Iona, the Magical Isle

Oban makes a great base for exploring many western islands in Scotland. Remember this photo from back on March 22, taken from the window of Cathy’s hostel room in Oban? Well that is a CalMac ferry returning from some beautiful island. They come and go all day long from Oban’s harbor. 

Now we were finally going to board one to spend Easter weekend on the magical island of Iona. After a 50-minute ferry ride to Mull, we boarded a bus to take us to the southwest corner of Mull, where Cathy got off about two miles from the port town of Fionnphort. She wanted a chance to take a short hike on Mull to the tiny settlement at Camas Tuath. 

Returning to the highway, we walked the remaining two miles to Fionnphort where we boarded a tiny ferry for the 10-minute ride to Iona. On the way, we encountered some Scottish Highland cows in the middle of the road and they would not move, not even when a car came through. They just stared at us through all that hair. 

I especially liked this caution sign as you enter Fionnphort. 

It was a little over a mile to the hostel, so we stopped at the Iona Abbey along the way. The two receptionists there were very friendly and since Nellie could knit, she took the opportunity to add some rows to me. Both she and John, who is also in the photo, were really taken with me. John was disappointed that he did not know how to knit because he really wanted to add some rows as well. But Nellie, bless her heart, wrote in my journal: “I am honoured. This is the first time I’ve picked up knitting since being diagnosed with MS and I dare say I will pick it up again.”

The Abbey was intriguing. Founded in 563 by the monk Columba, it became the center of a very important monastic system in Britain. 

One thing that was very interesting to us was all the sculptures on the walls, graves, and crosses. If you look at them closely, you can see where the ideas for Aran style cables in knitting came from.

Cathy would like to come up with some patterns based on these sculptures.

One thing that impressed Cathy was the fact that Columba taught his monks to engage and work for the benefit of the wider community. In 1114, the site became a Benedictine Abbey, based on the “Rule of St. Benedict” of “pray and work.” Today it houses the Iona Community, a world-wide ecumenical community with a strong commitment to peace and justice issues. It has a very long history of supporting the world outside its walls. 

It is also believed that the Book of Kells (currently housed at Trinity University in Ireland) was produced here.

We walked on to the lovely small Iona Hostel. It is part of a small working farm and is situated between two knolls and cannot be seen until you are right upon it—very private and peaceful. 

We sat in the common room from which we could watch some incredible sunsets and the mostly-Hebridean sheep gather to be fed twice a day. 

The next morning, Cathy and I made a bee-line for Iona Craft Shop where we found knitters and yarn! Although most all sheep in the British Isles are now raised and bred for meat production, there are still groups of people who are working to preserve fiber animals and local wool and yarn production. Iona Craft organizes a cooperative, so the island farmers have a market for their annual shearings. The sheep here are mostly Hebridean, Zwartbles, Texel, and Blue-faced Leicester, along with some crosses. Coop workers choose and combine the best fleeces to go to a mill in Derbyshire, England to be custom spun and dyed. This means that the yarn can vary from year to year and it is a mix of wool from different breeds. But it is ALL labeled “Single Origin” meaning that no wool was added that was not raised on Iona. The only way to purchase their yarn is in the shop on Iona or through their on-line store. 

Becca, a shop employee added some of their natural grey yarn.

A bit later, Noor stopped in and propped herself on a stool to knit on me as well! She used some of the Rosedean Ryland grey wool.

 While Cathy waited, she chatted away and took some lovely photos of the store and their yarn. And then, in walked John, from the Iona Abbey! He lives on Mull and it was his day off, but he loves Iona so much that he often comes over to visit even when he does not have to. Iona Craft is one of his favorite haunts.

Cathy purchased a hank of Aran weight yarn in a gorgeous “Post Box Red” color. Later, she even allocated some of it to the stash that my contributors can choose from.

Leaving the Iona Craft Shop, Cathy decided it was time for a hike. We were full into lambing season in Scotland and everywhere you walk in the country you are delighted with these oh-so-darling hopping and nursing sweethearts.


We crossed a very old golf course and Cathy interrupted a lone golfer to ask him about it. She got a fascinating history which she shared on this Facebook post. (You don’t have to use Facebook in order to see the post.)

It had been a windy and cold, but clear, day. Cathy was very tired when she returned to the hostel.

Laura, another guest was a knitter, so she added a nice bobble stitch to me using some of the Aran yarn Cathy had purchased in Galway a while back. They talked for about two hours and Laura invited us to visit if we ended up in Berlin. 

We had to leave early the next day (Easter Sunday) to be able to take the only bus from Fionnphort to the ferry terminal on Mull. But it was another beautiful clear day.

Upon arriving at Fionnphort, who did we bump into talking to the bus driver? John! From the Iona Abby! These kinds of things keep happening to Cathy on her travels! 

Leaving the bus at the Craignure ferry terminal, Cathy crossed the road to wait in the visitor center for the ferry. As she walked out to get on the ferry a brisk wind came up. When she reached for her Aran hat, she discovered that she had left it on the bus!! She had knitted that hat on Inis Mor last winter and it was very special. Skeptically, she asked a bus employee at the bus stand if there was any way she could retrieve the hat. Good thing that she did…he pointed down and across the road to the bus garage and parking area. “It’s just over there.” He said she had plenty of time to run and retrieve it before the ferry left, so she dropped her pack (and me!) and raced over. Her bus driver saw her approach, and with the usual Scottish smile and helpful attitude, pointed toward the bus saying that he had found it and left it on the driver’s seat! Was she relieved! Not only was it a very special hat, but she need THAT HAT…she had some cold, windy days coming up in the Outer Hebrides. 

On the trip back to Oban, Cathy reflected that it had been a very magical weekend. There was not any one thing that she could remember that made so, but there was just a feeling about the place that moved her.

Recording Stash and a Return to Oban

After the Edinburgh Yarn Festival, Cathy remained in Berwick for another week. She got some hiking in along the northeast coast of England and celebrated her 64th birthday. Unexpectedly, some other guests at the hostel surprised her with a little birthday cake in the evening. She was delighted, to say the least. 

She also spent some time organizing and categorizing all the yarn and other fiber she had accumulated so far on the journey. I think that was a good idea. She decided to ship most of it home to be held safe by her friend Emily on Vashon Island. It was taking a lot of room in her bag and she needed that room for me, because I had grown so much! Also, there was a chance she would forget what she got and where it was from by the time we get back to the States—which may be in another year or more! I swear, she just doesn’t know when to quit all this roaming around! But I’m not complaining—I am meeting lots of great knitters and spinners! 

She did a pretty good job of making up sample cards for each purchase and taping them in her journal—I thought that was an excellent idea! 

She also photographed some hats she had made while traveling. These would go back to Ireland to await our return there. They had been made from wool she bought in Ireland. 

On March 24, we returned to Oban. We would use that as a base for traveling to the Isle of Iona and the Outer Hebrides. Cathy snagged a train ticket to take us all the way across Scotland. When she first started our reservation, it looked like the ticket was going to cost over £40, but Cathy has learned that sometimes if you buy each segment of the journey separately, you get a better fare. She got our ticket down to £13! Nice job!

We settled into our same room in the Oban Youth Hostel as usual…with the bay window overlooking the comings and goings of the ferries. And a couple days later, a funny thing happened…

The room we were in was designated a women’s dorm and it had six beds. We never know when another traveler will show up. Cathy was working at the little table by the window when she noticed from the window a big bus disgorging young people. This would probably mean we would be getting new roommates tonight. Since she just had on her tights and a sweater, she decided it might be nice if she greeted any new arrivals more properly dressed, so she put on a skirt. Imagine her surprise when seven (count ‘em SEVEN) cute young college men walked into the room. Imagine THEIR surprise. She laughed and quipped, “I think reception made a mistake, this is a female dorm. Besides, there are only six beds, so unless one of you is sleeping with me…” They laughed nervously, some blushing, and the last one in the door took the opportunity to leave by saying he would go down and “check on it.” Cathy told them she was sure they would be moving to another room and then began to chat with the remaining six. She managed to get in her regular spiel about how she was looking for knitters. “Do any of you knit?” she asked. Five of them immediately turned to one and pointed, “Michael does—he’s always knitting; he has his knitting with him!” Sure enough, a grinning Michael pulled out a big ball of red yarn and knitting needles.

 

So, Cathy pulled me out! All their eyes about bugged out of their heads. Cathy told him that he just HAD to add some rows and Michael readily agreed to meet her down in the living room later. About that time, Ross, the receptionist from downstairs, came in and was wondering what Cathy was doing in room 104??? So, Cathy was actually the odd one out—she was the one who had to move. Never mind, she had found a knitter…Michael and Cathy ended up knitting together and talking for a couple hours that evening. Just think…they would have never met if seven male students had not “mistakenly” wandered into Cathy’s female dorm room.

Next stop: The Isle of Iona for Easter Weekend