ISLE OF IONA |
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We boarded the ship King George V at Fort William on Wednesday, August 7th, 1974. Since the tour (#24) was to take the full day, we arose for an early breakfast (6:00 AM) at the Muirtown Hotel. |
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The ship was still making the trip to Oban and the Sacred Isle of Iona after 34 years of service. We took this picture of the hilltop coliseum at Oban before heading out towards Mull. |
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The tricky part of the trip was the leap from the ship into a small motor launch, which would transport us to Iona. Timing was essential. |
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Iona lay ahead as the launch headed for the pier to unload its passengers. |
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Pat took this photo of the regal ship, King George V, which had seen World War II service in Calais, Boulogne, Ostend, Rotterdam and Dunkirk while transporting soldiers. |
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It was a thrilling experience to visit the isle where so many Pictish, Viking and Scottish kings had been buried. Here, the Mormaer of Moray, King Macbeth, had been laid to rest in the traditional manner. King Robert the Bruce was the first to establish a different burial place. |
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Pat took this picture of me standing beside one of the many Celtic crosses. |
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I took this picture of Pat standing beside another carved Celtic cross. |
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These are the ruins of the nuns' chapel on the Isle of Iona. |
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From a hill on Iona, we captured a picture of a group waiting for one of the launches. The southern tip of the Isle of Mull is seen in the background. |
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We paused for a final look back towards the sacred Isle of Iona from the deck of the ship King George V. |
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These rock formations along the coast of Mull looked better, when they were seen in person. Like many of the photographs, they serve to bring back memories of one of the best tours Pat and I had enjoyed in Scotland. |