St Columba’s Bay Walk

Turning left at the pier, follow the shore road round to the right up the hill to the gate. Turn left and follow the fence across the small burn and look for the well worn path in the grass where you can see small concrete markers that once market the path of the water pipe from Loch Staonaig that supplied Iona with it’s own distinctive peaty drinking water until 15 years ago. Look out for the parallel humps in the grass, evidence of arable farming in the past when seaweed was piled up to increase fertility of the sandy soil to grow potatoes. Keeping to the fence line the route reaches the sand dunes and beyond a stony track. This is a tricky upward slope and finishes at the Loch. Continue onwards around around the Loch on what can be wet and boggy land and onwards to your first views of St Columbas bay. Continue to follow the well trodden path down to the shore.