I have just returned from my Bi-Annual Writers Retreat on beautiful Iona with a wonderful group of writers, all but one of whom have been before. It was the very best weather we have ever had in more than 20 years, with the legendary colour of the sea showing at its absolute best, day after day. Deep green and azure blue, shot through with the most amazing turquoise, set against pure white sand and multi-coloured rock. It could have been the Caribbean! The crystal clear water was tempting for swimming but still rather Arctic. We worked outside on the lawn of the Argyll Hotel on several occasion and in the new Iona village hall up the hill, a stunning building which has only been opened for just over a year, with huge windows overlooking the Sound of Iona and the meadows filled with flowers running down to the sea. Others heard the corncrake, not me, as its mating call may have largely finished for this year. A long drive home began through fields full of deep blue Scottish bluebells on Mull. After the crossing we stayed at the Falls of Lora in Oban to break the journey. That hotel deserves a blog of its own!
