Last day on Iona

Look at this fun, checkered flower! It is growing in the old nunnery.
The original nunnery. The Sheela na gig nunnery!













This lovely circle and the following willow wicker, growing sculptures are in the garden of the Caledonia Hotel, where they grow their own organic greens and such.













Sylvie and Tammas, my Iona friends, walked me to the ferry today.
We had time so we stopped in garden spots and semi hidden pathways.
We also discovered, thanks to Tammas' watchful eye, a labyrinth someone had made on the beach near the pier.
It was wonderfully created with beach findings, shells, stones, seaweed, rope strands, colored glass and pottery shards, very well put together.
Sylvie took some fotos I will share when she shares.






I miss these women already, it has only been hours!




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Location:Aird's Crescent,Oban,United Kingdom

Goodbye, Iona!

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Iona in the wake of the ferry, and a large, broken boulder on the beach near the ferry pier in Fionnphort, Isle of Mull.





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Location:Aird's Crescent,Oban,United Kingdom

Loch Staonaig

This Loch (lake) is on the top of the hill, which is weird to me, you climb up and there it is with no vegetation except heather.
It is very boggy here, even on tops of hills. I would intuitively go up to get out of the boggy conditions, but that doesn't help, the ground is like a giant sponge. And bog-wash ( my term) is very brackish and doesn't come right off.






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Location:Top of the Pier,Isle of Iona,United Kingdom

Viewpoint

Sylvia took this foto of me saluting the sinking sun from atop a big rock in the sea,while the tide comes in.


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Location:Top of the Pier,Isle of Iona,United Kingdom

Salute to the Sunset

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Beach flowers

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Location:Top of the Pier,Isle of Iona,United Kingdom

Sunset March 27,2012~Deborah's Birthday!

I was standing on a big rock in the sea for this, but I had to get down before the final setting because the tide was coming in and I didn't want to have to swim ashore!






I did do some sun salutes atop the big rock while watching the sun head toward all of you!






Sylvia,who works here was on shore and she took a foto of me on the big rock but I cannot figure out how to attach it.






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Location:Top of the Pier,Isle of Iona,United Kingdom

Birds

I was climbing around on some cliffs like places off the trail and there was this narrow canyon type place and I looked down and there were these birds.

I looked them up in the bird book when I got back and can't find them, there was something similar without the little head bump and yellow throat....

Perhaps this is the winter/spring dressing of the cormorant?

The puffins are back early this year, did you notice them in a garden foto?

There are many birds and they are announcing spring with a cacophony for sure. I can't identify many of them, but have been looking through the bird book furiously. There are loads of greylag geese and water birds, wishing I had binocs!

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Location:Top of the Pier,Isle of Iona,United Kingdom

Old Marble Quarry

The old marble quarry. The marble from here is white with beautiful green inclusions, a lovely jade/sea green.

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Gardens on Iona

They all seem to be within stone walls, which mesmerizes me!





























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Location:Top of the Pier,Isle of Iona,United Kingdom

The Old nunnery on Iona

Sheila na gig is an ancient pagan female carving seen mostly around the Celtic countries. This is a very washed out and old one, and it is interesting that it was carved over the window of a nunnery!



















Unfortunately you cannot read this sign, but I posted it so that you could have a good overview of what you are seeing in these fotos. Where the shadow is in the left corner of this sign is where Sheela na gig is. Teampull Ronain is the small building off to the upper right. and you can see the arches...the wooden door below goes into that little side building off to the right.





























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Columba's Bay

I didn't take the most direct route to here, they say to stay on the track and you'll be fine, but with sheep making paths everywhere, you just can't tell what is the trail and what is not. Here it was obvious, but a group of 20 Germans on a pilgrimage had just been through.

There are all these interesting things on the map about ruins and fairy ounces and such, so I just started going overland and following sheep tracks about.

Below are ruins called "Tobhta Han Sassunaich" or "house of the lowlanders"

It is in a more remote area, off the beaten (by humans) path.

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Iona for Meaghan

Some of the gardens along the main street which is also, as you can see, on the beach.

















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Location:Top of the Pier,Isle of Iona,United Kingdom