I booked the 7.45 ferry from Oban to Craignure on the Isle of Mull. The sun is out and the sky is blue and it is going to be a beautiful day! I know Scottish weather is temperamental and wanted to enjoy Iona in the sunshine, so I headed west for the ferry across. The 1.5 hour drive to edge of the Isle was absolutely breathtaking, more mountains and lochs, rugged coastlines and signs warning of otter crossings. Stopped by traffic jams of sheep and highland cows, one of them tried to ram my car as I was driving past. I made it to Fionnphort, parked the car and just casually walked onto the ferry to take the crossing over to Iona. The water was GORGEOUS! I had seen photos of this area and how incredible the beaches were, but if I’m honest I just thought they were photoshopped. WRONG! White sands and crystal blue waters. 2 degrees and I’m still wearing my snow jacket. Ah Scotland. Now let’s talk about Iona. Home to only 120 permanent residents, this tiny island off an island off the mainland of Scotland was the site of the creation of the Book of Kells. THE Book of Kells and I hadn’t known that until I got to the Abbey. Holy crap *cue chihuahua excitement*. It was then moved to Ireland due to Viking raids. Iona is also one of the most historically important spots in Scotland, and is known as the “Cradle of Christianity” in Scotland and well, most of Europe considering it was one of the only bright spots of Christianity during the Dark Ages. Columba (later St.Columba) was a missionary monk who was exiled from Ireland and ended up in Iona where he established Celtic Christianity that worked it’s way up over Northern Scotland. Iona means “thin place” in Gaelic referring to the belief that Iona is covered by only a thin veil separating Heaven and Earth. I spent so much time in Iona, it’s just so beautiful with so much to explore. I dipped my feet in the beautiful blue waters and it was cold as ICE.

I stopped off at Duart Castle on the way to Tobermory, the main town on the island. I was walking around town when I passed a screaming child begging his mum for ice cream. I thought you know what, ice cream is a great idea. So I walked into the shop, got my ice cream and walked out licking my double scooped salted caramel goodness right in front of the annoying kid, who looked at me with spite and envy. Haters gonna hate.

Driving back to Craigmure I found another sign to another castle! Hello Aros Castle! I got back on the ferry and head over to Oban. Stopped off at a fish and chip shop for dinner before heading back to the guesthouse. I stayed at Elderslie Guest House just out of town, and the couple running it couldn’t have been nicer. When I told Lorna that I wouldn't be joining them for breakfast that morning due to my super early ferry, she sent up a cool bag with a sandwich, yoghurt, cake, muesli bar and water bottle for me to take on my trip. This place was so great. I had a really small single room (on a tightass budget!) and everything was decorated like it was a retirement home. It looked like all of the decor was inherited from their grandparents. But everything was clean and quiet and I loved staying here!

The drive up to Aros Castle is literally a driveway to someones home. There’s a trampoline and swing set right next to the castle. Only in Scotland. The castle was built in the 13th century by the MacDougalls before it was taken over by, you guessed it, the Campbell clan. It had been described as “ruinous, old, useless and never of any strength.”

This awesome castle can be spotted on the ferry from Oban to Craigmure, and look at the photos on google of how incredible it is! Unfortunately, it was covered in scaffolding while I was there. I get it, it’s in the middle of a restoration, but I couldn’t hide the disappointment that I didn’t get to see it in its full glory. Don’t get me wrong, it was still spectacular. In 1350 it was given as a dowry from the Lord of the Isles to the Chief of the Clan Maclean, and the Maclean’s are still owners of the castle to this day (after buying it back from those pesky government troops of Clan Campbell). The inside of the castle was so well done, featuring the history of the castle, Clan Maclean and around the Isle of Mull. I was staring out the window looking across to the mountains when a man in full kilt regalia came up next to me and started pointing out the mountain names. Then he disappeared. Was he even real? Had I taken some strange island hallucinogens? I’ll never know.