Dean Village to Colinton (approx. 6.5 miles)

Start: Outside St Marks Unitarian Church on Castle Terrace (our usual Thursday evening venue) at 10am Sunday 20th September.

We will walk in togetherness as a community – sharing Noble Silence. Breaks and lunch will not be in silence – please bring water and snacks to sustain yourself through the day. We’ll stop for lunch at Saughton Park where there is the possibility to buy food if you don’t want bring a packed lunch.

Finish: Colinton Village by about 3:00pm. There are 7 buses an hour from the Rustic Cottages bus stop (Numbers 10, 16 & 45 for the city centre and 18 for the South of the city.)

Open to everyone, of all faiths and none.

To facilitate car sharing or companionable public transport, join the WhatsApp group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KQNJI2kVTL1Kh08iqpfwSs . You could possibly park in Colinton and bus to the start as parking in the city centre is challenging.

Questions? Please use the contact form or the WhatsApp group above.

Saturday 3rd October 9:45 am – 4 pm (Please arrive from 9:45 for a 10am start)

We will spend the day learning about Bodhisattva Kshitigarbha and their great vow – to be present in the darkest of places and to help to transform the suffering of the world. We will sit together in peace and solidarity to develop our own innate capacity for compassion, clarity and stability so that we are able to offer freshness, love and compassion to ourselves, to our families and to the world.

Open to everyone – of all faiths and none. Please bring some plant-based food to share for a pot-luck lunch.

St Mark’s Unitarian Church, 7 Castle Terrace, Edinburgh EH1 2DP

For further details or to contact us using the form.

Our first meeting of the autumn at St Marks will be on Thursday 3rd September 2026 at 7:15 for 7:30.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

The art of letting go

With the Edinburgh Wild Geese Sangha Gentle Zen practice in the Plum Village Tradition

Saturday 5th September 2026 – 10am – 4pm – (Please arrive from around 09:45 for a 10am start)

Whether it’s clutter, tension, habits, views and hurts or the four notions there are so many ways in which letting go can enhance our well being. We’ll share our experiences of letting go: What’s been easy and what’s been harder? What can be released quickly and what takes time? Which forms of release have had the most beneficial effect?

The day will include meditation, readings from Thay’s books, group sharing, deep relaxation and a potluck lunch.

Please bring some plant-based food to share for lunch.

St. Mark’s Unitarian Church, 7 Castle Terrace, Edinburgh, EH1 2DP

It is 23 years since our beloved teacher Thich Nhat Hanh offered a retreat at St Andrews on the invitation of the Wild Geese sangha. Since then, the Scottish sangha has blossomed, and we now have the extraordinary good fortune of welcoming two new dharma teachers who were ordained at Plum Village in March of this year: Lindsay Lumsden (Touching the Earth Sangha, Aberdeenshire) and Jane Ellen Combelic (Northern Lights Sangha, Findhorn). 

We have the opportunity to celebrate together at a Day of Mindfulness they will offer in Perth on 17 October. They will share with us the insight Gathas they were inspired to write as part of their ordination, Gathas which illuminate key aspects of their learning and inspiration on the path. This is a chance for the Scottish sangha to come together in a central location to mark a major step in our evolution and to enjoy our communal presence and practice.We will have a ‘Pot luck’ lunch so please bring along your favourite vegan dish to share. Also please take along a cushion/matt/blanket for sitting on the floor and/or for deep relaxation.  We will collect Dana to cover costs for the hire of the hall and for the teachers travel expenses/livelihood.  

We look forward to seeing you! 

When: 17 October 10am-4pm

Where: North Muirton Community Centre, Argyll Rd, Perth  PH1 3BZ

Travel:  If you a need a lift from/to the station, we will do our best to connect you with someone who can help

How to register: Please fill out the online form here to reserve your space.

In 2023 a plum tree was planted in the Community Garden on the Meadows to commemorate Thich Nhat Hanh’s visit to Edinburgh in 2003. It is marked by a plaque inscribed with the words ‘Peace is Every Step‘. As a way to remember and continue this mindful energy, we will be holding a silent walking meditation on the Meadows on Sunday 19th July 2026 at 11:00 am starting from the tree. Before the walk there will be a short introduction to mindful walking. The walk will be complete within an hour.

If you are on Middle Meadow Walk facing South towards Marchmont, then the Community Garden is about 100m to your left just before you get to the tennis courts. Locate with What3Words: ///values.speak.intervals or Google Maps.

This event aims to provide a collective experience of ‘being peaceful’ together. It is not a protest or campaigning event, so please don’t bring any banners/placards etc, however we will share the energy with those who might benefit from it at the end.

A full day of mindful hiking along stage 1 of the John Muir Way. Dunbar to East Linton (approx. 7.5 miles).

Full accessible by public transport! Details in flier below.

A reminder that, as usual, we will not be sitting together at St Marks on a Thursdays during August. This is because St Marks is used as venue for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It is also good to have a break from any routine, especially for the organisers. It’s our lazy month – although we continue to organise other events and continue to meet in Granton Hub on Fridays! There is also a mindful hike on the 23rd August.

Our last meeting of the summer will be on Thursday 30th July 2026

Our first meeting of the autumn will be on Thursday 3rd September 2026

Why not attend a show at St Marks during August instead? The programme is below.

We will spend the day focusing on making connections with our bodies, each other and the Earth. We will enjoy body scans, guided meditations, earth touching and sharing. Together we will explore the true meaning of Interbeing.

Open to everyone – of all faiths and none. Please bring some plant-based food to share for a pot-luck lunch.

Saturday 4th July 2026. 9:45am – 4pm (Please arrive from 9:45 for a 10am start).

St Mark’s Unitarian Church, 7 Castle Terrace, Edinburgh, EH1 2DP.

Any questions please use our contact form.