The best day out from Oban is the three-island tour
and we've caught the early ferry on our way
to Mull, Iona, and Staffa.
Right away, we're immersed in grand island views.
Be on deck to make the most of the experience.
After an hour, you approach the isle of Mull.
Everything is coordinated and a bus is standing by,
ready to take us across the island.
Enjoying the drive, you're struck
by the pristine scenery, the sparse population,
and how Mull feels hardly touched by civilization.
On the far west of Mull,
another ferry makes the short crossing to the isle of Iona.
Iona is tiny, but with a big history.
It's just one village, 3 miles long,
150 people, almost no cars.
[ Baaing ]
It's famous as the birthplace of Christianity in Scotland.
♪♪
The year was 563.
A nobleman, who became Saint Columba,
fought a battle over in Ireland.
He won, but was so sickened by the bloodshed
that he left his homeland, vowing never to return.
According to legend, this was the first piece of land
he came to out of sight from Ireland.
He stopped here and built a church,
which eventually became this abbey.
Iona became a center of Celtic Christianity.
[ Tender tune plays ] From here, Saint Columba's monks
spread the gospel throughout Scotland.
This remote, little island was a center of art and learning
back when most of Europe was almost illiterate,
mired in relative darkness.
The exquisitely illustrated Book of Kells --
this is a copy on display in Dublin --
is perhaps the finest piece of art
from Europe's early Middle Ages.
Monks wrote it here, on Iona, in the 8th century.
Over the next centuries,
Columba's monastic community grew
in religious importance.
The abbey became the burial place for chiefs and kings.
According to legend, dozens of ancient kings,
Scottish, Irish, and even Scandinavian, rest here.
[ Outro plays ] [ Gulls squawking ]
After many generations, in about the year 800,
Viking raiders were terrorizing coastal communities
all across western Europe, including Iona.
After one terrible massacre,
68 monks were killed right here on this beach.
The survivors packed up their treasures,
including the precious Book of Kells,
and returned to Ireland.
Today, a thoughtful calm
pervades Scotland's holiest of islands.
After centuries of pillaging,
little remains of the original abbey,
but if you're interested in tranquility
and a bit of meditative peace,
Iona is a fine place for a break from your busy itinerary.
♪♪
Next, a fastboat takes us to our third island of the day,
Staffa -- famous for its bird life
and striking volcanic rock formations.
♪♪
Our captain gives us a dramatic sneak preview
of the fabled Fingal's Cave.
He then drops us off for time to explore.
Walking across the uninhabited island,
we head for the hidden nests of a colony of Atlantic puffins.
♪♪
We wait patiently and quietly, observing the hardworking adults
bringing home a fishy breakfast for their chicks.
♪♪
Hiking along the base of the cliffs,
using Staffa's distinctive six-sided basalt columns
as stepping stones, we reach Fingal's Cave.
♪♪
Peering into the geological darkness,
so surrounded by nature, I savor the moment.
Enjoying the interplay of the sea and the rocks,
I think of the generations of romantics
who've stood right here and been inspired.