Lowering skies surrounded Lord of the Glens as we sailed early from Tobermory in the north of Mull to Craignure in the south of the island. From there we made the short bus trip to the impressive Duart Castle, sitting high on the cliffs with unparalleled views across the many seaways that intersect at this point.
Duart is the seat of the Clan MacLean and we were surprised and greatly honored to be greeted at the gate of the castle by Sir Lachlan MacLean of MacLean, 28th chieftain of this ancient Scottish clan. Sir Lachlan gave us a personal guided tour of his home and made it come alive with anecdotes and family lore that most other tour groups will never hear. This was a delightful way to start the day.
After a quick lunch we were back on board the same coach and headed this time for the west end of Mull. En route, our local driver/guide, Steve, held us captivated by his pithy and succinct commentary on life on Mull and, indeed, the world in general. Arriving at Fionnphort we could see the small Caledonian MacBrayne ferry that would take us over the Sound of Iona to the tiny Isle of Iona, our afternoon destination. Earlier in the day Steve (our expedition leader, not the bus driver) had given us a presentation explaining the great importance of this miniscule and remote island made famous in 563 AD by the arrival of St. Columba and his Christian clerics from Ireland.
Steve, Konia and Stewart led us in small groups from the village the short way to the restored abbey. The history of this place is astonishing and the Lindblad staff did a great job of explaining it. However, whether you are interested in history or not, this island has a mien and feeling all its own. A serene and sacred island indeed.
After dinner we had the pleasant surprise of finding a group of local musicians in the lounge who entertained us in true Scottish style with songs in English and Gaelic and traditional instruments such as ranging guitar, fiddle, drum and the small Scottish harp known as the clarsach.
It was hard to go to bed after such a cultural, historical and stimulating day but tomorrow things will change when we leave the open waters of the Inner Hebrides and enter the stillness of the Caledonian Canal.
