In 2011 the population of Iona was 177. The island is 3 miles from north to south and 1.5 miles from east to west. In 1979 the whole island (apart from the Abbey and other buildings owned by the Iona Cathedral Trust) was purchased by Hugh Fraser from the Duke of Argyll and given to the National Trust for Scotland.
Iona is accessed by a short ferry journey from Fionnphort at the SW corner of Mull. It is a car ferry operated by Caledonian MacBrayne but you need a permit from the council to take a car with you. Most visitors don't venture much further than the village and the abbey, so the rest of the island is very peaceful.
Iona has been inhabited since the Iron Age.
Iona is home to the Iona Community: http://www.iona.org.uk/
They are an ecumenical Christian community founded in 1938 by the Rev George Macleod.
John Smith, the former Labour Party leader, who died suddenly in 1994, is buried on Iona as are up to 48 early Scottish kings including Macbeth.
A visit to Iona Abbey is recommended, as is a climb to the top of Dun I, which is the highest point on the island at 91 metres.
The Abbey was founded by St Columba in 563 AD. It became a place of Christian pilgrimage but was destroyed several times by Vikings and rebuilt. It was dismantled after the Reformation in 1561 but was restored 1902-1910 and the other buildings in the complex were rebuilt by the mid 1960s.
There are a couple of hotels on the island and a hostel. There is also a general store, some gift/craft shops and usually a café (not open in June 2021).
House on Iona
Iona is accessed by a short ferry journey from Fionnphort at the SW corner of Mull. It is a car ferry operated by Caledonian MacBrayne but you need a permit from the council to take a car with you. Most visitors don't venture much further than the village and the abbey, so the rest of the island is very peaceful.
Iona has been inhabited since the Iron Age.
Iona is home to the Iona Community: http://www.iona.org.uk/
They are an ecumenical Christian community founded in 1938 by the Rev George Macleod.
John Smith, the former Labour Party leader, who died suddenly in 1994, is buried on Iona as are up to 48 early Scottish kings including Macbeth.
A visit to Iona Abbey is recommended, as is a climb to the top of Dun I, which is the highest point on the island at 91 metres.
The Abbey was founded by St Columba in 563 AD. It became a place of Christian pilgrimage but was destroyed several times by Vikings and rebuilt. It was dismantled after the Reformation in 1561 but was restored 1902-1910 and the other buildings in the complex were rebuilt by the mid 1960s.
There are a couple of hotels on the island and a hostel. There is also a general store, some gift/craft shops and usually a café (not open in June 2021).
West Coast of Iona
St Martin's Cross, Iona Abbey
This dates from c800AD
St Columba's Bay at the southern end of the island
The south east end of the island also has the remains of a marble quarry, which was worked for its greenish coloured stone for a few years from 1790 and from 1907 until c1918.
Nunnery
The first Prioress of the Augustinian Nunnery was Beathag (Beatrice in English) in 1203 and the last was Anna in 1543. Most of the remains date from the 14th century. The gardens around the ruins are a lovely spot to sit in.
Nunnery
Nunnery
Church of Scotland Church, Iona
St Columba Larder
Expensive food, drink and gift shop run by the St Columba Hotel.
Iona Abbey
Oran's Chapel
Beach on the west coast
Beach on the west coast
St Ronan's Bay
Argyll Hotel
The new village hall
MacLean's Cross
Village
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