Looking from Fionnphort across the Sound of Iona to Iona with Dun I in the background. Photo / Neil McNab
The small sacred island of Iona and the neighbouring Ross of Mull on the southwest corner of the larger island of Mull on Scotland’s west coast have always been special places for me, and it was wonderful to return last week.
I first visited Iona in 1955 as a young boy for a fortnight’s holiday and, for the next 10 years, the family returned every summer to the island where in AD 563 St Columba founded a monastery, establishing Christianity in Scotland.
Much has changed over the years.
In 1955, there was no electricity and most goods to the small island came by cargo boat. In summer, visitors either came by the turbine excursion steamer King George V or by ferry, one hour from Oban to Mull followed by 90 minutes across Mull on rough single-track roads by bus, ending with the final 10-minute crossing across the Sound of Iona by open boat.
Today, there is no direct steamer but hundreds either drive across Mull, having arrived by frequent car ferry or by the regular bus, to cross the Sound of Iona on the purpose-built ferry Loch Buie. Although hundreds make their way to the abbey, there is still a special peace and tranquillity evident from the moment you step from the landing jetty on to Iona.
My parents finally bought a small cottage in Bunessan, only five miles from Fionnphort on the Ross of Mull from where the ferry crosses to Iona. I worked at Bunessan before coming to New Zealand in late 1972 and that cottage became our first married home, albeit for a month before the voyage to New Zealand and our life in Whanganui.
The freedom to walk barefoot to beaches, sun and playing on white sandy beaches and swimming in the far-from-warm turquoise sea remain wonderful childhood memories.
Iona and Mull also have athletics memories.
My interest in the sport developed through my teenage years and on to my time at Loughborough University.
I had started my athletics at the age of 14 at school and, about a year after that, I entered a community race on our Iona holiday. The race traversed the one-and-a-half-mile-wide island by road and returned across the moor and over the main hill, Dun I. There was no great depth to the field that day. There was, however, some doubt, even a suggestion of cheating, following my wide winning margin. Witnesses confirmed my effort was valid and, as a shy teenager, the small prize was awarded at the village dance that evening.
In my final year at school, I brought a couple of school friends from our athletics team to enjoy an island holiday with a bit of running. If truth be known, we did not do a lot of running as we enjoyed lazy days on the many pristine beaches and the social life of ceilidhs and dances.
A couple of years later, I returned with Loughborough running teammates for more serious pre-season training during the Easter vacation. Beaches became the venue for sand sprints and the small sand dunes at Sandeels Bay became our version of Percy Cerutty’s famed sessions at Portsea with Herb Elliot.
Dun I is hardly a mountain at only 101 metres in height. A relatively easy climb is rewarded with a wonderful view across Iona (three miles long and one and a half miles wide) and across the Sound of Iona to Mull. On a clear day, the Paps of Jura, Islay and Colonsay to the south and Staffa, the Treshnish Isles, Rhum and Skye to the north can be seen 70 miles away.
The climb may be relatively easy for one descent, but six repetitions of the hill is something else as we discovered in what was the hardest session of the week. Following such rigorous workouts, we returned home expecting amazing summer results. We were disappointed and learned through this, and backed up by our course work, that there was more to training than just hard work. Recovery and a training plan were also necessary.
We returned a year later, a little wiser, and trained with more balance. The quiet roads allowed us to do some longer runs which we were able to combine with some of the activities of the previous year – we decided to omit the Dun I session that year. A valuable lesson had been learned and we all enjoyed greater summer success.
Next week I will focus on New Zealand athletic news from home and Europe and reflect on the exciting news that the Pak’nSave Cooks International Classic has been elevated to a full Bronze Meet. The bronze designation acknowledges the commitment of creating a premier event for the region and the country and is an honour for Whanganui.