Out of the world ...

A long - looked - for visit to Inchcolm today saw us spending the whole of our two hours ashore in the ruins of the Abbey that dominates the island. So close to Edinburgh that we could make out Arthur’s Seat, the Castle, Newhaven, and yet utterly removed from everything we know, this is a place where I could imagine the contemplative life with its counterpoint of plainsong and the cries of hundreds of seagulls.

On our boat trip here we passed under all three of the Forth bridges and saw seals sunning themselves on islands and on navigation buoys; there weee several boatloads of tourists and children excited by the ruins they clambered on. And yet it is the ancient life of prayer and fearfulness that I will remember - and the prayer to Columba that he would protect the monks from the English who harassed them.

Hmmm...