STUDENT FEATURE
housekeepers or shop workers. The deal is
you work in the community for 39 hours a
week with 2 days off. They give you food,
which is outstanding, free accommodation
with shared shower and toilet, and pocket
money. You have to stay for at least 8
weeks but can stay for the whole season
if you wish. Want to know more? E-mail
[email protected]
Iona is known as the birthplace of
Christianity but the islanders don’t insist
you are a Christian to be there as a
volunteer.
“The island gives you a
chance to think, a chance for
clarity and a chance just to
be you.”
The island is small but consists of some
of the most beautiful beaches I have ever
seen. I even tried some wild swimming
while there. That fairly wakes one up!
You can go with a local fisherman on a
boat trip to the island of Staffa to see the
puffins. This I recommend. What a great
day I had on the boat. Walking on the
island is breath-taking and keeps you fit
as the island is quite hilly in places (I lost
4lbs while there!). There are wee small
craft shops and there is a pub (woo hoo)
and on your days off you can always go to
Mull which is slightly bigger or travel on to
Oban.
THE STUDENT VOICE: SPRING 2016
“Iona accepts
applications
from people
over the age
of 18 years to
come and work
on the Island.”
The benefits of being on this island are
immense. You become part of a long
established welcoming community who
take each day as it comes. They don’t
worry about tomorrow but live in the day.
This article has been brief and there is
so much more to tell but if you do want
peace, time to think and restoration, I
would definitely recommend a summer
spent on this island.
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