Why the most peaceful island in Britain is the perfect place to recover from Christmas
Christmas is over and you may be reading this feeling gluttonous and depleted. You might even be considering a pricey spa break in warmer climes in a desperate bid to speed your recovery.
Instead, you should consider an escape to a small Scottish island. You won’t even need your passport.
The tiny isle of Iona, just 1.5 miles by three miles, is the perfect antithesis to the copious consumerism that has engulfed much of the rest of the British Isles this Christmas.
Lying off the southwest coast of Mull (which itself is located off the west coast of the Scottish mainland across from Oban), there are no two-for-one deals or Boxing Day bargains to be bagged here. Instead it’s a place of quiet reflection where you might come to unwind and reset. This is aided by the fact that there’s not much happening (or even open) here at this time of year.
If your idea of the perfect holiday involves modernity and speed, this is probably not the destiantion for you. Iona is fairly isolated, so try not to think of getting here as difficult but more a practice of patience. First, you must reach Mull. The most obvious ferry route is the 50-minute crossing from Oban to Craignure, on the east of the island (ferries connect with buses and trains from Glasgow).
Once on Mull, if you’ve planned well, you can jump on the 96/496 bus to Fionnphort on the southwest of the isle (although not on Sundays or bank holidays) for the 10-minute ferry crossing to Iona. Make sure you check bus times with West Coast Motors (westcoastmotors.co.uk) as they can be sporadic in winter. It is also advisable to ring ahead and book the Iona ferry if you’re travelling out of season (calmac.co.uk/destination/iona).
The modern trappings continue to be stripped. Visitor cars aren’t allowed on Iona without a permit, so if you’ve brought yours to Fionnphort, you’ll have to leave it there. But don’t worry, the isle is easily small enough to walk. If you can remember how to use your legs.
To say it’s quiet in January would be an understatement. Iona has been a place of religious retreat since St Columba arrived in the 6th century and set up his monastery here, playing no small role in bringing Christianity to Scotland and England. So for those with the inclination, it can be a good place to come to be reminded of the real meaning of Christmas too.
While St Columba’s abbey is still the nucleus of the island, you don’t have to be religious to be charmed by Iona – it’s a pretty isle, where white sandy beaches reach down to chilly turquoise waters, sheep mingle amid old ruins, butterscotch cows graze nonchalantly, and, if you hadn’t realised already, absolutely nothing happens quickly.
In the 1930s a Presbyterian minister called George MacLeod brought unemployed labourers from the Govan area of Glasgow to help restore and rebuild the decaying monastery buildings, creating the Iona Community in the process. Ever since, Iona has been a place underpinned by social justice and inclusiveness and its 120 or so permanent residents exhibit a warmth rarely seen.
If you visit in spring and summer – when many people inexplicably dash over to Iona for the day before heading off again, often to see the breeding puffins on the nearby isle of Staffa – the Iona Community Hall near the abbey is at the heart of the action. Freshly made bread and other baked goods tempt you in and staff will happily chat to you about their work. They can also arrange religious retreats, if you are so inclined, while the nearby Argyll Hotel hosts non-religious writing stays.
In the depths of winter, however, like most of the island's other small businesses, both the community hall and the Argyll Hotel are closed, and while amenities are scarce, the sense of solitude can be invigorating. Especially if you've been overwhelmed by family over the last week or so.
One of the few places that remains open is Iona Pods, a site comprising 10 wooden curved insulated huts, each equipped with a bed (at least one), an electric hob and a microwave. Although you will have to venture outside to get to the pristine toilets and shower block (ionapods.com; from ￡65 per adult per night).
From the comfort of your timber bolthole, you can venture across grazing land to the flour-white sands of the White Strand of the Monks at the north of the isle – a beach you’re almost guaranteed to have to yourself. It’s a beautiful spot where soft dunes slide down to the sea. The tides here are fast so going for a cold-water swim isn’t particularly advisable.
Take your time to amble back to the abbey and pay homage to St Columba’s shrine, or stroll amid the churchyard of neighbouring St Oran’s Chapel where there are some pretty big hitters laid to rest. The body of Macbeth, the 11th-century Scottish king immortalised by Shakespeare, is believed to lie here, as well as Kenneth MacAlpin, first King of Scots.
Finally, trek up to the top of Dun I (Iona’s highest point), a craggy hill behind the campsite, for beautiful views of the abbey and the Sound of Mull.
If you are visiting from December to February, you should stock up on food and other necessities either before you leave Mull or at the reasonably stocked Spar near the small harbour. Iona’s solitary pub, Martyr’s Bay, closes over winter, as do both hotel restaurants.
So why go? Iona is the perfect detox from modern life, where the rain, the tide and the wind can soothe and heal, offering a much-needed bit of ‘me time’ after Christmas. Doing anything more than embrace the solitude and the rugged natural landscapes would be to somewhat miss the point of this most peaceful of places.
