you. This was a stronghold, and almost certainly a place where people gathered.
IIThe Aberlemno stones
A group of carved Pictish stones in and around the village of Aberlemno, dating to the 6th and 9th centuries. The roadside Serpent Stone bears deep, confident symbols whose meaning remains unknown. In the churchyard stands a cross-slab with a battle scene on its back, long read as the Pictish victory at Dun Nechtan in 685. Some of the oldest storytelling in Scotland, told in stone.
IIITomnaverie stone circle
A recumbent stone circle raised around 2500 BC, of a kind found only in the north-east of Scotland. A single huge stone lies on its side between two uprights, framing the low arc of the moon, with the hills toward Lochnagar on the horizon. It encircles a burial cairn, and people have come back to it for thousands of years.
“Upon entering the circle, it truly felt like we were entering an ancient cathedral. The world was quiet, and it just felt like the Earth was breathing with us.”
— Jessica McDougall, Saint Paul“There was something truly spiritual about being in community with others, past, present and future, in a way that honoured all that is.”
— Diane
It begins before you arrive, and carries on after you leave.
A private space to meet your group beforehand, online Q&A sessions before you travel, and an integration call once you are home.
Two months prior to the retreat, you join our private online space on Circle (not Facebook). It is a place to meet the others who are coming, ask your questions, and feel the circle forming before you ever reach the glen, so you arrive among faces you already know.
Inside, we host online Q&A sessions, so anything you are wondering about, the work, the travel, or what to pack, is answered in good time.
A few weeks after you are home, we gather online for an integration call to help what you found on the land settle into your daily life.
“I made several new friends. We meet periodically on Zoom to continue our community and support each other.”
— ColleenEverything is handled the moment you arrive.
Every meal is freshly cooked, all your travel from Edinburgh, and your room for four nights. You bring yourself.
We pick you up in a coach from Ingleston park and ride (a 3-minute taxi ride from Edinburgh airport). You stay at Glen Clova in an ensuite room for the four nights. Choose a twin room shared with one other guest, or a private room of your own. Both are warm and comfortable, with the glen outside the window. If you are coming with a friend or partner, let us know who they are, and we’ll pair you together. If you are coming alone but choose a shared room, we’ll pair you with someone of the same gender.
There are 26 places in all: 16 in twin rooms and 10 private rooms.
“Your itinerary and logistical planning were excellent. Well thought out, diverse, and I felt it was planned for me personally.”
— Doreen Breen, CollinsvilleThe chefs cook every meal fresh, and it is all included in your place.
There is no extra charge to eat. Vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options are always available, and teas and coffees are available throughout the day. This is a dry event, so the evenings are alcohol free.
Included in your place
- All accommodation, Monday to Friday (four nights)
- Every meal is freshly cooked
- Teas and coffees throughout
- Coach transfers from Edinburgh Ingliston
- Travel to all the sacred sites
Not included
- Flights to and from Edinburgh
- Travel to Ingliston Park and Ride (a 3-minute taxi or short tram or bus ride from Edinburgh airport)
- Alcohol (this is a dry event)
- Personal spending
- Travel insurance
Getting here
Fly into Edinburgh Airport. Our coach collects the whole group from Ingliston Park and Ride at 2 pm on Monday and drives you north to Glen Clova, about three hours through the hills, arriving in time for dinner. On Friday, we leave the glen at 10 am and bring you back to Ingliston by early afternoon.
From the airport to the pickup point
Tram: the stop is right outside the terminal, by the Edinburgh sign. Take any tram one stop to Ingliston Park and Ride, about three minutes. They run every seven minutes. Buy an Airport Single at the machine or tap a contactless card; it is £7.90, or £7.50 if booked online.
On foot: about an 18-minute walk if you are traveling light. By taxi: a three-minute ride from the rank outside arrivals.
Be at Ingliston Park and Ride for 1:45 pm on Monday, 20 September. Fly in that morning, or come the evening before and stay at an airport hotel; the Moxy at Ingliston is right beside the pickup point. If you are driving, there are 1,000 free parking spaces, and you can leave your car for the full 4 days.
If you cannot make the 2 pm coach, or would rather drive, you are welcome to make your own way to Glen Clova. It is about a two-hour drive, and the glen is remote, so plan to hire a car or book a taxi. As the time approaches, we will provide a way to connect with other participants to arrange lift shares.
Aim to land before midday on Monday, and book your flight home for late afternoon on Friday, no earlier than 4 pm, so you are never rushing. Or stay over: spend Friday night at an airport hotel and fly out the next day.
“Travelling alone and not knowing anyone in the group was easy and comfortable, and gave me total freedom to be me and immerse myself in the adventure.”
— Doreen Breen, CollinsvilleGlen Clova, Scotland · 20 to 24 September 2027
The price and how to pay
Coming with a partner? Book two twin room tickets, and we will pair you together.
Twin room
Paired with one other guest. Choose your partner by letting us know after you order or we’ll pair you with someone of the same gender
Booking is now closed
Join the waitlistAll prices are in GBP. If you need a currency converter, head to this page
Every price is all-inclusive once you are with us: your room for the four nights, every meal, teas and coffees throughout, and all the travel from Edinburgh, into the glen and out to the sacred sites. The only things to add are your flights and your way to the pickup. Pay in full, or spread the cost over 12 months.
“Go. It is life-altering and will change you in ways you cannot even imagine. If money is an issue, it is only money, and you will make more.”
— Jessica McDougall, Saint PaulThis is where people tell us they finally came home.
Real words from people who walked the land with us.
“That deep feeling of being home, being grounded, being safe and being connected is still with me all these months later.”
— Doreen Breen, Collinsville“In my core being, I know who I am and what I was put on this earth to do. I connect more with the world around me in ways that, until the pilgrimage, felt foreign.”
— Jessica McDougall, Saint Paul“It felt like an initiation into something magical, and an invitation to carry that forward into the world. It has the ability to change your life, if you let it.”
— Paige, Missoula“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I rarely make recommendations to friends on something so personal, but if you can, DO.”
— Sarah Bayle, Olympia“Go! It is a life-changing, magical experience. I really connected with the land and with my ancestors, and made several new friends.”
“My awareness of my connection to the land and ancestors is stronger.”
— DianeQuestions you might have
Do I need Celtic ancestry to come?
No Celtic roots? You're welcome here. Some people come to walk the land of their own ancestors; others simply feel the pull and follow it. You need no bloodline and no prior training, only an open heart and a willingness to take part.
I have never done this work in person. Is that alright?
More than alright. Many guests have only ever practiced online or alone, and the whole point of these four days is to do it in the room, on the land, with others. Wherever you are starting from, you are met there.
I would be traveling on my own. Will that feel strange?
Not at all. Most people come alone. By the first evening, you are part of a circle of 26, sharing meals, fire, and ceremony. Coming on your own is the norm here, not the exception.
Will there be much walking?
The sacred sites involve some walking over open ground, with a few gentle slopes, at an easy pace. If you have any concerns about mobility, get in touch with us before booking at theteam@centreforshamanism.com
What about food and dietary needs?
Every meal is freshly cooked and included in your place. Vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options are always available. Tell us your needs ahead of time, and they are taken care of.
Why is it a dry event?
We keep the four days alcohol free so the work stays clear and the space stays safe for everyone. The evenings are full without it: fire, food, ceremony, and good company.
How is my Thursday track decided?
After you book, you complete a short questionnaire, and your track for the Thursday, Seership, or Plant Spirit Medicine is set from there.
What is included in the price?
Your room for the four nights, every meal, teas and coffees, the coach from Edinburgh, and all travel to the sacred sites. Flights and your way to the pickup are not included.
How do you know if Threshold is for you?
You already sense it. A pull. A curiosity you can't explain. A feeling that the next part of this needs your feet on the ground. You don't need experience, you don't need Celtic ancestry, and you don't have to explain what drew you. If it feels right, come.
Glen Clova, Scotland · 20 to 24 September 2027
Twenty-six places. Your turn to stand in the circle.
Four days at the turning of the year. If you have felt the pull, now is the time to follow it. Choose your room, and we will hold your place by the fire.
“After writing this review, I want to go again.”
— Sarah Bayle, OlympiaRefund and transfer policy
You have a 14-day cooling-off period from the date of purchase. Within those 14 days, you can cancel for a refund, minus the non-refundable 3.5% ticketing fee.
After the 14-day cooling-off period, your payment is non-refundable. If more than six months remain before the event, you can transfer your payment to another Centre for Shamanism event.
Within six months of the event, your payment cannot be refunded or transferred.
To request a refund or transfer, email theteam@centreforshamanism.com with the event name and your order number.
Threshold — A Celtic Retreat at Glen Clova, 20 to 24 September 2027 · Centre for Shamanism
Image credits: Tomnaverie Stone Circle by Neil Williamson (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under Creative Commons BY-SA 2.0. Aberlemno churchyard stone photo by Greenshed is in the public domain.