What to do on a day in Iona

3pm – After a history fix I’d turn my attention to hiking and head to the south of the island. I’d stop and listen for the distinctive call of corncrakes coming from the fields. Crossing Iona’s 9-hole golf course I’d sit by the shore and watch jets of seawater shoot into the air from a collapsed sea cave known as ‘Spouting Cave’. My hike would end at the rocky St Columba’s Bay, where the saint is believed to have landed on the island in AD563.

6pm – Fresh sea air and hiking would have given me a healthy appetite, so it’d be time to enjoy more delicious island food.

9.30pm – I’d end my day with a hike up Dun I, Iona’s highest point. At a modest 101 metres, the hill is a straightforward and short climb. The 360-degree view from the summit is incredible and my favourite viewpoint in all of Scotland. If the sky began to take on a subtle, pink hue I’d sit tight and wait for the perfect end to the longest day: a Hebridean sunset.

I think ‘Love on the Longest Day’ is a brilliant idea as Scotland enjoys such long, light days in summer. Unless you live here, I don’t think people really appreciate just how much you can fit into a day.

I also love the #ForTheLoveofScotland campaign, as for me it’s highlighted so many shared loves, but also shown that people love so many different things about Scotland. It shows that Scotland has something for everyone.

My name’s Samantha and I’m a Scottish travel writer and digital content creator. My blog ‘Scotland with The Wee White Dug’ and associated social media feeds are dedicated to showcasing Scotland – the incredible, small country I call home.

I spend all of my free time travelling around Scotland and never tire of its diverse beauty. From rugged mountains, to towering sea stacks, heather-covered moors and unspoiled beaches – I’m in awe. After family and The Wee White Dug, history and hiking are my main passions in life. Give me a stone circle on rugged moorland and I’m in seventh heaven!