Where it started

I am staying on the island of Iona tonight at the end of a wonderful Pentecost celebrating the 1450th anniversary of the landing of St Columba and the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Iona Community.

There was an uplifting service in the abbey at lunchtime and then I opened the new Historic Scotland museum which includes the restoration of St Oran's Cross, the first Celtic Cross . It is on the left in this picture and on the right is the reconstruction of the St John's Cross - the first circular Celtic cross. Both date from around the year 800.

Iona is a magical place. Walking back from dinner a few moments ago the cuckoo was calling in the woodland above the village and there were corncrakes rasping in the uncut meadows. I never cease to marvel at how lucky I am to represent places such as this.

(ADDED LATER ; a number of people who were at the Columba 1450 event have asked for the text of what I said in the Cathedral during the service. My bullet point notes are available here but it will also go up on the Historic Scotland website at some stage I understand.