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Published: August 2nd 2009
This will be a very short entry in terms of text, as a few of my readers were actually with me for this particular journey. but I really liked a few of the pictures that I took on Iona, and thought it would be a shame to keep them out of the rest of my travels. In short: My family came to visit me in Scotland the week after I had returned from Spain. Chronologically this entry should be placed between Spain and Paris, but where on earth would the fun be in that?
After my return from Spain I took a day off to do laundry and other such errands before I went to meet them on the Isle of Mull off the western coast. Mull is one of the largest islands in Scotland, and while not quite as breathtaking as the sculpted Isle of Skye, it was possessed of the same beauty which infects the whole of the Scottish Highlands- rugged hills blanketed with heather, and waterfalls springing like magic from massive crags. We hiked a bit during our stay, encountering stone circles, Iron age Forts, and a whole lot of mud!
After a short time on
Mull, we left by ferry for Iona- a small and sacred island off the coast of Mull. We spent our time there in a quiet little Hotel with fantastic views. The only cars allowed on the island are the ones owned by residents and there aren't many of those. Iona is one of the traditional centers of Celtic Christianity where St. Columba founded a monastery. He was a warrior-monk, and his legend has ties to the first tales of the Loch Ness Monster.
Iona is an amazingly spiritual and beautiful place. Though there are ruins around the island it seems frozen in time. Lots of people come there for peace and guidance, usually on some form of pilgrimage. There's a prophecy that's attributed to Columba that puts it best. "Iona of my heart, Iona of my love, Instead of monks voices shall be lowing of cattle, But ere the world shall come to an end Iona shall be as it was." It's certainly a place to return to oneself, and I'm sure that the same quality will apply to the island returning to how it was when columba first saw it.
One of the last adventures that we
had on the Isles was a short day trip to the truly tiny Isle of Staffa. It's small, but it's the location of Fingal's Cave, the inspiration for one of Mendelssohns' symphonies. I was excited because geologically it's amazing- perfect, freestanding, basalt columns. It's the same formation that extends across the Irish Sea to the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland, and according to legend is the home of Fingal, the scottish Giant of Irish legends- look up the stories- they're amazing!
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