Orthodox Pilgrimage of the Celtic Saints, August 13 - 20, 2016

Day 0 

Saturday August 13

Meeting at the Glasgow airport at 10:45 to pick up the rental cars. I drove the gold Jaguar, with Fr. Serafim in the pilot seat. It was a hard first time drive, especially since even experienced drivers refuse to go on the road by Loch Lomond. Jim was in the other car all by himself....

Stopped for lunch at the Green Welly rest stop, where they serve the best fish soup called ... skunk....Alan got a very nice backpack.

We took the ferry from Oban at 7pm, the last one of the day, which allowed us to wonder around for about an hour, see the harbor and visit some shops. The car ferry was from Oban to Craingnure on Isle of Mull (I still don't know how to pronounce half of the names in Scotland). :-)

The turn to our lodge was called Lochbuie. It's a nice big house with a setup for about 10 guests. 

Day 1 

Sunday August 14

We celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the house chapel. After breakfast, we went on our first hike, to the location of some pagan worship site. This was the first test of our hiking boots, as the path was through the worst bog. Many of us got muddy and dirty. 

We stopped at a church but I don't remember who it was dedicated to. 

Then we tried to get to a cave only accessible when the tide is low. The hike was very difficult and we did not reach the cave. (My photos are labeled Mull - Gribun)

We cooked salmon for dinner when we got home 

Day 2

Monday August 15 - Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God.

We drove to Finnphort to take the ferry to Iona. It's about an hour drive. We had a reservation for the St. Oran chapel to serve the Divine Liturgy in the chapel. Before going to the chapel, we visited the Martyr's Bay, and then the Nunery and walked to prepare the chapel for the Liturgy. The birds in the chapel sung with us, especially during the Cherubic Hymn. It was as if they were calling each other to come listen to the prayers that have not resounded in the chapel in a long time....

After the Liturgy we had lunch in the visitor's center and then went to see the Abbey, with its St. Martin and St. John's Celtic crosses. The Abbey had a beautiful museum, with great display of stone crosses from various centuries.

Cooked chicken and potatoes and salad for dinner

Day 3 

Tuesday August 16

This was the day with a plan to go on a sail boat to an ...... Island, but the sea was too rough, so instead we took a touristy tour to Staffa, a rock/cave island reachable by the motor boat. The island has a very picturesque cave, and the island itself is beautifully formed with volcanic activity, showing layers of different lava rock.

On the return trip we wore yellow water proof jackets and got a good splashing with the rest of passengers.

On the way back we went to a nice beach and walk barefoot, while the "boys" and Kelly went searching for some cave....

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Day 4

Wednesday August 17

We returned back to Iona. The "young boys", with Jim and Fr. Serafim went on a hike to St. Columba bay. Alan and I walked to the north beach, by the gulf course. We got coffee with the lady who has the only coffee and gift shop in the area. Then we went back to the Abbey store to buy a Celtic cross, which I have only seen in that one gift shop. We got to see the Abby again (especially the main church, which I did not see much off on Monday. 

The drives back home were very difficult, since we were tried, and the drives very intense: one lane road, with challenging passing of oncoming traffic, and closer to home, sheep on the road....THe sheep were fun, they usually moved out of the way with a gentle nudge by approaching car... 

Half of the group returned home in crammed car, while the other half went back to look for some cave near an inlet, which we visited the day before.... 

Had white fish and baked veggies for dinner, fish sooner, potatoes later since they cooked for a long time....

Day 5

Thursday August 18

Alan, Rob and Ann stayed in the house to rest and recuperate (from the hikes the previous day's). THe rest of us went to St. Brandon's island, in a hired motor boat from the mussle farm. We served the Liturgy in the bee-hive shaped hut of St. Brandon, and then a short memorial service in the church ruins. If you are reading this, please say "Memory Eternal" for my Father George, who's 7-year repose anniversary was that very day, August 18.

Since the tide lowered, the departure from the island became more problematic and we could not do it from the same bay where we were dropped off, and instead had to climb down some serious rocks to get to our bowie....

Dinner that day was mussels picked up at the farm on the way home.... Interesting, but not my favorite food.....

Day 6

Friday August 19

Liturgy early, then a drive to meet people at Kilnininan at 11:30am. That is the site of Fr. Serafim's future monastery and the church which is being renovated. We servered a short service  to the Celtic Saints, and then walked to the site of a well, to get blessed with its water. 

On the way to Tobermory, we stopped at a cafe which had Mull pottery, arts and Jewlery. Nice but very expensive. I got a turquoise mug, which was my favorite at the guest house. Alan and I walked a round, found a sweatshirt he was interested in, had coffee at beautiful church converted into a shop and cafe.... :-(

Day 7

Saturday August 20

5:30 am Liturgy,

6:30 Breakfast - and suddenly we are scrambling to get to the 8:50 ferry to Oban. But all went well, this is a much bigger and nicer ferry, almost like a cruise ship.... Then the crazy drive by Loch Lomond to Green Welly stop and to Glasgow airport car rental return. It was raining in Glasgow, and we went back to Millenium Hotel.

Day 8

Sunday August 21 

Glasgow, Highhlands, Glenco, Loch Ness, and back to Glasgow with Stephen, music, front seat on the great big bus (to make up for my inability to enjoy the scenery while driving)..... :-)

Perfect conclusion to seeing the most of Scotland...