In the time of Saint Ninian, people travelled by sea, if at all possible. Roads were few and rough, and there was the frequent incidence of banditry. The sea was not seen as any kind of obstacle, but as a highway.
There is a belief among some that Saint Ninian and Saint Patrick may well have met since they were separated only by a short sea crossing. We may think that in days before modern communications people lived and worked in isolation from one another, but this does not seem to be the case. The likes of our two saints would have known about each other and would have been anxious to meet to encourage and be encouraged in the great project of bringing Christ to the people of their times. There was a great sense of fraternity and solidarity among those who were leaders in the Church and all who were members of it, not just because that is how it should be anyway, but also because of the pioneering nature of their work.