Iona and the Nuns and the Monks...

After the exilerating time at Fingal's Cave, (for Lee anyway), we set off for Iona. This was to be one of my/our favourite stops, if only for its simple, quiet beauty, and the very relaxed feel about the whole island. It isn't large, and has only one main road, which seems to go just from one end to the other.

You can stay here, but there would only be utter peace and quiet, and I think a lot of people these days wouldn't know how to handle that!

I had hoped we'd be off-loaded at the jetty, but the channel between Iona and Mull is shallow at the low tide, so we anchored offshore and did the tender thing. This time it was all calm and serene, and we were able to step on to a beach, and then have a leisurely walk down to the other end, where the jetty was.

It was just so still and sparkly, and another sunshiny day. The walk along the road was quite easy, passing farms, with sheep, and lovely white houses, and stone buildings. 

You can see the Abbey from everywhere, and it was used by monks. The nunnery was quite close by.

 Lee thought someone had said it was the first push of Christianity into Scotland from Ireland (?) The Duke of Argyll is buried in the Abbey.

One of the other passengers said he  thought there had been "salacious" carryings on, and that there might even have been a tunnel between the Abbey and the Nunnery. Don't you just love it!!

Based on that, I did one of my little 'poems'...

"There'd been pillage in the village in the morning, 

and the rape was all arranged for half-past-four,

Monks and Nuns who thought they mattered,

Were all completely shattered,

When no-one came a banging on their door!" *

The Nunnery is a ruin, but the walls are still there and a pretty garden within. A nice little row of shops, and then you are down to the wharf/jetty area, which itself is a bit shabby, and with nowhere to sit.

The tender came back for us in about 90 minutes or so, and an easy transition off the jetty this time.

Dinner consisted of very nice roast pork, with gravy and potatoes and veg. Then, berries, creme fresh and brandy snap baskets.

*(No offence intended or meant towards anyone in religious orders. I just can't help myself, these ditties just pop into my head!)