Visiting the Skete

QUICK VISIT

As an ordinary 9am-5pm routine of work and studies is followed on weekdays, and the answerphone is on most of the time, leave a message on the answerphone (24hrs. notice) or e-mail.(48hrs. notice) to arrange. After Sunday Mass (11am-12noon) or early afternoon Sunday (1-4pm) is definitely the best time for ad hoc (unscheduled) visits!

ATTENDING DIVINE OFFICE

Neighbours, parishioners and visitors are always welcome to share Divine Office at the Skete ( check times on Highland Skete pages). It is a good idea to leave a message on the answerphone if you are coming, with your telephone number - in case it is a desert day or some other special programme.

STAYING IN THE MONASTIC HOUSE

Retreatants must be prepared to live the daily monastic programme. The skete is not a monastic guesthouse. It is a small monastic house - a hermitage for a few people to live together, sharing some religious duties and work. The Skete is only able to accept a small number of guests - two or three at the most - in the small silent enclosure. Priority is given to women discerning a vocation to monastic life at the skete. At this time, when a more remote hermitage location is being considered, it is important that women attracted to this way of life make contact with a view to visiting and making their noviciate fort this here. The present site may be kept on as a house of studies, in the long term, depending upon what arrangements are made with the Diocese and parish.

The daily life is lived in silence, with half an hour each day set aside for studies with aspirants/retreatants and a short period before Vespers to prepare Divine Office together. An hour is set aside to see each person staying in the house each week, individually, usually over the weekend. Please bring some work or have an interest you can enjoy doing quietly on your own. Cooking is done by rota, by everyone: visitors also undertake a further 2/3hrs. work for the skete on most days, as part of their monastic experience. Visitors are also encouraged to walk in the surrounding countryside, possibly taking sandwiches for a long walk on the weekly desert day.

STAYING IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OR CHURCH FLAT

Please make your own arrangements for accommodation directly with the place you will be staying at (see Accommodation section). Priority is given to men and women discerning a vocation to monastic life and interested in either a further stay at the skete or being part of a hermitage site up the glen. Other visitors might arrange to come for a working holiday, retreat or studies.

Visitors staying outside the skete enclosure can participate in the silent meals, Divine Office (with eucharistic service), and may be able to arrange for study time in the library. Please make sure you have arranged this before you come, as it is often not possible to make any arrangements if someone just ‘lands’ on the doorstep!

WORKING HOLIDAYS

Both .pdf forms give space to asking visitors what preferences and special talents they have in regard to work. Voluntary workers not staying in the skete are invited to join the silent meals and Divine Office as they choose - but do make it clear in advance what you expect to join in with so that arrangements can be made. Sandwiches can also be provided for lunch on days off to explore.

ATTENDING COURSES OR STUDYING THE ICON

Courses have a special programme which is available with the Application form. A number of people in the past have come ad hoc, hoping for training in the icon or gilding techniques, or in Gregorian chant, without any previous arrangement. As the skete has a busy schedule of commissions and distance learning commitments, it is impossible to respond to such requests. Added to this, there is at present no permanent workroom outside the enclosure (Summer Courses are in the parish hall) so special arrangements are necessary if men wish to write icons. If studies are your aim or part of your aim, in visiting the skete, please make sure you have made arrangements before you come. There is normally a charge for individual tuition. COR guidelines are used for costing courses.