Iona: The Magic of Kings
Now there is no doubting that I hit the weather jackpot on my trip to Iona. Please remember through the course of this blog and photos that it doesn’t always look like this! That being said, like a lot of Scotland it just looks a little different (and a little more dramatic) in the grey, but always beautiful. Additionally, the most amazing thing about this wee island, for me, was the magic of the place - I swear you can feel it.
Iona lies off the coast of the Isle of Mull and is accessed by a public ferry from the port of Fionnphort. However, I recommend combining it with a visit to the Isle of Staffa - we took a trip with Staffa Tours and they happily dropped us off on the way back! More details in the Staffa blog. There is an amazing seafood shack at the port of Fionnphort too while you wait to go - the lobster and chips is immense, as fresh as it gets!
The Creel seafood shack at the ferry port
Iona has a fascinating history. It is the spot where St Columba, a noble Irish Prince, landed in Scotland to spread the word of Celtic Christianity with 12 companions. For 34 years, he practised outreach with his monks and Iona became known as the Cradle of Christianity in Scotland. It is a site of pilgrimage for many spiritual people.
Arriving to Iona it looks idyllic. The main village sits before you with a white sand bay to extend a welcome and as you get off the ferry there is a small village shop and cafe if you need to get caffeinated/watered.
It is extremely easy to navigate the island, as the single track roads only go one way and everything is signposted. I personally, made a beeline for the famous Iona Abbey. There is SO much history packed into this wee island - you pass a celtic cross hundreds of years old and an old nunnery along the way that although overshadowed somewhat by the Abbey, are fascinating in their own right.
The old nunnery - Isle of Iona
The main road through Iona towards the abbey
Now I am not a spiritual or religious person (nor is my mum with whom I visited), but something about this place feels different. Iona is the burial place of ancient Scottish Kings including Macbeth - 64 of them we were told - and although the headstones are no longer visible you can tell that they are there and that this is a very, very special place. Take some time to walk round the cemetery adjacent to the abbey and visit the little kirk in the grounds and soak up the atmosphere. Have you been to Iona and did you feel the same?
My final recommendation is, as you head back for the ferry, to walk down past the post office. A very strange one I know - but it must be the most perfectly located post office in the world! You pop out onto the bay right next to the pier, so makes a perfect final stop.
http://www.welcometoiona.com/
