The crosses of Oronsay

Walking up to Oronsay House, I asked Mrs Colburn if it was easy to get to the Oronsay Cross.

"You will find two crosses very easily, they are just beside the Priory."

"Oh, I had wondered if we might have passed the old stump of a cross down by the dunes." I replied.

Without a hint of irritation, Mrs Colburn quietly answered "That 'old stump' is the memorial I erected to the memory of my dear husband in the Millennium year."

Oops! "Sorry!"

She continued "I do hope you enjoy your visit, it's such a nice day and there have been so few like it this year."


The Great Cross of Oronsay stands inconspicuously against the farm buildings at the back of the Priory graveyard. It is finely carved on both sides and is thought to have come from Iona.


It has suffered from the weathering of five centuries but this drawing, which was published in Thomas Pennent's, A Tour in Scotland and Voyage to the Hebrides, 1772, shows the west face in detail, when it had been standing for only 272 years. The inscription reads:

+HEC EST CR/UX COLINI F/ILII CRISTI/NI M(EIC)DUFACI
'This is the cross of Colinus (Malcolm), son of Christinus MacDuffie

It was carved for Malcolm MacDuffie, the Lord of Colonsay, some time after 1472 and erected before 1500.


This is the beautiful east face of the Oronsay Cross. Next to the Kildalton Cross, on nearby Islay, it is one of the finest crosses in all of SW Scotland.


Another interesting, but older, cross stands on a little knoll to the east of the Priory. In 1881 just the shaft was standing and the present head of the cross lay on the ground beside it. There is some doubt as to whether this is the original head but it has now been replaced atop the shaft.


It is decorated by a rather portly and smiling figure.


From the grounds of the Priory, you can look out over the sea to Jura, Islay and Ireland. It is said that St Columba, who had been banished from Ireland, landed here but proceeded to Iona because he could still see his homeland from Oronsay.

Sea Kayaking Desktop Calendar August 2008

Paddling in perfect peace over the clear waters of Traigh Bhan, Iona.

If you would like to download the August desktop, it is available in sizes of 1920x1200, 1280x1024, 1024x768 and 800x600.

For best results, do not use the photos from this blogger site but visit the Scottish Sea Kayaking Photo Gallery and click on the size of your desk top. Most visitors to this site use 1280x1024 or 1024x768. You can check your desktop size by right clicking anywhere on it then left click properties then left click settings.

Other months to follow....

End of a perfect day on Iona

After leaving Iona Abbey and Martyr's Bay Restaurant and Bar David and Mike headed straight back across the Sound of Iona for Fidden. Tony and I decided to do a little more paddling and found this amazing cave (complete with white sand beach) on the SE of Iona about 21:30hrs.


On finally leaving Iona, we took a last detour via Tinker's Hole. We eventually returned to Fidden at 22:30. We had covered a mere 34km but felt we deserved a rest.

19/07/2007

An Iona fishergirl

Leaving Market Bay on the Ross of Mull, we paddled back towards Iona in the still of a perfect summer evening. We passed the lovely hamlet of Kintra at the mouth of the Sound of Iona but the tide had now turned and we had to fight the increasing flood current which was flowing against us through the Bull Hole. This is a narrow channel between the Ross of Mull and Eilean Nam Ban. Ahead, some basking seals ignored us, they could see we were making almost no progress. We then ferried over to the island side and on across the Sound of Iona.


We landed below the village just as the last ferry departed with its load of tourists. A little local girl, sitting with her father in a beautiful white clinker built boat, asked “Is that a sea kayak?”

“Yes it is” I replied.

“I would love to do that” she said, wistfully.

“Well you very lucky, you are in the right place for it.”

Her dad then said “Aye, she likes the sea; she’s been helping with the lobster pots today.”



19/07/2007

Munching Mull mackerel in Market Bay

After Mike caught some mackerel, we needed to find somewhere to land. There can be no finer land fall than Market Bay (Traigh na Margaidh) on the Ross of Mull.


Straight out of the sea into the pan and fried with a little salt and dill; what a feast!


We also had time for a swim and some climbing on the granite torrs before heading back to Iona.

19/07/2007

Five little fishies

Leaving Eilean Annraidh, we crossed the Sound of Iona and made our way east along the north coast of the Ross of Mull. We paused off the headland of Rubha nan Cearc while Mike got his trusty rod out. He quickly caught five fat mackerel and we looked for somewhere to land....

19/07/2007

Eilean Annraidh, Iona

This view from Eilean Annraidh, which lies to the north of Iona, has inspired artists for at least 200 years. In the distance lies Ulva and the Wilderness of Mull.


We landed here for a rest after making our way up the west coast of Iona.

Bay at the Back of the Ocean, Iona

This incredible cove is at the north end of Camas Cuil an t-Saimh (Bay at the Back of the Ocean) on the west coast of Iona. It is near to Port Bhan. This view is more reminiscent of the Outer Hebrides than the Inner Hebrides. The rock here is ancient grey gneiss unlike the relatively young, red granite of the Ross of Mull which is only a few kilometres away.

19/07/2007

Spouting cave, Iona

We circumnavigated Iona in an anticlockwise direction. We rounded its south west headland to discover a wonderland of stacks, islands, tidal channels hidden bays and caves.


This cave was deep and had amazing colours in the walls. There was white shell sand below its turquoise water...


...and a little sandy beach right at the back of the cave.


The next cave is called "spouting cave". In the gentle swell it was more like a kettle than a cave but you can imagine what it would be like in an Atlantic storm.

19/07/2007

The foundation of St Oran's Chapel and voices of ancient saints

The oldest building in the grounds of Iona Abbey is St Oran’s chapel. It stands on the site of Reilig Odhrain, or St Oran’s shrine, around which is an ancient burial ground containing the remains of many kings from Scotland Norway, Ireland, Northumberland and Man. The early Christians in Ireland and Scotland did not practice their religion in the same way as that of Rome. Indeed Iona had been a sacred place to the Druids for generations before St Columba’s time. There is a grim legend attatched to the building of the original Reilig Odhrain which hints that there was perhaps a long and drawn out transition between Druidism and Christianity.

The following account was quoted by Macleod Banks in 1931. Her source was a Dr Maclagan of Clachan, Kintyre in 1894.

“When this chapel was in the course of erection, no matter what they would do or how well the work was done, every morning all that had been built the previous day was found thrown down. At last a voice came to St Columba, telling him that the only way to get the chapel completed was to bury a living man under its foundation; without that, the voice said the chapel could never be finished. Columba decided that no one could be better to put under the foundation than his own son, and accordingly got him buried at once and proceeded to build on his top. One day, however, Odhran raised his head, and pushing it through the wall, said, - “There is no Hell as you suppose, nor Heaven that people talk about.” This alarmed St Columba, in case Odhran should communicate more secrets of the other world, and he had the body removed at once and buried in consecrated ground, and St Odhran never again troubled anyone.”

We looked through the door into the darkness within. Only the glint of a gilded Celtic cross on the altar was visible. A light breeze rustled round the door and we thought we heard whispering voices echoing round the dark walls of the chapel's interior. It sounded like it might have been only a house martin's nest but we decided that we did not want to hear what St Oran might have to say to us. We chose not enter and instead paid our respects to St Oran in the light of the summer evening. Then, in the gathering dusk, we left Reilig Odhrain for Martyr's Bay where our sea kayaks lay waiting to carry us back across the Sound of Iona. Our visit had been undistubed by the sound of the voices of either day visitors or ancient saints.

19/07/2007

A Hebridean Version of Colum Cille and St. Oran [Mrs.] M. Macleod Banks, Folklore, Vol. 42, No. 1 (Mar. 31, 1931), pp. 55-60

Iona Abbey

The current day Iona Abbey is the reconstructed ruin of a Benedictine Abbey which dates from about the 13th century. St Columba had established a monastery here in 563AD but his buildings were of wood. At one time the monastery was one of the largest Christian centres in Europe. The Abbey was sacked in 1560 during the Scottish Reformation. It lay derelict until its restoration started in 1938.

St Columba was not the first saint to bring Christianity to Scotland. St Ninian established a mission at Whithorn in Galloway in 397AD.

The magnificent carved Celtic cross at the Abbey door is a replica of St John's cross, the broken remains of which are displayed in the Infirmary Museum at the rear of the Abbey.


Nearby St Martin's cross still stands. It dates from the eighth century.


By arriving late in the day by sea kayak, we were the only visitors . As we wandered round these ancient stones we experienced the peace of Iona.

19/07/2007

An evening alternative to the Abbey on Iona

After an arduous day sea kayaking round Iona and the Ross of Mull we landed on Iona just as the MV Loch Buie was making her last crossing of the evening. The last of the many day trippers were waiting on the jetty to return to the mainland. The crowded isle of the day was about to return to the peace of the evening and its past. (With the useful addition of our good selves of course.)

It had been a long hot day and we were in need of some sustenance as there was still to be a final eight long Scotch kilometers until our keels would be hauled up on the white sand of our chosen camp for the night. We spotted an unprepossessing building at the top of the slip. Closer inspection revealed it to be the Martyr's Bay Restaurant and Bar.... the only bar on the island no less.

Despite the undoubted attractions of the nearby Abbey, which is one of Scotland's most historic and venerated sites, we felt a duty, to you the reader, to further investigate and report upon this outwardly unassuming hostelry, situated as it is on this most Holy of the Isles.


Leaving a sandy trail on the plush carpet, we made our way to a well upholstered seating area with a fine view over the Sound of Iona. We ordered some pints of Guinness to assist our perusal of the menu. On hearing of our desire to dine, the friendly staff asked if we would prefer to move to the formal dining room. We declined as we wished to cause no loss of appetite to other diners. We were accompanied by a certain odour which was evidence of several days' activity in the great outdoors.

Despite an extensive selection of freshly caught seafood, we chose steaks. After all, we had already enjoyed a luncheon of freshly caught and cooked mackerel on a deserted white sand beach. An excellent meal deserved to be washed down with some more refreshments which were served at just the right temperature. My only minor criticism was that a rare steak was served medium. This however, is something that is quite common in Scotland. Scots as a race like to make sure that their food is quite dead before they eat it. Some (though not this restuarant) even do the same with vegetables.

Boswell and Johnson also visited Iona on their tour of the Hebrides. Although Boswell did not drink alcohol he quoted Johnson "....No, Sir; there is nothing which has yet been contrived by man, by which so much happiness is produced as by a good tavern or inn." I think Johnson would have been well pleased with this one.


After a farewell to the attentive staff, we made our way back to the boats and our day on the water continued. The Martyr's Bay Restaurant and Bar proved to be a truly excellent sea kayaking pub, with first class food as a bonus! It is highly recommended.

Safety Notice. Sea kayaking is already a risky activity. Alcohol and water do not mix. This bar offered a wide selection of hot and cold non alcoholic beverages.

19/07/2007

Expedition planning

We are so lucky here in the west coast of Scotland, we have fantastic sea kayaking right on our doorstep. We do not have to embark on lengthy expeditions to get our fix of paddling. However, the staff of seakayakphoto.com do go on little mini expeditions of a week to 10 days or so. The depths of winter seems to be a good time to make plans with like minded friends.

I have been blessed to paddle with some of the nicest people you could meet anywhere. Here are two of them, Tony and David. As you can see there is a commonality of purpose, indeed single mindedness, in the pursuit of the expedition's objectives.

19/07/2007

Red rock sunset on Erraid

As the sun slowly moved towards the northwest, the granite rocks of Erraid glowed red above the white shell sand beaches.


Finally the sun sank behind the grey gneiss of Iona and the sky above turned to fire. Far below, in the gathering darkness, our boats gently kissed the sands of Fidden and the Ross of Mull.

Turquoise seas of Iona

Sometimes it is nice just to float along and slip off into a dream of Iona.

The hardships of Scottish seakayaking.

I am just back from a week trip; sea kayaking the west coast of Mull and its outliers. The weather here in the UK has been exceptionally wet and breezy for July. I am often asked what it is that attracts me to paddling in this harsh environment. Perhaps this photo of Port Bhan may give the dear reader a small inkling of the strong pull of the Hebrides?

Our caddies travel ahead, by a variety of means, and assemble our social and refreshment tents prior to our arrival on pristine cockleshell sand beaches. Why they even scour far and wide for some small pieces of driftwood just so that we may enjoy a little late night incendiary activity.

19/07/2007