Craignure, Isle of Mull – Iona – Tobermory, Isle of Mull
Well-prepared with rainwear, sunglasses and layers of clothing suitable for all conditions, we were ready to leave for our full day excursion to Iona by 9 am. Blond Steve the bus driver managed to negotiate the single track roads, narrow bridges, sheep, tourist drivers and other hazards while simultaneously giving us a fascinating commentary about what we saw and life on Mull, his home island. We drove along the south of the island, along the peninsula known as the Ross of Mull, to Fionaphort, where we boarded the 10:30 CalMac ferry for the short crossing to Iona.
The skies had opened and we landed in torrential rain which soon slackened as we walked up to Iona Abbey. On the way we paused to look at the ruins of the Augustinian Nunnery, constructed in about AD 1220 and McLean’s cross, a slim Celtic cross erected in about 1450 in commemoration of a senior member of the clan which once dominated Mull and Iona. “Tattie Bogles” (scarecrows) made by the Iona primary school children caught our eye as well as the immaculate organic vegetable gardens of the Argyll and St Columba Hotels.
Then the principal purpose of our trip began: the visit to the monastery founded by St Columba in AD 563 from which he converted most of the Highlands of Scotland to Christianity. The first “Celtic” wheel-headed stone crosses were created on Iona circa AD 750, and the exquisite illuminated Gospels now known as the Book of Kells was also made here before being taken to Ireland to save it from Viking raiders. We saw the graveyard where Scottish kings were buried, St Oram’s chapel, and then moved on to visit the 13th century Benedictine Abbey church and cloister. Iona still has a special reputation as a holy place and we learned about the Iona Community, the flourishing ecumenical organization founded by George McLeod in 1938.
Lunch at the St Columba Hotel was very welcoming to our damp guests who enjoyed warming butternut squash soup, open sandwiches and crumbly shortbread in the dining room. Afterwards Rick led a walk to the north end of the island while others opted for shopping or more sightseeing. Walkers were rewarded with excellent views of Staffa, the Treshnish Islands, and the Isle of Skye.
The sun came out as we boarded the ferry returning over crystal clear turquoise water to the mainland of Mull, and we enjoyed perfect views on the journey back to Lord of the Glens which was waiting alongside at Craignure. The scenic passage through the Sound of Mull to the sheltered harbour at Tobermory was calm, sunny and delightfully restful after a busy day. Later in the evening some guests found the energy to explore the quiet little town and sample refreshments at the famous waterside “Mish Nish” Inn.
