On a spring day in 563, a leather-hulled boat carrying thirteen monks made landfall on a small island off the western coast of Scotland. Their leader, Columba, was an Irish prince and priest who had left his homeland—perhaps in penance for a battle his actions had caused. From this rocky, windswept isle, he would launch a mission that transformed Scotland, northern England, and beyond. Iona became the mother house of Celtic Christianity, the burial place of Scottish kings, and one of the most sacred sites in the Christian world.
The monastery Columba founded flourished for centuries, sending missionaries throughout Britain and Europe. Viking raids beginning in 795 eventually drove the community to Ireland, but the sacred character of the island endured. Medieval pilgrims braved the dangerous crossing to pray where Columba had walked. Today's pilgrims follow the same sea routes, arriving at an island that remains, despite tourism, a place apart—where the thin veil between earth and heaven seems almost transparent.
Iona's Christianity predates the Roman mission to England by decades. Here, the faith took forms shaped by Irish monasticism: an emphasis on scholarship, art, and penitential pilgrimage; a church organized around monasteries rather than dioceses; a spirituality attuned to the wild beauty of creation. The Book of Kells, supreme achievement of Insular art, was likely begun here before the Viking terror forced its removal to Ireland.
📜 History & Spiritual Significance
Columba (Colum Cille, "dove of the church") was born around 521 into the Irish royal dynasty of the Uí Néill. He founded several monasteries in Ireland before departing for Scotland in 563. The traditional account holds that he left as penance for his role in the Battle of Cooldrevny (561), which his curse allegedly helped win at the cost of thousands of lives. He vowed to convert as many souls as had died in the battle.
Iona was granted to Columba by the king of Dál Riata, the Gaelic kingdom spanning western Scotland and northeastern Ireland. The island lay at the kingdom's heart, accessible by sea from both Irish and Scottish territories. Here Columba established a monastery that became the ecclesiastical center of Dál Riata and the launching point for missions to the Picts.
Columba died on Iona on June 9, 597—the same year Augustine landed in Kent to begin the Roman mission to England. For the next two centuries, Celtic and Roman Christianity coexisted in Britain, sometimes in tension (as at the Synod of Whitby in 664) but ultimately merging into a unified English church.
The monastery produced masterpieces of Christian art. The Book of Kells, possibly the greatest surviving medieval manuscript, was almost certainly begun on Iona around 800 before being completed in Ireland after the Viking raids. High crosses, metalwork, and illuminated manuscripts spread from Iona throughout the Celtic world.
Viking raids devastated the monastery repeatedly—in 795, 802, 806 (when 68 monks were martyred at Martyrs' Bay), and later. The community eventually relocated to Kells in Ireland, though a reduced presence remained on Iona. The medieval period saw rebuilding: a Benedictine abbey and an Augustinian nunnery rose on the site of Columba's monastery.
The Reformation ended monastic life; the buildings fell into ruin. But the island retained its sacred character. In 1938, the Rev. George MacLeod founded the Iona Community, an ecumenical Christian community that restored the abbey and continues to welcome pilgrims today. Though the restored abbey is Protestant, Catholics and Christians of all traditions pray together on this ancient holy ground.
☩ Pilgrimage Sites in Iona
Iona Abbey
Church of Scotland, maintained by Historic Environment Scotland
The restored medieval abbey stands on or near the site of Columba's original monastery. The present church dates primarily from the thirteenth century, though it incorporates earlier fabric and was extensively restored in the twentieth century.
The abbey church serves as a place of worship for the Iona Community, with daily services open to all. The cloister, restored with modern simplicity, provides contemplative space. The abbey museum houses important carved stones, including medieval grave slabs and fragments of high crosses.
Though not a Catholic church, the abbey welcomes pilgrims of all traditions to pray where Columba and his monks prayed fourteen centuries ago.
St. Oran's Chapel and Reilig Odhráin
The small Romanesque chapel, dating from the twelfth century, is the oldest intact building on Iona. It stands within Reilig Odhráin (Oran's Cemetery), traditionally the burial place of Scottish, Irish, Norwegian, and French kings—including, according to tradition, Macbeth and Duncan (of Shakespearean fame).
St. Oran, according to legend, was Columba's companion who volunteered to be buried alive to consecrate the ground for the monastery. The cemetery remained the royal burial ground of Scotland until the eleventh century.
St. Columba's Bay
The traditional landing place of Columba in 563 lies at the southern tip of the island. Pilgrims walk here to stand where the saint first set foot on Scottish soil. The beach is famous for its green pebbles—"Columba's tears" or "St. Columba's stones"—which pilgrims traditionally collect.
The bay offers a place for reflection on Columba's journey into exile and his transformation of loss into mission.
St. Martin's Cross
This magnificent high cross, standing near the abbey entrance, dates from the eighth century and is one of the finest surviving examples of Insular art. The intricate carvings depict biblical scenes and Celtic interlace patterns. The cross has stood on this spot for over 1,200 years, witnessing the faith of countless pilgrims.
Nearby St. John's Cross (a replica; the original fragments are in the museum) and other cross bases hint at the forest of crosses that once marked this sacred landscape.
Martyrs' Bay
The bay where, in 806, Vikings killed 68 monks of the community. The massacre led to the monastery's gradual transfer to Kells in Ireland. The site memorializes the monks who died for their faith and their refusal to abandon their sacred place.
Iona Nunnery Ruins
The ruins of a thirteenth-century Augustinian nunnery, founded around 1200, lie south of the abbey. The church and cloister remains preserve fine medieval stonework. The nunnery represents the medieval renewal of religious life on Iona.
🕯️ Annual Feast Days & Celebrations
Feast of St. Columba — June 9
The principal feast of Iona's founder, celebrated with special services at the abbey. The date marks the anniversary of Columba's death in 597.
Iona Community Week Programs
Throughout the summer, the Iona Community offers week-long programs of worship, reflection, and community life. While ecumenical rather than Catholic, these programs offer deep engagement with the island's spirituality.
Pilgrimage Weeks
Organized pilgrimage groups from various traditions visit Iona throughout the summer season.
🛏️ Where to Stay
Iona Abbey (Iona Community) (pilgrim accommodation) — The Iona Community offers residential programs in the restored abbey buildings. Shared accommodation and communal meals. Website
St. Columba Hotel ⭐⭐⭐ — The island's hotel, offering comfortable accommodation with views of the Sound of Iona. Restaurant serves local produce. Website
Argyll Hotel — Small hotel in the village with restaurant. Website
Various B&Bs on Iona — Several guesthouses offer accommodation; book well in advance for summer.
Mull accommodation — The larger neighboring island of Mull offers additional options, particularly in Fionnphort (ferry port for Iona) and Tobermory.
🚗 Getting There
By Sea: Iona is accessible only by ferry from Fionnphort on the Isle of Mull. CalMac ferries run frequently (approximately every 30-45 minutes) with a crossing time of 10 minutes. No vehicles are permitted on Iona (except for residents and service vehicles).
To Fionnphort (Mull): From Oban on the Scottish mainland, take the CalMac ferry to Craignure, Mull (45 minutes), then drive or take the bus across Mull to Fionnphort (approximately 1 hour, 35 miles of single-track road).
By Air: The nearest airport is Glasgow (GLA), approximately 4 hours from Iona via road and ferry.
By Train: Oban is served by trains from Glasgow Queen Street (approximately 3 hours). From Oban, continue by ferry and bus as above.
Practical notes: Plan for a full day's travel from Glasgow or Edinburgh. Day trips to Iona are possible but rushed; staying overnight allows deeper engagement with the island's atmosphere. Check ferry schedules in advance, especially in winter when services are reduced.
📚 Further Reading
Books:
Adomnán of Iona, Life of St. Columba — The earliest biography, written by Columba's successor around 700.
Ian Bradley, Columba: Pilgrim and Penitent — Accessible modern biography.
Peter Yeoman, Pilgrimage in Medieval Scotland — Context for Iona's place in Scottish pilgrimage tradition.
🔗 Useful Links
Iona Community — Information on programs and pilgrim accommodation.
Historic Environment Scotland: Iona — Abbey visiting information.
CalMac Ferries — Ferry schedules and booking.
🥾 Pilgrim Routes
St. Columba's Way — A 78-km/48-mile pilgrimage route from Oban to Iona, following the traditional pilgrim path through Mull. Typically walked over 3-4 days.
Iona Pilgrimage Walk — A guided walk around the island's sacred sites, offered by the Iona Community.
🧭 Nearby Pilgrimage Destinations
Glasgow (200 km) — St. Mungo's Cathedral and tomb.
Whithorn (280 km via mainland) — Scotland's earliest Christian site, where St. Ninian established his church before Columba was born.
Lindisfarne (300 km) — Holy Island, founded by St. Aidan from Iona in 635.
🪶 Closing Reflection
"That man is little to be envied whose piety would not grow warmer among the ruins of Iona." — Samuel Johnson, A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland (1775)
