The Jewish Council of Scotland was delighted to welcome people from throughout Scotland to a Shabbaton in the village of Lochranza on the Isle of Arran.

Participants arrived on Friday afternoon, and once everyone had settled in we began to prepare for Shabbat. We started with a challah baking workshop at which everyone shared their own traditions with the group. For some, it was their very first time baking challah, while others reminisced about how the taste of fresh challah was something they’d been missing from their weekly routine.

As evening approached we headed to the beach to begin preparing our Shabbat meal together. We gathered wood from the beach, and built a campfire to cook our meal in the heat of the flames. We sang the songs of Kabbalat Shabbat (welcoming Shabbat) together, surrounded by the rolling green hills of Lochranza and the lapping waves of the sea. As we saw the sun dipping lower towards the horizon, we lit our Shabbat candles, made Kiddush and enjoyed our homemade challah and Shabbat meal, celebrating in the beautiful surroundings until the midgies forced us inside. But the fun continued, with one of our participants, Jonny from Edinburgh, leading the group in fun games late into the night.

Shabbat morning began with restorative yoga, led by Nicki from Edinburgh. After breakfast, we headed to the beach for a short musical shacharit (morning prayer) service, followed by a cleansing dip in the sea. After Shabbat lunch, Jonna from Glasgow led a Jewish learning session where we explored ideas of personal and communal healing, and how this can be informed by our Jewish tradition. We then braved the rain on a walk around the Fairy Dell, which was incredibly beautiful, even though we did get drenched! The walk was made even better by David from Edinburgh who taught us about some of the important geological features along the Arran coastline, and even how they engaged with ideas in the Torah around the creation of the world.

We dried off, enjoyed a tasty seudah shlishit (the traditional third meal on Shabbat afternoon), and then relaxed, enjoying one of the longest Shabbat afternoons of the year with puzzles, chats, cider, and some quiet time. Just before midnight, we came together for a musical Havdalah (ceremony at the end of Shabbat), when we said goodbye to Shabbat and reflected on our time together.

On Sunday, after a morning stretch led by Sam from Edinburgh, the group explored the village. Some of us visited the Lochranza Arran Distillery, while others headed into the hills to explore Gleann Easan Biorach, and still others stayed back to read and chill out. We came together again to share ideas for future events, and then everyone headed to the ferry for our journeys home.

It was an incredible weekend, providing a much needed space for adults to come together, celebrate being Jewish, and engage in immersive Jewish experiences. This was the third Shabbaton B’Teva, organised by Jewish Council of Scotland Senior Community Worker Sydney Switzer – a June 2024 event was also in Lochranza, and the December 2024 Shabbaton took place in Pitlochry.

We are grateful to the Netherlee and Clarkston Charitable Trust for their support, and would also like to thank all the incredible participants, peer leaders and volunteers who made this weekend possible.