Today was an absolutely fantastic day! The morning began as we sailed away from Oban across the Firth of Lorne in clouds and rain. We passed a few castles and spotted seabirds before docking at Craignure on the Isle of Mull. Here we hopped onto a bus and had a lovely hour and a half drive across the island. We passed mountains and lakes, shorelines, waterfalls, small white farm houses, and fields under clearing skies before arriving at a small ferry terminal. We boarded the ferry and zipped across a small channel to the island of Iona.
Iona has an amazing history – particularly its religious history. Saint Columba, after being banished from Ireland, came to Iona, bringing with him Christianity. This became a major religious hub, a trend which continues even today. We walked from the ferry through a quant village to the 13th century nunnery and on to the abbey. The abbey was a sight to see. We wandered through the abbey and learned the history of the building and associated people over the ages. The ferns growing from inside the walls was a nice touch.
After a couple of hours we walked to a local hotel for lunch and then back onto the ferry, back to our bus, and on to Duart castle. The castle is a very interesting place with a history of confiscations, ruin, and restoration. A wedding was taking place at the castle and we enjoyed listening to the bagpipes being played for the wedding.
This evening we had a special guest from the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust join us onboard to tell us about the marine mammals of the area and local conservation efforts.
