As expected the rain started during the night and was very heavy at
first light. The cloud was so low I had no views of the mountains
and could only just see across the valley at ground level. My first
objective of the day is to get to the ferry at Fionnphort for the
Isle of Iona, which is just over 17miles away.
A very wet morning on Mull
Because of that I can afford to delay my start and hope the rain
subsides. Later in the morning the rain became very heavy and the
nearby river had risen so high the decision to pack up camp was made
for me. I doubt the banks would have overflowed but I didn’t want to
take any chances. A late burst of very heavy rain stopped and I
managed to pack my gear away in the dry.
Strange scarecrow design
I started off in full waterproofs but the main problem was getting
too warm. When it looked like the weather going to continue dry for
a while I stopped to take them off. The only problem with the ride
was the same traffic problem as yesterday. Many motorists don’t know
how to pass a cyclist with a single track road and passing places.
Monks of Iona Amber Ale
Iona Abbey
Cloisters
I was carrying my rubbish in a plastic bag and kept a lookout for a
bin. It wasn’t until I reached Bunessan that I came across one
outside the village hall. It looked like there was a scarecrow
competition as I saw a few interesting displays with numbers on
them. Around 4 miles further on I reached Fionnphort around 3pm and
could see the ferry on the far slipway about to return from Iona.
The weather deteriorated and as I wheeled my bike on board and paid
my £3.30 return fare it began to rain.
Iona Abbey evening view
I wheeled my bike up the ramp and started to cycle to Bishop’s
House having to use my bell all the way to warn pedestrians. At
Bishop’s House I wheeled my bike round the back and unloaded my
panniers to pitch my tent in the usual place. Torrential rain
started again so I had to wait for it to subside before finishing
pitching. I joined the staff for the evening meal at 6pm which had
been cooked by Mark, a cook I’d not met before. Afterwards had a
walk through the grounds of Iona Abbey and on to the north side of
the island.
Return to
Whittle Wanderer
