We had an early departure from our moorings in Oban due to another vessel being booked for the same space on the pier. The wind had strengthened during the night and the 45-minute crossing from Oban on the mainland to Craignure on the Isle of Mull was rather rough—a reminder that we were on a ship and no longer in the flat waters of the Caledonian Canal.
After breakfast we made the short drive to Duart Castle, seat of the Clan MacLean. When we arrived we were pleasantly surprised to be greeted by Sir Lachlan MacLean himself, the current Chief of Clan MacLean. He explained some of the history of his impressive castle home and then we were given a guided tour of the inside of this massive stone building.
Then it was back to the ship for a quick lunch, back on the coach and then off to the other side of Mull for the ferry to our afternoon destination, the Isle of Iona. Along the way our driver/guide Steve gave us a very good commentary on all aspects of Mull, past and present, as well as the flora, fauna and geology. All this was peppered with a dry sense of humor that made the hour-plus journey a pleasure.
The small ferry that makes the ten-minute crossing from Mull to Iona certainly rocked and rolled as we ploughed our way through the wind and waves but it was definitely worth the slight inconvenience. Iona is normally packed with day visitors but by the time we arrived in the late afternoon most had gone. This made our guided walks by Steve, Konia, Iris and Stewart all the more enjoyable and informative. The focus of our visit to this ancient holy place was the reconstructed Iona Abbey and home of the Iona Community. Yesterday Steve’s enthusiasm for this special place had fired us all up for our visit and by the end of our short time there we all felt the same way. Iona was, is, and probably will always be, a special place with an indescribable mien and atmosphere. The gods smiled on us by abating the wind long enough for us to make the visit.
Back on the ship we had an entertaining as well as informative evening in the lounge when Richard and Sue from the raptor rescue center called “Wings Over Mull” brought some of their feathered friends with them for us to admire and for them to describe. It had been a special day meeting Sir Lachlan, visiting the quiet places on Iona and now to sit an arm’s length from a snowy owl and a Harris harrier. Can tomorrow possibly surpass that?
