There are many islands off the west coast of Scotland, and we were thrilled to have the chance to return to Iona. Our tour itinerary had us depart Edinburgh in the morning, stop in Glasgow for the cathedral and a rest room/café, and then continue on to the port of Oban.
The cathedral in Glasgow was lovely! I wish we had more time in the city, but by the end of the day, I understood why we had moved on so soon.
After enjoying a hot chocolate made with oat "milk" at the Oban ferry terminal, we boarded a car ferry along with many passengers who were bringing their groceries and small pieces of furniture onto the ferry! They left all their bags and wheelie carts in the lobby of the ferry without concern.
We stayed at a hotel on the Island of Mull for two nights. The first morning we rode the bus across Mull to another ferry, which brought us to Iona. Spending part of a day on Iona is quite a different experience compared with being there several nights. However, it was a lovely experience, and for some tourists might be the only way possible.
We strolled along the lanes and made some new discoveries. A wonderful smoked fish stew hit the spot for one of us, and we learned that there is now an Iona tartan pattern. I asked the clerk if I had simply missed it 20 years ago, and she honestly replied that it had been created since then.
I wish we had been able to participate in a service or group meditation/prayer/song, but we did that at other times, not on Iona. Another hot cocoa and a glimpse of our first “hairy cows” of Scotland completed the day. We returned on the short ferry to Mull, and took the bus back to our hotel.
The following morning we rose early for the ferry back to Oban, then off to the highlands!
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