Messages from Scotland
Message 5: Oban and Iona
Greetings from the west coast of Scotland!
Tuesday we drove south and west towards the sea and stopped briefly at a memorial to some brave Scotsmen who went into Germany in the early days of WWII to provide intelligence on Hitler's troops and tactics. The memorial is on a rise overlooking some mountains, including the highest one in Scotland.
A bit later we stopped at Glencoe, where the clan Campbell massacred some of the clan MacDonald. The story is lengthy, but I will just say it was very sad and led to continued fighting between the clans and England.
I should say something more about the highlands area of Scotland. The land is incredibly varied and on this day we went through dense forests, rolling green hills, around mountains, beside long lakes (both fresh and salt water), and through desolate areas. The latter were rolling hills that were so rocky not much would grow and in early May; the brown upon brown was striking. The very beautiful and thought provoking land made me marvel at the clans who called this home.
We stopped in the middle of the day at a Glencoe Mountain Resort and rode up a ski lift. The panoramic view was so different from the Colorado resorts!
Our big bus rumbled to the seaside town of Oban just in time to take a tour of the local Scotch Whisky distillery. The process reminded me of a cross between making beer (barley, water, and yeast) and wine (aging in oak barrels for a lengthy time). We had a couple tastes but it just reaffirmed that I really don't like Scotch! I was taken by the term "Angel's Share"-- the bit of alcohol that evaporates during ageing. The angels must be having a good time in heaven!
Our guest house is in a row of Victorian era holiday homes overlooking the bay. Spectacular! My favorite hotel so far. Oban is known for its seafood so many of us had the iconic and tasty fish and chips for dinner. Mother Nature gave us a lovely end to the day with a gorgeous sunset.
Let me just say, I am in love with Oban! This small town with a lot of charm is nestled right beside the ocean. I got out early this morning and walked a path overlooking the ocean. Bluebells are blooming now and it was lovely to wander between the glen and ocean in the early morning light. The town has some fun shops and restaurants beside a sparkling ocean.
After a spectacular breakfast we took an all day trip to the small island of Iona. The weather was cloudy but quite good for an ocean crossing. I guess some tours have to forego this trip if the weather is foul. It would be a pity. Our first ferry from Oban was large and about an hour's trip to Mull where we jumped on a bus drive across that island. The bus driver had a constant monologue about the history, topography, and nature around us. We were in a full sized bus and the road was one lane with plenty of turnouts. The drivers were all very civilized about having to wait for the bus to pass. We then got on a smaller ferry for a quick voyage to Iona.
Iona. What a lovely, peaceful, spiritual place. One of the 130 permanent residents showed us around and talked about what it is like to live on a small, isolated island. During the early Middle Ages this was a stronghold of Christianity and the writing of the Book of Kells was reportedly begun here. Today a few ruins and a restored Cathedral reflect back to those days. This is the only place on tour we have seen close up the Highlands Cattle. The very hairy animals were photogenic and came up close to the fence to say hello to the tourists.
After a couple hours on our own to explore (not nearly long enough for me!) We repeated the ferry/bus/ferry trip back to Oban in time for dinner.
Martha
