Iona & Duart Castle, Isle of Mull
We awoke to a sun drenched blue sky and sea. Although we had a breeze the temperature was mild. Of course the wonderful weather made us look forward even more to our visit to the holy island of Iona. We sailed from the picturesque pastel painted town of Tobermory to Craignure. There we boarded a coach for the one hour drive to Iona. We were extremely fortunate as we had one of the most knowledgeable and entertaining bus drivers one could have hoped for. As we crossed on the ferry from Mull to Iona you could see the sparkling white sands that have contributed to the Island’s charm.
The island is justifiably famous for almost 1500 years. The famous prince of the O’Neill family, Colum, or as he is known in Latin Columba, was exiled in a political dispute and sought refuge for himself and his hardy band of disciples on Iona. There Columba founded the first Christian monastery in Britain in 563. He was able to negotiate the purchase of the island from the Pictish king. Once having established his monastery he and his missionaries began to evangelize the neighboring Picts. The community’s reputation for good works and piety grew and they became enormously successful in making converts. As they grew they sent missionaries ever further afield and began the first monastic establishments in England at Lindisfarne. Eventually the Irish monks from Iona went as far as Switzerland and Germany and laid the foundations for important centers in St. Gallen and in Bamberg. Among other things the Irish monks were famous for their learning and during the period from the 7th through the 12th centuries were the only monastic’s who could read and write Greek. The abbey church on the island is surrounded by some of the last great standing crosses.The one depicted in today’s photo has been in this location since the 8th century. Today the abbey houses the non-denominational Iona Community, a wonderful group dedicated to world peace.
After a nice lunch at the Saint Columba hotel we visited the picturesque Duart Castle, the ancestral home of the MacLean clan. It begun in 1360 by Lachlan Lubanach (the crafty) it was the center of the MacLean resistance against the English and their support of the Jacobites. The English destroyed the castle but it was completely restored by Sir Fitzroy MacLean in 1912. Today it sits prominently on a headland overlooking Loch Linnhe.
We returned to The Lord of the Glens to a wonderful snack of fresh baked scones and jam – yum. After dinner we were treated to a demonstration of the work of local falconers who run the raptor center called Wings over Mull. They brought their birds on the ship and explained the work they have undertaken in raptor rescue and falconry. All agreed today could not have been a more perfect day.
We awoke to a sun drenched blue sky and sea. Although we had a breeze the temperature was mild. Of course the wonderful weather made us look forward even more to our visit to the holy island of Iona. We sailed from the picturesque pastel painted town of Tobermory to Craignure. There we boarded a coach for the one hour drive to Iona. We were extremely fortunate as we had one of the most knowledgeable and entertaining bus drivers one could have hoped for. As we crossed on the ferry from Mull to Iona you could see the sparkling white sands that have contributed to the Island’s charm.
The island is justifiably famous for almost 1500 years. The famous prince of the O’Neill family, Colum, or as he is known in Latin Columba, was exiled in a political dispute and sought refuge for himself and his hardy band of disciples on Iona. There Columba founded the first Christian monastery in Britain in 563. He was able to negotiate the purchase of the island from the Pictish king. Once having established his monastery he and his missionaries began to evangelize the neighboring Picts. The community’s reputation for good works and piety grew and they became enormously successful in making converts. As they grew they sent missionaries ever further afield and began the first monastic establishments in England at Lindisfarne. Eventually the Irish monks from Iona went as far as Switzerland and Germany and laid the foundations for important centers in St. Gallen and in Bamberg. Among other things the Irish monks were famous for their learning and during the period from the 7th through the 12th centuries were the only monastic’s who could read and write Greek. The abbey church on the island is surrounded by some of the last great standing crosses.The one depicted in today’s photo has been in this location since the 8th century. Today the abbey houses the non-denominational Iona Community, a wonderful group dedicated to world peace.
After a nice lunch at the Saint Columba hotel we visited the picturesque Duart Castle, the ancestral home of the MacLean clan. It begun in 1360 by Lachlan Lubanach (the crafty) it was the center of the MacLean resistance against the English and their support of the Jacobites. The English destroyed the castle but it was completely restored by Sir Fitzroy MacLean in 1912. Today it sits prominently on a headland overlooking Loch Linnhe.
We returned to The Lord of the Glens to a wonderful snack of fresh baked scones and jam – yum. After dinner we were treated to a demonstration of the work of local falconers who run the raptor center called Wings over Mull. They brought their birds on the ship and explained the work they have undertaken in raptor rescue and falconry. All agreed today could not have been a more perfect day.
