Departing Oban early we crossed over to the Isle of Mull, second largest of the Hebridean islands, to come alongside at Craignure. Here we met by coach to transfer us over the island to the harbour of Fionnaphort, a journey of over an hour in length along a single track road that is the island’s main thoroughfare. The scenery is spectacular: mountain passes and sea lochs with sightings of sea eagles, common seals, heron, and red deer, and views out to Staffa and the Treshnish isles.
A short crossing by ferry delivered us safely to Iona where we explored the island’s rich collection of ecclesiastical architecture: an Augustinian nunnery, the former parish church, the present parish church designed by Thomas Telford and erected as recently as 1824 and, of course, the restored Benedictine Abbey that is at the heart of today’s Iona Community, founded by George Macleod in the inter-war depression years. Beside the abbey is the ancient graveyard where the kings of Scotland and Norway as well as the Lords of the Isles were laid to rest in the Middle Ages, a mark of the esteem in which Iona was held by virtue of its role in the transmission of the Christian faith to northern Europe following the collapse of the Roman Empire in the fifth century. For it was Iona that Columba arrived on mission from northern Ireland in the year 563 A.D., founding a monastery that has become celebrated for producing the Book of Kells and High Crosses such as that of St Martin, still standing in its original location as the Celtic Cross from which an entire tradition has flowed. We lunched at the aptly named St Columba Hotel before retuning by ferry to Mull to visit Duart Castle, the ancestral home of the Clan Maclean. A tour of the castle was made all the more memorable by an audience with the current Clan Chieftain, Sir Lachlan Maclean who was in residence and clearly delighted to interact with our group.
Returning to the ship we sailed for Tobermory, the principal township of Mull where an evening visiting the local hostelries of this colourful fishing port and sheltered anchorage beckoned.
