Morning gave us a taste of Scottish weather, with good rain and a stiff breeze as we sailed from Tobermory to Craignure, where we disembarked to board the bus to Iona. Our bus driver provided an interesting commentary on the ride across Mull to Iona, with information on the history and nature of the island, even as he negotiated the challenging single track road that brought us to the small village of Fionnphort on the edge of Mull. There, we boarded a ferry and made our way across the channel to Iona, a beautiful and historic place, considered by many to be the “Cradle of Christianity” for Scotland.
In 563 A.D., Saint Columba arrived on Iona, bringing the Christian faith to the Picts in the country now known as Scotland. Ever since, Iona has been a spiritual center and a pilgrimage destination for many people across the globe. In the Middle Ages, Iona became the site of a Benedictine Abbey and nunnery. The nunnery ruins are a peaceful place to wander, with rock walls decorated with ferns and flowers. The abbey itself was restored in the 1930s by the Iona community, which sought to retain the monastic feel of the place while creating a community organization that continues on, with many people coming to stay in the historic setting, contributing their time to the daily chores of the abbey. We had the chance to spend time in the abbey and surrounds, including the King’s graveyard where Scottish, Irish, and Norwegian Kings have been buried over the centuries, including Duncan and Macbeth.
After lunch, we crossed back over to Fionnphort to board our bus, traveling back across Mull to Duart Castle, the 13th century seat of Clan Maclean. The castle is a big block of a building set on the coastline, its stone walls rising up from the rocky cliffs. Originally constructed in the mid-13th century, the castle fell to ruins after the Macleans lost it following the first Jacobite uprisings of the 17th century. Restored in the early 1900s, the castle now functions both as a museum and a residence, with exhibits and displays for visitors. We explored the castle with its narrow, spiral staircases, then it was back to the Lord of the Glens.
The evening brought a change in the weather, with sunshine and blue skies patched with towering clouds, making for a scenic sail from Craignure to Oban, our berth for the night. Oban is a transportation hub and shopping center for the regional population, with many shops that provide both essentials such as groceries, and crafts and souvenirs for visitors. Some guests took a stroll around town after dinner, while others relaxed while watching Eagle Island, a film about the nature and wildlife on Mull.
