Tour Iona Abbey

lona’s prestige began in AD 563 when the Celtic bishop
Columba and his 12 companions sailed from Ireland to
found a monastery here and used it as a base from
which to convert the Picts to Christianity. The
monastery was attacked and burned six times by
Vikings and was eventually abandoned in favour of
Kells in Ireland.

lona was re-occupied in 1203 as a Benedictine
monastery, but it fell into ruin during the Reformation when symbols of the Roman Catholic faith came under attack.

The oldest surviving building is St Oran’s chapel
(c. 1080), and the ornately carved St Martin’s Cross
(10th century) stands outside the cathedral.

Today lona is a sacred place visited by over 200,000
pilgrims per year. The lona Community, founded by
George MacLeod, now Lord MacLeod of Fuinary in
1938, has played a prominent part in the restoration of
the abbey. Facilities include a book and gift shop, and a
coffee-house. The island is reached by ferry from Fionnphort or by steamer from Oban.

Argyll Hotel, Isle of Iona, PA76 6SJ, Scotland. Find the best deal, compare prices and read what other travelers have to say at TripAdvisor.

St. Columba Hotel, Isle of Iona, Scotland. Find the best deal, compare prices and read what other travelers have to say at TripAdvisor.

If you would like to visit this area as part of a highly personalized small group tour of my native Scotland please e-mail me:

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