Ancient stones

Another bleak beginning to the day, dull and grey, but we decided to make the effort to go across to Iona. I've been over a couple of times this year already, but it seemed daft to be so close and not go again. We were about to leave when it began to rain, so it was nearer 11.30 before we left. Unfortunately our timing  was bad - our arrival in Fionnphort coincided with that of the bus from Craignure and we found a rather large crowd ahead of us in the queue! 

Everyone got on, but it was packed to the gunwales and the short crossing was pretty rough - we had to hold on tight! We rushed off to be first on land and hurried up to the Argyll Hotel for lunch, where we were rewarded with a seat at the conservatory window and big bowls of Cullen Skink served with bread. 

Although the weather wasn't great we walked up to the Abbey, stopping off at the various Heritage Centres and craft shops en route, and had a look inside the Parish Church, which was built in 1828 to a standard design by Thomas Telford to replace St Ronan's Church within the grounds of the nunnery. This had been Iona's place of worship since the early 1200s until the Reformation in 1560 when abbey, church and nunnery were 'dismantled'.

My Blip today is of MacLean's Cross, standing on the roadside in front of the Parish Church. Dating from the 1400s, it's one of the few crosses on Iona which survived the reformation - pilgrims used to pray here on their way to the Abbey. It's very hard to imagine this cross having stood here for more than 500 years - it's such a slender thing!

My extra today is of part of the nunnery ruins.