On a pilgimage to Iona

Today we decided to make the trip to Iona, our reason for coming to Mull. We are staying on Mull for three nights and we have to choose the best day for the trip. Since arriving in Scotland we have been having trouble picking the best day. For the past few days we have had great weather but the forecast has now reverted to the familiar Scottish weather pattern, rain. So we took a chance today and headed off.
We chose a shorter route over now familiar single lane roads with regular passing places. The road today was a B road and the quality of the surface was sometimes very rough. Looking out over the sea we could see many smaller islands appearing out of the gloom. At one point we saw a car coming towards us on a very difficult piece of road so we stopped in plenty of time out of sight of the other car. Unbeknown to us the other driver was doing the same thing. After a prolonged moment we sneaked forward hoping the other car wasn’t doing the same. As we passed each other we paused and had a great laugh together.
As we approached Fionnphort, the ferry terminal to Iona, the weather cleared and all was looking good for a wonderful afternoon. We smiled and complimented ourselves on choosing this day for our pilgrimage. While waiting for our ferry we dropped into the very warm snack bar for coffee and scones. A group of locals, perhaps fishermen, were also enjoying big sandwiches and big mugs of tea. It was wonderful to listen to them solving the woes of the world with their lovely accents. It wasn’t long before we walked onto the small vehicular ferry via the stern door, found a spot in the lounge and settled down for the ten minute journey.
It is hard to describe the beauty of Iona set in the brilliant blue sea, with white houses and stone buildings spread along the coast and the Abbey standing out as the largest of these. Once off the ferry we set off to walk the short distance to the Abbey, making many stops along the way.
We walked through the ruins of the old stone Nunnery with its garden. School children were enjoying the last minutes of the lunch break before the bell rang for the afternoon session. Along the road we saw the school vegetable and flower garden with scarecrows lining the stone wall. Two hotels on the island each had a large garden producing vegetables and flowers and on this sunny day workers were busy in these productive patches. In the ancient burial ground at the Abbey we saw headstones marking the graves of several Merchant Navy seamen whose unidentified bodies washed ashore during September and October 1940 and were buried here. Their deaths may have been the result of an act of war.
St Columba came to Iona in the sixth century and founded his monastery in this place. How amazing for us to be walking here today and looking at the same land and sea, feeling the warmth of the sun and enjoying exploring the beautiful cloisters and Abbey. However, complacency is dangerous and soon we became aware of a certain chill in the air and a damp looking mass of heavy cloud appearing over the hills behind us. In no time we were increasing our pace to reach shelter as the rain blew in. Our return trip on the ferry was a more bracing experience than the outward journey but this has been a day to remember. The beauty and peace of this ancient place will stay with us.

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