The beauty is greater even than the land of Scotland itself

Anderson Reformation Tour scotland 2013

The beauty is greater even than the land of Scotland itself

Scottish Reformation Tours arranged a pleasant introduction to Scotland for us through a series of emails, helpfully sorting itinerary details, including warm and comfortable bed and breakfast accommodations in Edinburgh.

During the tour, Helen Fisher did a fine job piloting us, and her husband, Jimmy, edifying us with a running narrative of Covenanter history. We enjoyed Christian fellowship with them, as we were in the car together for several hours. We appreciated their flexibility in permitting schedule changes as desired from time to time. The package was comprehensive and the price modest.

The beauty of the land of Scotland is spectacular, to the glory of God’s majesty, power, and wisdom. We exclaimed upon one breathtaking vista after another – mountains, seas, and livestock. How many shades of green are possible? How many hundred photographs will we have to sort upon returning home?

Yet, the historical narrative offers the even greater beauty of a noble cause.

Viewing the battlefields, martyrdom sites, and gravestone epitaphs of the Covenanters enriched our long-standing gratitude to their persevering stand on Biblical principle.

They insisted that Christ alone is the proper Head and Lawgiver of the Church – neither the pope, nor the king – sealing their testimony with lands, liberty, and even lifeblood. Western civilization can never repay the debt, except by faithful preservation of the same principles.

Even so, it was also good to learn that the Covenanters were not perfect.

Choosing to fight on the side of the hedonistic and duplicitous with Charles II against the Puritan parliament must be ranked among the great strategic blunders of Scottish history; and to wrangle over pulpit indulgence immediately prior to the life-or-death battle of Bothwell Bridge is incomprehensible to an American mind.

Nonetheless, the courage, sacrifice, and godliness of the Covenanters is nothing short of inspiring.

We highly recommend Scottish Reformation Tours to anyone interested in Covenanter sites or the history of Scotland.

– Steven and Betty Anderson, Maine, USA (Tour date: June 2013)