Hello everyone, Thank you all for your messages on the message board-its really good to hear from you all and to catch up on your news :-) Good to hear the services that the A team did went well Margaret, Gay and Alison. I was thinking of you all at church as I sat in the Iona Abbey last night for their evening service. It is truely an amazing place with a real sense of community. It was a commitment service last night and we lit tea light candles and placed them around the cross which looked beautiful. We also sang "Christ Be Our Light" -the one we learnt at choir not that long ago. Please let Jean know-it was really special to sing it there thinking of you all back in Alexandra :-) So yes I made it over to Iona-only for one night but that was definetly better than not going at all. It took over 6 hours to get there from Edinbugh (bus, ferry, bus, ferry!) but it was certainly worth it. It was cloudy and trying to rain yesterday so I just got myself settled in the hostel and ended up playing board games with a boy called Anan for the afternoon/early evening which was fun. Then I went to the evening service at the abbey which as I've already described, was beautiful. Today I woke up to find the sun shining which was lovely. I went for a walk back into the village and spent a couple of hours wandering around the abbey, the museum and the nunnary. Heaps of history and amazing stone carving. I then browsed the Iona Community shop and they have benefited from my spending spree! There were some great books and CDs...It was only the knowledge that I knew I had to carry all that I bought and that I don't have an endless supply of money that stopped me from getting more!! I spent some time on the beach near the ferry pier in the sun before boarding the ferry for my journey back to Mull and then back to Oban. The ferry journey from Mull to Oban was really beautiful-calm and beautiful views as the sun started to set. All 6 ferry crossings I've had so far on my trip have been good-only one was a little bit rough (coming back from Orkeny to the mainland of Scotland). I said I'd describe some of my highlands trip-I'm running out of time here but I'll just put down some of the highlands: * Standing at the William Wallace Statue in Stirling, in Glencoe and at the sight of the Battle of Culloden listening to our guide, Jack telling us about the history of these places. * Going out in a fishing boat with a local fisherman near Skye-he caught Queen scallops and we ate them as fresh as they'll get! * Coming into MacKay country near the top of Scotland and feeling like I was back in the South Island-landscape was fantastic. Realising that this was where some of my family roots are from. * Running my hands over the standing stones "The Ring of Brodgar" in the Orkney Islands and letting the fact that these are over 5000 years old sink in. * Staying in a castle on our final night in Sutherland-ot was truely an amazing place (and it had a ghost!) That's it for now. Will write again soon. Love, Sonia