Personal Pilgrimage Day

Since I’ve been on Iona I’ve been waiting for a day I could walk out to St Columba’s Bay. It is one of the things I did on the pilgrimage I took last year that made a very big impression on me. Trouble is I twisted my ankle my first week here. Then once I was finally healed and was ready for a long hike the weather had turned from long sunny days to rain and wind. I had to plan for a day off that was mostly sunny. Volia, this week it finally happened.

I packed my egg mayo sandwich, grabbed an apple, a bag of crisps, my water bottle, and set off. Yes, I did stop at the Rookery Cafe for a scone to keep body and soul together while I was walking.

I am proud of myself for remembering to also pack my waterproofs. Because I watched as the rain cloud rolled in off the ocean side of the island and dumped some afternoon rain. I took those first drops seriously and put on my waterproof pants and jacket. I was soaked in minutes but dry while I walked in the rain and wind. The weather made it an official pilgrimage. Of course the rain didn’t last. The rest of the day was perfect walking weather, as my photos show you.

What a stunning walk it is. The photos of the scenery are just a taste. The blues and greens are so clear. And the cows were so close! You can see the lot of them in the field I crossed to get to the beach. I will admit to being a little nervous walking so closely to such large animals. They did turn their heads to watch me but the number of people who they’ve seen head down to the beach makes them rather blase. They couldn’t be bothered with me. So I stopped and took their pictures. They are huge graceful animals. I’m a small pilgrim.

Columba’s Bay is covered in rocks. The land goes from grassy to rocks. Period. It’s kinda weird actually. One of the things many people do is find a rock that represents something that want to release and throw it back into the water. Then find a rock of something that represents something you want to keep, work toward or remember. I did neither of those things. Like a little kid I threw rock after rock into the water listening to the splash, plunk. It was very satisfying. As for bringing rocks back with me I collected a fair number of tiny representatives. Didn’t feel the weight of them at all in my backpack on the trek home. More on those later.

You do see here a couple rock photos. It is the labyrinth. First a shot of a couple ladies enjoying the circles and then when I took a turn walking it I took a pair of shots. It has been there a long time and is well worn. It was constructed of rocks from the beach.

I liked my day out and about on the island on my own. It was nice. I definitely was remembering my first trip last year. It’s a special place and my thought still is, what a place for someone to land and decide this is it. This is where I will make my community. St Columba and his followers were a hardy bunch. I’m glad they persevered.