A Duke by Default: Edinburgh, Scotland

May 6th - 10th, 2024

Next May, we will gather as a small group in Edinburgh, Scotland to embark on a pilgrimage centered around A Duke by Default by Alyssa Cole. This pilgrimage will be led by author, culture critic, and podcaster Nichole Perkins and our days will consist of class time, walks, gentle movement, delicious food at local pubs, writing and peaceful moments for reflection. We will explore the text through the theme of grace.

Why A Duke By Default? 

In A Duke by Default, Portia Hobbs can’t seem to get her life together, which is a frequent source of disappointment to her loved ones and herself. She uses an apprenticeship with Scottish sword maker Tavish Mackenzie to figure out the next steps in her life. While the inevitable romance between the two is a delightful treat, at the heart of the story is a woman recovering from debilitating self-doubt and learning to understand herself following a late-in-life ADHD diagnosis. This pilgrimage will give us a chance to think about ways we can give ourselves grace in a world of constant change and realignment. How can we give ourselves grace for our past while holding space for future mistakes and future growth?

What’s Included:

• Four nights in a shared or private room at the luxurious boutique hotel, Roseate in Edinburgh

• All meals from afternoon tea on May 6th to breakfast on the 10th

• Transportation within Scotland from the afternoon of the 6th to midday on the 10th

• One-on-one chaplaincy sessions (learn more about chaplaincy here)

• Private walking tours, workshops, picnics, and museum tours

• Customized journal

Pricing/Logistics:

We will participate in a variety of forms of movement on this pilgrimage. Walking is always a key piece to our pilgrimages, and on this particular pilgrimage you will also be invited to explore movement through workshops such as Scottish dance and yoga! We will walk up to 6 miles each day, sometimes on hilly terrain. The weather in the UK is notoriously variant; it might be mild and sunny, or wet and windy, sometimes all in the same day. We won’t rush our walks, but we expect to be tired at the end of each day.

• The total cost of the trip is $4,950 for a shared room and $5,450 for a private room.

• We have a payment plan for this trip (read below)

• We have funds for a small number of scholarships for this trip and are accepting donations to support more. You will find more information about this in the next section.

• We will meet in Edinburgh in the afternoon on May 6th.

• People who have attended another Common Ground pilgrimage will receive a 5% discount on the cost of the trip.

• Once you register, spots are offered on a first come, first served basis.

• Within 48 hours of receiving your registration information, we will send you a link to complete your payment for the trip. You will then have 48 hours to fulfill payment and officially reserve your spot.

• If you cannot fulfill payment, we will offer the spot to the next registrant on the list until all the spots are full.

• At that point, we will notify any remaining registrants that they are now on our wait list for this trip: if a spot opens up, we will offer it in order, from the earliest to most recent registrant, until it is claimed.

• If you have any questions, take a look at our FAQ page, or reach out to us at commonground@notsorryproductions.com.

• Feel free to read more about physical and accessibility as it pertains to our pilgrimages here.

Edinburgh, in addition to being one of the most beautiful cities in the world, is an ideal setting for contemplating the themes of grace and change at the center of this pilgrimage. Split between the haphazard charm of its medieval “old town” and the polished elegance of its carefully laid-out, 18th-century “new town”, Edinburgh shows structural reverence for its past without allowing itself to be limited by it. Pilgrims on this trip will be working to accomplish the same feat: through gentle movement, writing, and profound conversation, they will strive to hold grace for their past selves. Just as Edinburgh has, we hope they will come to see how their past, imperfect as it may be, gives their present character.

payment plans

We are thrilled to be able to offer a payment plan. As the first payment deadline has past, all new payment plan recipients will

If you’re interested in a payment plan, fill out our registration form here and, when asked if you can pay in full, select the answer “No. Please send me a payment plan.”

Within two business days, the Common Ground team will email you at the email address you have provided with all information needed to activate your payment plan and reserve your spot.

Note:

1) Past pilgrims will receive 5% off the cost of the trip, even through payment plans.

Trip Faculty

Refund Policy:

Please be sure you can attend the event before booking. If an unforeseen circumstance does occur, we will do our best to find a replacement for you. If we are able to get someone to take your place, we will refund your full payment minus a service charge (10% of the full payment). For cancellations within six weeks of the beginning of the trip, we are not able to find replacements. We strongly urge you to purchase travel insurance in the event of a personal conflict, health issue, or unexpected circumstance.