Glasgow Nature and Design

Yesterday was the day to walk out from the city center along the Great Western Road.  We attended the morning Eucharist at St. Mary's Cathedral of the Scottish Episcopal Church.  This time, as before, the people are very warm and welcoming and the choir and organ were wonderful.  We returned in the evening for a wonderful choral Evensong.

From there it is only a short walk to the Glasgow Botanic Gardens.  The sun was shining, the glass houses were full of interesting plants, and the whole place was crowded with families, scout troops, dog walkers, and parents pushing strollers.  It was a delight.  Yet my biggest thrill was when I discovered this pair of trees.

They are mature Monkey Puzzle trees, Araucaria araucana.  I have only seen very young ones, the first time was in the botanic garden in Edinburgh.  There are places which have tried to grow them in Washington, DC, but without much success.  I kept smiling and laughing at them!

Today was a day for final shopping.  David had to buy a new suitcase since one of the wheels disintegrated on the rough road on Iona.  We wandered through lots of different places, but I had to keep resisting buying the beautiful wool sweaters or jackets or other items.  There are so few times I can use them at home. 

We lunched at the Willow Tea Rooms.  These are copies inspired by the designs of Rennie Mackintosh, but still very pleasant with good food.  I had their cullen skink, for a second time; very good.

 It is a fitting way to end our time in Glasgow since tomorrow we will be flying home.

Returning to Glasgow

Fortunately we left Iona two days ago.  Today was the original day planned to travel back to Glasgow.  Checking my CalMac Ferry App, I learned the ferry off Iona was canceled all day because of the weather.

Yesterday we visited the Govan Old Parish Church.  I was curious about it because it was the parish where George MacLeod, the founder of the Iona Community, was minister.  However, it had even more treasures than I expected.  The church is no longer an active parish church, though some services are held there. 

It does house the Govan Stones.  Tombstones from the graveyard around the church date back to the 850's.

We had a volunteer guide, Simon, who took us around, describing the features of the various stone and the history that had been forgotten for centuries. He explained that this stone is from a later period.  The letters carved on it were not originally on the stone, but were added later when the stone was reused in a second burial years later. 

The church was in the middle of the Glasgow Shipyards. When in 1930 MacLeod became minister, there were few ships being built because of the depression.  He left Govan in 1938 to create an experimental community designed to bring together the working class and the educated ministerial students that was to evolve into the Iona Community. 

Here is a detail of a modern Celtic cross that is outside of the church.  The egg and snake design is the same as St. Martin's cross outside of Iona Abbey.  This is likely the kind of carving and detail that cross would have had when it was originally carved 1200 years ago.  But with over a millennia of erosion, the cross lost the definition of the snake heads.

We would have seen the Old Govan Church last year when we had looked across the River Clyde from the Riverside Museum.  The last picture is a view of that museum with the Clyde in the foreground.  It is good to keep finding new riches in a place visited before. 

Let the Sun shine, Maybe

This picture says it all.  The BBC weather app says there will be full sunshine at 1:00 p.m.  None of the sun and cloudy stuff before and after.  It is sitting in the window at 1:15, with rain coming down outside and streaming down the window.  We have heard this was to wrong year to be here in October.  All of Scotland, and some of England, have been very wet for both September and October. 

Yesterday, however, the sun really did come out most of the morning and into the early afternoon. 

So we walked up to the beaches on the northwest edge of Iona, where the Atlantic Ocean crashes into the ancient Lewisian Gneiss.  The multiple color bands in the rock are surprising.  I was ready to say it is my favorite spot on Iona, then realized I have already said that once or twice before.  Anyway, it is in the top five places.  After returning to the house and having lunch, when the sun still shining, we decided to climb up Dun Bhuirg.  It has the remains of an Iron Age hill fort.  So we got our boots on, picked up our walking sticks, and started walking west.  Five minutes out a large dark cloud was rolling in and we were leaning into the wind.  We were unwilling to give in, and walked on.  This shows the sky and beach at the Bay at the Back of the Ocean. 

We did get close to the top of Dun Bhuirg, but the wind was so strong that high up that it was not safe to walk narrow ledges with steep drops. So we turned back. 

Today we have been preparing to leave Iona tomorrow morning.  It involved gathering things scattered over a house for four weeks, washing multiple loads of laundry, and eating what is left in the refrigerator.  We attended the 5:00 p.m. Eucharist at Bishops House, then treated ourselves to a last supper at the Argyle Hotel.  Weather willing and ferries running, we will be off Iona in the morning, then bus, a second ferry and train to Glasgow in the late afternoon. 

Hike to Hermit's Cell

Friday was a wonderful day for hiking, cloudy with occasional outbursts of sun and wind speed in the single digits.  One place yet to be re-explored was the Hermit's Cell, the name for a circular wall of stones that may have been the base for a beehive shaped hut.  Those huts had been built across Celtic areas as monk's cells

We hiked up from the south, cutting across the golf course.  At the edge of the greens, where the rocks rose quickly is this delightful waterfall.  The only waterfall with such a dramatic drop on Iona.  Following a map really meant guessing where the trail went, because there were many trails made by the sheep and cattle.  Finally reaching the top of another rocky summit there it was.

Can you see it?  There is bright oval of green grass around the stones about 1/3 down on the right hand side.  On the left there is a large rock wall for a cattle pen.  Of course, to get there we still had to cross the wide area of bog in between.  With all of the rain the previous days, every low area was pooled with water.  But the worst of the boggy areas was yet to come.

We decided to continue hiking north, to come out near the Abbey.  Initially we worked our way across the high rocks of the central moorlands, keeping Dun I ahead of us.  There were occasional glimpses of the Sound of Iona to the east as well as the Abbey tower, barely visible on the right side of this photo.  But between us and the paved road  home were the peat bogs.  This part of the island provided peat for fires for many centuries.

Different paths were tried, and eventually a way was found.  But every gate was surrounded by mud.  We were both tired and sore walking the final mile down the road.

Yesterday was a day of solid dark clouds, and regular variations of rain.  A day to stay inside, read, work on photographs, needlepoint,  and write in my journal.  I am reading a biography of George MacLeod, the founder of the Iona community.  He was a tumultuous personality, and the reason Iona is known across the globe to this day. 

The Marble Quarry

For all the news attention to Ophelia, and the damage it caused in Ireland, it caused little harm by the time it arrived here on Iona, although bringing lots more rain.  The day after Ophelia we wandered the shops in the village, knowing the upland moors needed to drain and dry out.  Fortunately, on Wednesday, the day dawned with just clouds and scattered sunshine. 

The marble quarry is far from the beaten path.  It operated for short periods in the late 1800's and early twentieth century until all usable marble was removed.  One islander had recommended a trail to us.  When we tried it several days earlier, it proved to unreliable.  Instead we took the trail down to Columba Bay before turning off to the east.

Fortunately we were hiking along at the same time as a guided group, so I asked the guide where to trail turned off to the east side and the quarry.  He pointed to the place in the rocks to our left, and described some landmarks.  There were several times that I led the way to what appeared to be the described ravine, only to discover it led to a different bay.  This one is the Gully of Pat's Cow.  I wonder what stories were told about it in the past!

Eventually we found the correct ravine, and the abandoned equipment, including the tall marble cutting frame seen here.  What was surprising was how many large blocks of marble are still lying at the edge of the Sound of Iona.  Yet the whole area is now protected, and the equipment has been coated with something to prevent it from rusting away to nothing.  It was worth the hard hike, and slogging through lots of boggy areas still full of water from Ophelia.  My smart phone recorded climbing the equivalent of 54 floors!

Rain, Sunshine and Hurricane Ophelia

The regular rain showers continued over the weekend.  On Saturday we saw a short window in the forecast that was supposed to be just cloudy.  So we climbed up the hill behind the village, Cnoc Mor, in time to see the 10:00 a.m. ferry arriving.  It is often the busiest ferry since Saturday is the day rentals end and begin.  

There is a lot that can be seen from the top, such as the Abbey, the St. Columba Hotel in the center, the jewelry store and Oran craft cooperative.  In the distance on the right is Eilean nam Ban, the Island of the Women, and the Island of Mull behind it. 

We started walking west, to see if we could locate the Hermits Cell, but saw a squall blowing toward us, so quickly climbed down and took shelter in front of the library until most of it blew through.  We stayed inside the rest of the afternoon.  We had invited a new friend over for dinner, so David spent the afternoon puttering in the kitchen.

Sunday morning we went to the Scottish Presbyterian church in the village for the morning service.  The minister for the morning was the Rev. Joyce Watson, a Scottish Episcopal priest who we have come to know.  The minister was unable to lead because the ferry service was canceled in the morning, though it was running again at Noon.  So Joyce read through the service that had been prepared, including the sermon!

Sunday afternoon there was supposed to be another fair weather window, so we hiked up to the north end and the White Strand of the Monks.  We almost turned back when a squall blew in and the sky looked dark. But putting up the hoods on our coats, we waited for ten minutes.  It cleared out and there was some blue sky, as well as some more showers over the next hours.  David took this picture of the lichen on the rocks.

Today we have had more sunshine then the last three days!  We could see the edges of Ophelia because the clouds were moving from east to west, not the usual direction.  We walked over to Marchair on the west side.  If you want to buy a house on Iona, the house on the left, Lagnagiogan is available for £250,000.  Follow the link if you want to learn more about it.  However locals recommend tearing it down because it has water leakage problems and a big crack on the right end. 

On the right in the distance is the Hill of Angels, where Columba was seen praying by another monk.  He was  surrounded by dozens of angels.  One of the many legends attached to this island.

As I finish writing, the wind and rain from Ophelia are blowing around us.  But we are warm and settled for the night into our little home, Tighshee.

Scattered Sunshine Followed by Rain

Yesterday was the day for scattered breaks in the clouds when the sun could actually shine.  We saw it in the morning, and into the early afternoon.  These sheep were grazing on the east side,  above Traigh Ban nam Manach, the White Strand of the Monks.  In the distance is the island of Mull.  Unfortunately the beach was covered with think layers brown kelp, so the white sand was not very visible.  Today we saw two farmers driving tractors with trailers heaped with great piles of kelp.  One farmer had spread it on his vegetable gardens.

After getting caught another squall, we stopped at the Argyle Hotel for tea; I had shortbread, and David had a scone.  We attended the Eucharist at Bishop's House at 5:00, which had a group from New Mexico, and a man from Ireland.  Joyce Wilson, a 20 year resident of Iona, presided, and provided a relaxed and welcoming presence.  She lives a short distance from Tighshee, and we arranged to get together in a few days.  The rainbow appeared after the service, close to sunset, and at times there was a double rainbow.

So here is the ferry between Fionphort and Iona.  Our lifeline to Mull and the world beyond.  The captain is very good and can cross through some very rough seas, which they had all of today.  Winds have been in the upper 20 to lower 30 mph range, and is going up to the middle 40's tonight.  BBC weather reports high winds are expected on Monday from "ex-Opheila."  That means we need to delay our trip to Staffa until later in the week. 

Port Bàn then Windy Rain

Yesterday was partially sunny all day, quite a delightful weather option here in the Inner Hebrides.  So it was off to one of my favorite places to explore, Port Bàn.  The tide was running out, and in the photo above you can see the white sand underneath the wate.  The beach extends quite deeply into the shore, and the sun made the water turquoise.

My friend Ralph, who I have known for 38 years, has been with us for the last week.  Here he is enjoying the view of the beach.  He leaves tomorrow, assuming the ferry is running, to return to Glasgow.  This is his first time on Iona, so we have made sure he has seen all of the essential spots in between the rain.  He has also been building and starting the coal fires.  I clean up the ashes the next day.

We knew a long, windy, heavy rain was moving in today.  Yet, there was a bit of sunshine this morning, so we went to the Iona Heritage Center and talked with Daniela who told us about the geologic formations.  After stopping by a few shops, I had a cup of Cullen Skink and sandwich at the Argyle Hotel.  Cullen Skink is a soup with smoked haddock, onion, potatoes and milk.  Ralph and I walked back to Tighshee in a driving rain, soaking the front of my pants.  The rest of the afternoon I have been working on downloading photos from both cameras, making a first cut, and processing.

I Need More Words for Rain

It rained most of the day yesterday, starting before sunrise, though we never saw the sun. None of it was what I would call rain back in Maryland, the steady dropping of water.  There were waves of heavy mist which shifts into what could be called drizzle except that it is always at an angle because of the wind with the descending water.Then really hard, steady rain. There there are periods of in-between each of the different ways that water can fall down from the sky when anything could happen.  But in the middle of the afternoon the BBC weather app predicted not just lighter clouds but even occasionally sunshine.

So the three of us decided to hike up to the northern end of Iona and climb up the top of the highest peak, Dun I (that is pronounced Dun-EE).  While the path was soggy, and we had to pick our way around boggy spots, we did reach the top while leaning into the wind.  All but the southern end can be seen from Dun I at 332 feet above sea level.  While there were only occasional holes in the clouds that the sun came through, it was good to get out and exercise.

Throughout the island are large fuchsia hedges and bushes.  Mom would have been both thrilled and irritated.  She always had trouble keeping fuchsia happy in pots.  The hedges are sheared back at the end of the summer, to branch back out in the spring.  The weather is much more temperate than would be expected because the gulf stream swings by Iona, protecting it the freezing temperatures.

So when today was going to be cloudy and rainy, again, the decision was to spend time at Iona Abbey.  Our Scottish Heritage guide, Laura, said she has been working at the Abbey for a year and a half.  She covered a lot of material in a short time.  On the right is St. Martin's cross that has been standing in front of the Abbey for over 1,200 years.  This side is a snake and orb design; snakes representing resurrection because they shed their skin.  Scholars believe that carvers on Iona started putting the circles around the center of the cross, because otherwise the arms of the stone crosses would break off without the extra support.  It is amazing.

I close with this picture of a tired traveler with a dog in his lap.  The dog looks like a Border Terrier, so my heart melted when I saw them together.  Fortunately the dog has a wool jacket to keep it warm and dry.  We still had a half hour walk before we got home to Tighshee and have our afternoon tea.

Columba's Bay

The weather prediction was cloudy in the morning with rain returning in the afternoon, so we started at 10:00 a hike down to Columba's Bay, the traditional site where St. Columba arrived on Iona in 563.  We walked through the golf course, and you can see the sheep and cattle grazing the grass to keep it short.  Then we followed a wide path that is alternatively muddy or rocky, sometimes both. 

Here is David posing at the top of the hill before we descend down the trail to the Bay visible in the distance.  This picture will be sent to the church to provide evidence he has not actually gone somewhere warm and sunny.  After spending some time on the top of the rock overlooking the Bay, with the wind picking up and a scatter of rain, we returned the way we came.  Arriving back at the golf course, the cattle and sheep were moved away from the edge of the water, their back ends into the wind.

It was not a hard decision to stay in the house the rest of the afternoon after our 3.5 mile hike.  Ralph, a friend who is staying with us for a week, tried out his skill at starting a coal fire.  That is now burning nicely, keep the lounge toasty while the wind blows outside.

Here is the front door for Tighshee, a simple cottage.  However what you can see beyond those sheep is the Sound of Mull, and the view is even better from our bedroom upstairs.  One of the windows into the lounge, their name for the living room, is on the left, and with another window on the opposite side creating a bright, pleasant space.

While it is still very windy with random showers blowing through, we hiked up to the north end beaches.  The walking is through pastures, and this trinity of cows were taking it easy with the rock sheltering them from the worst of the wind.   You can see the rain covering the island in the distance.

The tide was low, so the beach was beautiful, parts were rugged with rock and others were covered with white sand.  This side of the North end of Iona is Lewisian Gneiss, which predates any living creatures on earth.  The island is all that remains of a mountain that once was a high as the Himalayas worn down by millennia of erosion by wind and water. 

 We attended a communion service at Iona Abbey by the Iona Community tonight.  The leader quoted Ellen Degeneres speaking to the need to hold onto hope in these times of destruction and death.  The service leader had us turn to someone we didn't know and describe what we see that gives us hope.  The beauty of this place, while battered with turbulent wind and pounding waves, gives me hope that I, that we can live through these times with grace and beauty.

Reaching Tighshee

Tuesday morning we decided to take our chances.  There were still high winds, but conditions were better.  It was good to get onto the large ferry, and I took this picture which shows it was still raining but there were very few whitecaps.  The ride over to Craignure was smooth and uneventful, taking less time than expected.  There was a two hour wait for the next public bus across Mull.  Fortunately there was a waiting area for the ferry.  I have never been so happy for a fiberglass seat inside where it is warm.  Finally the 96 bus to Fionphort drove up just before the ferry returned for the second time.  I dozed much of that ride, finally able to relax.

I was watching every body of water, whether in inland lock or a bay of the Atlantic, for clues about how rough the water might be when we reached Fionphort.  But it wasn't until we turned the corner, and could see the ferry in the dock that I knew there would be no problem.  A large crowd of day trippers were coming off the ferry, so it had been running all day. I finally let go of my anxiety and worry about getting to Iona  once we were out in the water.

Tighshee is the name of the cottage where we are staying, pronounced "tie-she."  We rolled our suitcases down the road in the typical Scottish mist-rain to finally arrive at our home for the next four weeks. It is a 10-15 minute walk from the pier.  I knew it was the right place when David discovered a silly tea cozy, which will be a regular part of our lives.  Here is the cozy with sheep while outside the window you can see sheep grazing in the pasture.   We have arrived on Iona.

Possibility of Weather Disruption

While there were patches of clear sky and sunshine, the ferry company was warning about the possibility of disruption of services.  High winds and unpredictable squalls would cause the ferries to stay in port.  So we stayed in Oban until Tuesday.  Underneath one of those red roofs in the photo above is a Michelin guide EE-USK seafood restaurant.  David had the Scottish oysters as a starter, which were large and tasted great.  I know because he offered one to me.

We sat next to the windows, and I kept my cap nearby to slip on when the sun came out.  Then we saw a storm approaching from the West as a ferry was coming into port.  However the ferry turned around to wait out the storm. You can see it in the distance in the photo below.

The rest of the afternoon was very windy and rainy, with gusts up to 40 or 50 MPH.  We could hear the roar of the wind in our hotel room throughout most of the night.  Still dealing with jet lag and not able to sleep, I struggled all night with worry that we would be stuck in Oban another day. 

We were pretty sure the large ferry from Oban to Craignure, the port on the East end of Oban, would be running.  And we knew the bus across Mull would be running without concern for the weather.  However, the ferry from Fionphort on the Western edge of the Island of Mull over to Iona is much smaller, and cannot handle the waves as well.  Fionphort is also very small, with few places to take shelter if there is a long wait for the ferry.  There was no way to know until morning.

Changing Plans

Arriving in Glasgow on Saturday, we quickly found our hotel and were able to get into our room before Noon.  After eating some lunch, we walked over to the Queen Street Train Station to buy tickets for the train to Oban.  However, the train only runs part of the way because the track is out. So this morning we took a Citylink bus to Oban.

Here is the Buchanan Bus Terminal at Glasgow, Stance 54. The bus driver warned us that if we didn't behave she would put us off the bus, or start singing to us, which would be much worse.
We wandered around Lock Lomond with a steady rain most of the way.  We passed Inveraray Castle, the ancestral home for the Duke of Argyll.  It also was featured in an episode of Downton Abbey.

We have arrived in Oban and are staying for the night at the Kelvin Hotel, with a view of the ferry dock.

Again, plans have changed.  Thanks to the remains of hurricane Maria, just now arriving on the Scottish coast, the ferry service is disrupted.  Both the large ferries to the Island of Mull and the small ferry to Iona will not be running.  The weather report predicted gusts could be up to 70 MPH.  Fortunately the hotel is not busy, so we can stay here for another night, or two, if needed. 

The cottage on Iona will have to wait.