THIS year the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland will be asked to reverse centuries of hostility to the ancient practice of pilgrimage and to affirm its place within the life of the church.
The Camino de Santiago, Europe’s most popular pilgrimage route, attracts 250,000 pilgrims annually. Now the tradition is seeing a massive resurgence in Scotland, with six major pilgrimage routes under development, including one from St Andrews to Iona.
Last month the National Lottery announced new funding of £399,000 to develop the Fife Pilgrims way, a 70-mile route travelling from Culross and South Queensferry to St Andrews. And on Easter Sunday – the 900th anniversary of St Magnus’ death – a new pilgrimage route in his honour was launched in Orkney.