June 23, 2018

June 23, 2018

Oban is the gateway to several of the Inner Hebrides Islands. We board a large car ferry that takes the short hop over to the Isle of Mull. Mull is very large so we hop on a tour bus that takes us the 35 miles to the other end. The road is one lane so the driver has to frequently pull over to let oncoming traffic pass. Throughout the journey our bus driver provides a non-stop commentary on the scenery and life in the Islands. It looks like the beautiful Highland country we drove yesterday. On the west coast the Glaciers must have been gouged deeper allowing seawater to flood the Lochs turning this land into islands.

On the west end of Mull, we board a smaller ferry for a mile trip to the Isle of Iona. Iona is famous for being one of the outposts of Christianity and Education during the Dark Ages following the collapse of the Roman Empire. After St. Patrick Christianized the pagans of Ireland, one Irish missionary named Columba came here to continue that work in Scotland. It thrived sending further missionaries into England. Their most important work was preserving knowledge by copying books that they saved from mainland Europe. The most famous is the beautifully illustrated Book of Kells. Unfortunately with the Viking raids in the 800s AD, the monks had to flee inland.

We took a guided tour of Columba's Abbey on Iona. Little remains of the original. Most is from the Benedictines who expanded it in the 13th century. Iona became a place of pilgrimage with the royalty of Scotland wanting to be buried here. The small but nice museum has some of the earliest Celtic crosses known and nice burial monuments from Scottish knights.

From Iona we hopped on a tour boat that sailed six miles to the tiny volcanic islet of Staffa. Staffa is a plug of basalt that cooled and contracted into the characteristic hexagonal pencils that we have seen in other places. In an island setting it is spectacular.

Staffa is a serious two-fer. After landing we climbed up the steep hillside and walked to the far end and sat along the cliff edge. Shortly a colony of Puffins returned to their nests just feet away. Apparently the Puffins welcome humans because they feel safe from predators (seagulls) with us around. The puffins dig a small hole in the grassy edge for nesting.

We saw puffins in Alaska and we were entranced by them. In the Seward aquarium we saw them ‘flying’ through the water to catch fish. Here we can observe these cute birds up close. Their brightly colored bills look clownishly large.

We have about a half hour viewing time before we need to start the long return journey. A boat to Mull, another long bus ride, and then a ferry to Oban. On the last ferry, Aimee notices Jellyfishes floating in the water. They are huge and must be Portuguese Man o'Wars.

We don't get back until after 8pm and we are starving. We eat a Fish’n’Chips dinner, the "MacDonalds" (pun intended) of Scotland. Delicious!