A Sacred Bay
The south of the island, like the Abbey, is intrinsically linked with St. Columba. A walk across the rougher part of the island past loch Staonaig, which at one time supplied Iona with its fresh water, will take you to Columba’s Bay.
It is here that Columba first set foot on Iona in 563 AD to establish his new monastery after being exiled from Ireland for taking on the corrupt and all powerful monasteries there.
It is a bay of stones. The pebbles are quite beautiful here, rounded and full of colour. There are piles of cairns of varying size all along the beach too, some very ancient and some that are added to each time someone takes a pilgrimage here.
Perhaps it’s knowing that Columba and his monks first embarked here after crossing from Ireland, bringing Christianity to Scotland, that gives the bay a sense of place that pervades the landscape. Time to reflect in a stillness with the sea as company as you look south towards the north coast of Ireland.
Gannets were diving off shore as the wind picked up and the sea responded.
There’s just one way in and out of the bay and the return journey once again takes you over the wilder part of the island and past loch Stoanaig before heading down into the Bay at the Back of the Ocean.
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