Iona & Isle of Mull, Scotland
The moorlands and hillsides of the Inner Hebrides are a constant playground for the swiftly changing light and shadows that glide across each and every vista. It was to this visual accompaniment that we travelled in our coach from our mooring at Craignure, across the southern peninsula of the Isle of Mull, en route to the tiny island of Iona. The ten minute ferry ride took us to the little slipway on Iona and into a completely different world where in 653 St Columba arrived with several followers and an ambition to establish a Celtic Christian community.
The focus of any visit to Iona is the restored abbey that dominates the few houses and hotels along the shoreline, a shoreline that would not look out of place on a Caribbean island thanks to the white sands and crystal clear waters. On the way David, Konia and Steve drew our attention to the many important buildings, Medieval Celtic crosses and points of interest that litter the short walk from the slipway to Oran’s Chapel, the nearest and oldest of the Abbey complex. There we explored the interior of the Abbey, the carvings that line the square of the cloisters and the several out-buildings and small chapels of this ancient hub of Christianity. Being a Sunday, the open spaces and the buildings of the Iona Community were busy with celebrants soaking up the sunshine and the spiritual atmosphere of this holy place.
After a lunch of homemade and organic soup and sandwiches, all ingredients being grown on Iona, at the aptly named St Columba Hotel, we ferried back to Mull where our coach took us almost back to the ship. Almost, because just a few miles from Craignure we turned into the incredibly narrow road that leads out to the impressive Duart Castle, home of the Chieftain of the Clan MacLean. The current chieftain is Lachlan MacLean; and he greeted us at the entrance to the castle which is also his family home. A guided tour of this impregnable building, sitting on the dark, high rocky crag that gives it its name (Duart means ‘dark headland’ in Gaelic) revealed not only the castle and family’s ancient history but also the more recent story of how Lachlan’s ancestor had rebuilt and restored the castle to its former glory.
Following our foray into MacLean history and real estate we returned to the ship and immediately set sail for Tobermory (in the north of Mull) as the winds were picking up and Craignure would not be the best mooring for the night.
The moorlands and hillsides of the Inner Hebrides are a constant playground for the swiftly changing light and shadows that glide across each and every vista. It was to this visual accompaniment that we travelled in our coach from our mooring at Craignure, across the southern peninsula of the Isle of Mull, en route to the tiny island of Iona. The ten minute ferry ride took us to the little slipway on Iona and into a completely different world where in 653 St Columba arrived with several followers and an ambition to establish a Celtic Christian community.
The focus of any visit to Iona is the restored abbey that dominates the few houses and hotels along the shoreline, a shoreline that would not look out of place on a Caribbean island thanks to the white sands and crystal clear waters. On the way David, Konia and Steve drew our attention to the many important buildings, Medieval Celtic crosses and points of interest that litter the short walk from the slipway to Oran’s Chapel, the nearest and oldest of the Abbey complex. There we explored the interior of the Abbey, the carvings that line the square of the cloisters and the several out-buildings and small chapels of this ancient hub of Christianity. Being a Sunday, the open spaces and the buildings of the Iona Community were busy with celebrants soaking up the sunshine and the spiritual atmosphere of this holy place.
After a lunch of homemade and organic soup and sandwiches, all ingredients being grown on Iona, at the aptly named St Columba Hotel, we ferried back to Mull where our coach took us almost back to the ship. Almost, because just a few miles from Craignure we turned into the incredibly narrow road that leads out to the impressive Duart Castle, home of the Chieftain of the Clan MacLean. The current chieftain is Lachlan MacLean; and he greeted us at the entrance to the castle which is also his family home. A guided tour of this impregnable building, sitting on the dark, high rocky crag that gives it its name (Duart means ‘dark headland’ in Gaelic) revealed not only the castle and family’s ancient history but also the more recent story of how Lachlan’s ancestor had rebuilt and restored the castle to its former glory.
Following our foray into MacLean history and real estate we returned to the ship and immediately set sail for Tobermory (in the north of Mull) as the winds were picking up and Craignure would not be the best mooring for the night.
