It's hard to believe that we left Edinburgh just a week ago to visit throughout the Presbytery of  Ardrossan.  Now one week later I'm preparing to leave to head up to Skye. As I look out the hotel window I see my collar reflected in the window looking out across to Arran. It's all in the life of a Moderator. You have to make sure your collar is ready to travel.

Earlier this week, on Tuesday we had a most interesting visit to the Isle of Cumbrae.   We were welcomed by a party of enthusiastic islanders. After some brief introductions who found ourselves  on the Royal  British Legion's minibus, this would be our taxi for he remainder of the day and Iain McGill a retired Det Superintendent would be our driver. 

The last time I was on Cumbrae must have been years ago, when we had bikes riding round the island. The picture below gives you an idea of the beauty of the area looking up the Kyles to Rothesay. 

Breath - taking  views  can be seen all around the island. I must say their is something I find rater attractive about islands. However before I could engage with the beauty of the scenery  we were ushered into the local Primary School.

We were given a tremendous welcome by the Acting Head Teacher.  The  children were bright and attentive  and entertained us with their band and also the questions they asked me as Moderator. I was particularly interested to see how the school was seeking to develop a garden in the school using raised flower beds and also frames to grow vegetables.

Cumbrae is an interesting Island just 8 minutes on the ferry from the mainland. The Local parish church is preparing itself to be linked with St John's congregation in Largs.

As I spoke with them they were full of expectation that the link would work and that the two vacant charges would soon be ready to call a minister.  As I moved around the Island I became aware of the great potential that the Presbytery of Ardrossan has to promote itself as the Presbytery for retreat and renewal especially for congregations in the central   belt who are  based around the west coast.

My visit to Arran two days later further confirmed this view. If Cumbrae has the Cathedral of the Isles , an interesting place of retreat run by the Scottish Episcopal Church, Arran  has the potential to develop and sustain a retreat centre. It so happens such a centre is in the process of being built, its called the Sannox Christian Centre.  Talking with one of the ministers on the island the Rev Angus Adamson, it was obvious that he has a long and lasting relationship with the leadership of the Sannox Fellowship and it may be that this could be further strengthened by support from the Presbytery.

It was a great experience to visit the various communities in Arran. I especially enjoyed visiting Lochranza and  Pirnmill. This little tin church is owned by the Free Church but is used by the Church of Scotland. It was a real privilege to meet with the Session Clerk and to hear about the importance of this little church to the small group of Christians who worship here every week.

I was also impressed to meet the group of people who worked so hard to restore the old preaching house at Clachan Glen. It was a building that had fallen into disuse and was about to be demolished.

A group of interested people started to fund raise and have now been able to conserve what has been left of this late 18th and early 19th century preaching station.

It was a real joy to preach at Lamlash and meet representatives of the various congregations from around the Island. We came away impressed by the quality of the work being carried out on the island and praying that God will raise up the next minster to come and work alongside the existing ministry team on tis island.