The White Strand of the Monks, Iona
This beautiful beach hides a tragic history - in the tenth century there was a bloodthirsty Norse massacre of some of the Abbey's monks. One photo looks back towards the abbey. I hadn't spent a lot of time on this beach before, but had only seen it from a distance. The small sandy isthmus in the distance is on another tiny islet.
We had the beach almost to ourselves. A noisy oystercatcher was flying around (in the third photo) seeming quite disturbed. Youngest daughter discovered a surprise on the rocks! But we havent been able to discover if this was the reason.
We wandered along, collecting shells and rocks, and soaking in the quiet and peace. I found a large piece of greeny mauve marble that had come from the vein in the south of the island. I brought it home in my coat pocket and hoped I wasnt weighed at the airport!
Enjoy the photos without any text or captions to distract you. I recommend clicking to enlarge.
We had the beach almost to ourselves. A noisy oystercatcher was flying around (in the third photo) seeming quite disturbed. Youngest daughter discovered a surprise on the rocks! But we havent been able to discover if this was the reason.
We wandered along, collecting shells and rocks, and soaking in the quiet and peace. I found a large piece of greeny mauve marble that had come from the vein in the south of the island. I brought it home in my coat pocket and hoped I wasnt weighed at the airport!
Enjoy the photos without any text or captions to distract you. I recommend clicking to enlarge.
posted by Val @ 9:13 pm
6 Comments:
All these photos are good enough to be screensavers or wallpaper, Val!
Can you spot the eggs in the next to last photo?
I did however, enjoy these absolutely spectacular photos! Thank you val for giving us a little glimpse of this paradise!
Ah, walking along the beach now....smelling the ocean, hearing the noisy bird....finding the eggs in the nest!
I couldn't spot them in the second last photo.
No wonder you love this place!
Thanks for the happy birthday wishes and kind words. It was a good day :)
A belated happy 60th birthday to you. Yes, I'm feeling more liberated too :)
The eggs take my breath away in that this little bit of life has to start in such an austere environment.
These are such wonderful photgraphs Val - Iona looks a really magical place - tranquil and timeless and stunningly beautiful.
Val - such beautiful scenes. I could visualise them as paintings which I would never tire of looking at. What a wonderful place to visit and explore.
Your photos make me want to head to the coast again. We haven't been for ages, not since January, and I really love the coast in the winter. We really must go again soon, even if only for a day.
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