How can I sleep for fourteen hours? Admittedly, the strong wind and heavy rain woke me a few times, but hiking in cold weather knocks me out at night. My neighbour has vanished, replaced by another tent overnight, and I chat briefly with a young woman in the tiny communal kitchen. I have noticed a lot of women on the island, perhaps drawn by the spiritual focus.
My Whatsapp family chat pings with beautiful images of the Northern Lights. For goodness sake — I’m camping on Iona with minimal light pollution and I slept through the whole damn thing! I need to get my act together, as this is not the first time I’ve missed them. I’ll find the best aurora website and check it daily, just as I do the weather.
One of the farm dogs says it’s too early to be rounding up sheep. She is super affectionate and leads me to the farmhouse door, hoping to be let in.
Strolling into the village, the Rookery Cafe is sadly closed — there goes my cooked breakfast.
The ferry drops off another small crowd. The coach trips only allow a short time on the island, so most people just wander round the village and Abbey. Ten minutes later, I’m heading north, with the place to myself. A grassy path leads down to another wonderful beach. The woman from the campsite is sitting on a rock, hunched against the wind. She seems deep in thought, and I never like to approach a woman on her own, so give her a wide berth and find a spot to sit and enjoy the view.
The views are stunning despite the heavy cloud. Across the water broods the wild Ardmeanach peninsula, with its towering basalt terraces and famous fossil tree. How can I resist an area marked on my OS map as The Wilderness? One for my next trip.
A grass trail follows the coastline, round to another pristine beach on the west side, the white sand emphasising the dark clouds.
There are colourful rocks dotted along the beach.
After leaving the beach, a short climb brings me onto the craggy moors.
The site of an Iron Age fort dominates the end of my walk. These Lewisian Gneiss rocks are over two billion years old.
Completing the northern loop, I arrive at Port Ban Beach again.
The weather has been kind, given the horrendous forecast. I reach my tent just in time, showered and into my sleeping bag by 6:30 pm, before the skies darken and the rain thunders down with a vengeance. I’m not venturing into the village tonight, cancelling my table and settling for a freeze-dried meal: Posh Baked Beans. Who needs venison or duck?
Date of walk: Friday 11 October 2024.
Walk distance: 6 miles.
Total distance: 4,589 miles.
That looks like a beautiful island that is certainly worth walking around, despite the weather.
Hi Tony. I think I met you back in 2021 on the SWCP . You were walking to Falmouth. I had recently been made redundant. Having completed my Lands End Cape Wrath walk I’m now walking around the coast, in bits and in no particular order. My next trip tends to be dependent on whisky consumption, train fares and impulse. Currently on Anglesey. Enjoy following your posts.
Hi David. Always great to meet another fellow coast walker. I enjoyed Anglesey, especially the wild section around Holyhead Mountain.
Looks absolutely idyllic. And those rocks!