Calm before the day ...

Morning prayer is just ended in the Cathedral of The Isles. I am first out, through the sacristy and into the common room, first there before anyone else has come to wait for breakfast. In a couple of minutes a small crowd will gather in the cloisters, just visible through the door - some bed-and-breakfast visitors, others regulars involved in the various services and the afternoon concert - but for now the only sound is of the staff bringing dishes from the kitchen.

This common room, with its various doorways into different parts of the building and its direct access to the Cathedral itself, fascinated me when I first stayed here in 1969. Now it is a familiar place, filled with memories and the odd benign spirit. 

Soon the music, the rehearsals, the worship will begin again. But for now, it is quiet.