Yesterday evening's beautiful sunset was followed by a bright clear start this morning. The weather settled, with no rain forecast we dealt with our chores before walking down to Fionnphort to catch the short ferry crossing to the tiny island of Iona.
We visited here a few years ago, and the weather was warm, just as it was today. The weather in Scotland messes with your head. How can it be so glorious one day, and horrible the next? The island of Iona is famous for its beautiful restored medieval abbey and white sand beaches. Around 130,000 visitors visit each year, and today we became two of that number. Most of today's visitors seemed to be American.
Finding a quiet spot in the garden of the Argyll Hotel overlooking the Sound of Iona towards Mull, just one mile away, we unpacked our lunch. Angela bought drinks from the bar and we settled down to a relaxed Sunday afternoon whilst enjoying warm sunshine and incredible views. Once again the weather had, delivered, we couldn't have wished for better.
Reluctant to leave our 'seats with a view', we walked up to the ruins of the medieval nunnery and then to the nearby graveyard where the John Smith, leader of the Labor party for almost two years before his untimely death, is buried.
As the sun warmed us, Angela felt an ice cream was in order. It might now be autumn, but sun and warmth in September equals late summer in her books. Our brief visit to Iona, over, we boarded the return ferry. Back at Marge John sorted out wood to cook the local venison sausages we bought a few days ago. The wind up, a chill returned to the air. Our spot on the campsite is right by the sea. As the tide crept in, John spotted a small, slender dark chocolate brown animal scuttling in and around the nearby granite rocks. Was it a small otter? No, it was an American mink! What a sighting, our first ever mink, what a perfect end to the day.
No comments:
Post a Comment