SHEPHERD

A Scottish highlands JOURNEY june 2027

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.”

— Psalm 23:1-3 ESV

Day 1 — Welcome & Gather
Arrive in the Highlands and settle in — a lighter day to ease the travel. Tonight is our welcome dinner, where we unpack ruach, frame the journey, and your chavurah begins to know one another. We open on the first line: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” (Arc: belonging & provision.)
Day 2 — Belong
Into the hills with a working shepherd, and a sheepdog demonstration — how a flock is known, moved, and protected. Teaching on belonging and provision: what it means to be counted, named, and kept.
Day 3 — Rest
Green pastures and still waters. An unhurried pasture reflection and a slower day — rest as something the Shepherd makes us do. He restores my soul. (Arc: rest & restoration.)
Day 4 — Lead & the Valley
Time and an interview with a Highland shepherd — the rod and staff, the voice the sheep follow, the search for the one that wanders; paths of righteousness. A guided Highlands tour into the glens carries us through “the valley of the shadow,” and the presence that walks it with us. (Arc: guidance & the valley.)
Day 5 — The Table
A table prepared — a shared Highland feast. Goodness and mercy, the cup that overflows, the promise of dwelling in the house of the Lord. Reflection and blessing. (Arc: the table & dwelling.)
Day 6 — Go
A slow farewell morning; carry the Shepherd home. Depart.
A note on rhythm. We hold this itinerary with open hands. We follow the weather, the light, and the leading of the Spirit — so the order and shape of days may shift along the way. When it does, it isn’t a disruption; it’s part of how these journeys breathe. We’ll always protect the heart of the experience and the moments that matter most.
- All scheduled group activities, including a sheepdog demonstration, shepherd interview, pasture reflection, and guided Highlands tour
- Guided teaching on Psalm 23 and the shepherding heart of God
- Round‑trip ground transportation between the airport and our Highlands accommodations, plus all itinerary transportation
- Five nights of double‑occupancy accommodation
- Daily breakfasts, curated lunches, and group dinners (some meals; see itinerary)
- Spacious free time for walking, rest, and reflection
- A keepsake gift symbolic of the journey’s theme
- Airfare or transportation to and from Scotland
- Optional activities or personal excursions during free time
- Personal purchases such as souvenirs or incidentals
- Travel insurance (recommended but not required)
- Gratuities for hotel staff or local partners, unless otherwise noted
- A sheepdog demonstration — a flock read and moved across an open hillside.
- An interview with a working shepherd — the rod, the staff, and the voice the sheep follow.
- An unhurried pasture reflection — “He makes me lie down,” lived rather than read.
- A guided Highlands tour — through glens and along a loch, the valley and the still waters.
- A shared Highland table — a feast, and the cup that overflows.
Upon submitting the interest form, we’ll follow up with full trip details so you can discern if this journey is the right fit. If you choose to join, you’ll secure your spot with a deposit and complete a short registration process.
In the weeks leading up to the trip, you’ll receive a preparation packet and join our WhatsApp group and pre‑trip Zoom call so you feel grounded, connected, and ready before we travel.
Final pricing is announced soon. When booking opens, your place is secured with a non‑refundable $500 deposit, then pay in full or use a 5‑installment plan (final payment 60 days before departure).
1. Join the interest list
2. Receive full details & discern fit
3. Reserve with your deposit when booking opens
4. Prep packet, WhatsApp group & pre‑trip Zoom — so you arrive grounded
Your teacher
- This journey is led by a gifted Bible teacher, chosen for the heart of Psalm 23 — to be announced soon. Join the list to be the first to know who’s guiding Shepherd.
Your local experts
We travel with those who have stewarded these hills and flocks for generations:
- Neil Ross · Working Sheepdogs at Leault Farm — a Highland shepherd in the Cairngorms near Aviemore, whose team of collies moves the flock by individual whistle command on a family farm where the craft is handed down through generations. Our sheepdog demonstration and shepherd’s conversation take place here.
- Additional Highlands partners to be added as they’re confirmed.
How physically demanding is it?
Moderate. Expect walking on uneven hill ground and a few longer walks, balanced with rest and reflection. We adapt to a range of fitness levels; if you have mobility concerns, reach out and we’ll help you plan.
What’s the weather like in June?
Highland summers are green and mild — often 50s–60s°F, with long daylight and quick weather changes. Pack layers, a waterproof jacket, and sturdy walking shoes.
Do I need a passport?
Yes — this is an international journey. We’ll share arrival and departure windows once dates are confirmed so you can book flights with confidence.
Can I come alone?
Absolutely — many travelers do. Solo travelers are paired with a roommate of the same gender, or may request a single supplement. You’ll be part of an intimate chavurah from the first night.
Is this only for Christians?
No. Via Ruach welcomes anyone with an earnest desire to know God more. We teach from the Bible through a Christ‑centered lens; a love for Scripture is all you need to bring.

Psalm 23 is the most beloved passage in Scripture — and the most easily worn smooth by familiarity. This six‑day journey carries the psalm into a landscape that still lives it: the hills, lochs, and pastures of the Scottish Highlands, where shepherding remains a living craft and the metaphor recovers its weight.

You’ll learn from working shepherds, watch a sheepdog read its master’s voice across an open hillside, and sit in the quiet of a pasture until “He makes me lie down” stops being poetry and becomes description. Guided teaching traces the psalm’s movement — provision, rest, guidance, the valley, the prepared table, the house of the Lord — against the land that gives those words their texture.

Between teaching and immersion there is room to walk, to be silent, and to be led. By the end you won’t just know Psalm 23 by heart — you’ll know the heart of the Shepherd it describes, and what it means to be counted among those He calls by name.