Isle of Mull & Isle of Iona
After a restful night in the shelter of Oban harbor we left during breakfast to head out to the Inner Hebrides, our first stop being the large Isle of Mull. As we cast off from the dockside we were treated to several harbor porpoises playing in the calm waters of the bay.
The 90 minute crossing to Mull was calm and flat and the clear visibility allowed us to admire the rugged and dramatic coastline, framed by the high mountains in the distance that seemed to be all around us. Our approach to Craignure took us very close to Duart Castle, sitting high on a headland, where we shall be spending some time tomorrow. Shortly after coming alongside in Craignure we boarded the coaches to take us south along Mulls longest side to the little village of Fionnphort where we would catch the ferry to Iona. Our driver, “Big John,” gave us his unique but interesting perspective on life on Mull and the local history, flora and fauna.
The ferry crossing from Mull to Iona took eight minutes but the difference between the two islands was noticeable immediately. Iona is very small, very fertile, very tranquil and with very few residents. The focus for our visit was the Abbey of Iona, restored from partly medieval ruins in the 20th century by the Rev. George MacLeod who founded the “Iona Community” that still uses the abbey as a place of non-denominational worship. The history of the island though goes back much further – in 563AD the Irish monk Colum Cille, later known as St Columba, arrived and brought the Christian religion to the west of Scotland, the Highlands and Islands and all the way across to north-east England. The sun shone throughout our visit causing the waters and white sandy beaches to sparkle like the Caribbean. A soft and beautiful place.
On the way back to the ship we made a short diversion to Torosay Castle, a mile or so from Craignure. This is a large impressive building built in the 1800s in the Scottish Baronial style. It is still home to the James family and Chris James graciously gave us a tour of his home, adding in much of his family’s impressive history. Following a good look at the interior of this castle-like building we had the chance to enjoy the extensive gardens that are laid out in the classic Italian style, complete with Venetian garden statuary.
To many, though, the highlight of the day was the after dinner ‘entertainment’ – a visit from “Wings Over Mull” a local raptor rescue centre based on Mull. Richard and Sue brought with them some of the wonderful birds in their care and explained the importance of their work. It is not every day that you have the chance to sit eye-to-eye with a Snowy Owl while enjoying the wonderful backdrop of the Isle of Mull.
