A week's rest, and tourist time.

When in Fort William I had intended to take a few days off and go to the small Hebridean island of Iona.  However the forecast was reasonable and so I abandoned that thought and decided to make the best of the likely good walking weather, and instead took time off on reaching Glasgow.

This meant that I took a three hour train ride to Oban from Glasgow, a 45 minute ferry ride across to the Isle of Mull where I then boarded the bus for an hour, and finally boarded a second ferry for a 10 minute ride across to the Isle of Iona.  I actually stayed in the delightful seaside town of Oban before venturing across to the Isles, but returned in one day to Glasgow.

 The seaside town of Oban.

 Looking across the harbour in Oban

 Crossing to the Isle of Mull, the seas were very smooth.

Leaving from Oban, heading to Mull the rocky coast was clearly visible.

Iona is a place of pilgrimage for many, with the ancient Abbey now run by Visit Scotland, but used for services twice daily by the Iona Community, an Ecumenical Christian organisation set on building a sense of community amongst the many Christians who stay with them for a week at a time from Easter to the end of October.

 Iona, with the abbey on the right.  My hotel is the white building on the top left of the picture.

 above and below - the Abbey on Iona.

The cloisters at the abbey.

Iona is a special place.  It was to here that St Columba, an Irish monk, brought Christianity to Scotland back in the 500's.  The abbey that was subsequently built was at some point taken over by the Benedictines, but fell into ruin when the monks left, and remained thus until early 20th century when the Duke of Argyll gifted it to the Isle, and from that time it has been steadily and carefully repaired.  It was here on Iona that the Book of Kells was written, before being taken to Italy.

Iona is a very small island, only 3 miles long and a mile and a half wide.  It is incredibly beautiful, lovely beaches, turquoise seas, and a beautiful grass common which doubles as the "golf course", and of course the majestic abbey, and the ruins of the nunnery.  However, this idyllic scene can change in an instant, with winds (and tides) creating big grey seas, and clouds bringing heavy rain!  This happened to me when leaving, or rather not leaving, as it transpired.  A storm arriving overnight on Saturday meant that the ferry didnt run on Sunday morning and I couldn't get off the island, so I had another day of rest on the island, a delight I didn't mind.

 The beaches on the far side of the island are beautiful.

 Bird life on the island is prolific, and here are some geese in flight.

Just one of the beaches on Iona.

Iona has giant rocks as the hills, and quite a bit of water!

The few cows on the Isle were a bit like goats the way they climbed! As well as the black one there are three brown ones amongst the rocks.

I THINK this is where they play golf! The white marker has a number on it as does the tent peg on the left.  When the players need to head over the fence they presumably climb one of the numerous stiles.

I stayed in the friendly, helpful, and comfortable St Columba Hotel.

The view from the hotel lounge looking across to Fionnphort on the Isle of Mull.  The ferry is about to depart to come across to Iona.

The ferry trying to line up at the landing on Iona, on a very windy morning.

Monday was a small window of opportunity when ferries ran, and planes departed.  Not so Tuesday.  This has been a day when ferry and plane services were disrupted due to gale force winds and rain, a  result of a weakening hurricane to the West of the UK.  I have had another day of rest while the winds abate and plan to set off along the canals to Edinburgh tomorrow.

 In Glasgow I stayed in the "quirky" Pipers Tryst Hotel.  I was pleased to discover that the profits made by the hotel go to supporting the education of piping at the adjacent National Piping Centre

Beautiful stained glass in St Mungo's Cathedral in Glasgow.

Saint Mungo's Cathedral, Glasgow.