How Not to Spend a Day on Iona—Scotland's Holy Island
Tiny Iona is the perfect place to search for serenity — just remember to pack your waterproofs
I board the early morning ferry from Mull to Iona with three young monks—among the first to have returned to Iona since the Abbey was restored. After the 5 minute crossing of the Sound of Iona, the ferry delivers us into the calming embrace of the island where Christianity first took root in Scotland, founded by St Columba in 563 AD.
Legend still clings to these Hebridean waters. St Columba was said to have a voice so powerful he could stand at the edge of his monastery and call across the Sound to the ferryman at Fionnphort. As the monks beside me fall into quiet conversation, it’s easy to imagine that booming summons echoing over the tide.
I saunter towards the Abbey in early-season sunshine, through the village of Baile Mor, the only settlement of any note on the island. The narrow road is framed by a row of terraced houses with neat gardens that lead down to the shore. Taking tea in the garden of the Argyll Hotel,I watch a man on the jetty manoeuvring an elderly woman into a motorised dinghy. As they take off across the Sound of Iona, I entertain dreams of island life.
Founded by Saint Columba in 563AD, Iona Abbey is one of the most sacred places in Scotland.
Today, 1462 years later, wandering in the hallowed atmosphere of the cloisters, it’s easy to enter the territory of the ineffable: the stuff we can't express because we can’t find the words.
There is a name for spaces such as this: ‘thin places’, a Celtic Christian term for those rare places where the ‘distance between heaven and Earth collapses’.
The people you meet at places like this are not seeking such grand experiences, but are often in their own way ‘thin’ too: their barriers are down and they are open to new experiences.
I set off on a quest to find the Hermit’s Cell, rumoured to be the place where St Columba came for solitary reflection.
The site lies somewhere near Dùn I, the highest point on Iona, though no marked routes lead you there. After two hours peering into any crevice that remotely resembles a cave, I pause on the pathless, boggy moor and realise I’m lost. Heading back through a waterlogged field, an affable farmer steers me towards the road, reassuring me that “tourists are forever getting lost here”.
I stop for a bowl of Cullen Skink—smoked haddock, leek and potato soup—at the St Columba, a hotel with its own vegetable garden and panoramic views over the island. Sara, the waitress, glances at my soaked boots and tells me I probably walked straight past the Hermit’s Cell without realising; it’s a circle of ruined stones, not the cave I’d conjured up in my imagination.
I wander back to the jetty through the ruins of the Benedictine nunnery, the ancient stones catching the soft afternoon light, before taking the ferry back to Mull.
Like most visitors, I’m drawn to Iona by a mixture of history, myth and geography. It seems fitting that not everything on Iona is easy to find.
Guide to Iona
Getting to the Isle of Iona
Take the ferry crossing (10 minutes) from Fionnphort on the Isle of Mull.
The ferry is for foot passengers only. Visitors cars are not allowed on the island to preserve Iona’s tranquil atmosphere.
You can book your crossing at CalMac Ferries, although the ferries run very frequently. I just turned up and bought my ticket at the Jetty.
West Coast Motors also run bus services from Craignure to Fionnphort.
There is a pay car park, café, and grocery store at Fionnphort.
Getting around Iona
Walking is the best way to explore the island, bicycles are also available for hire.
What to see
Iona Abbey. Founded in AD563 by Irish monk Saint Columba, and was the burial ground of Scottish kings for hundreds of years. Iona Abbey became one of the most influential centres of early Christian worship and learning in Europe. The restored abbey church still stands as the spiritual heart of the island.
Iona Nunnery. A rare example of a medieval nunnery in Scotland, established around 1200. Its ivy-clad ruins of pink granite walls offer a quiet, evocative glimpse of monastic life.
Reilig Odhrain. A small Chapel with wonderful acoustics and a peaceful atmosphere with just candle light inside. Reilig Odhrain was burial place of early Scottish kings, and is sited on the Medieval street of the Dead.
St Oran’s Chapel. Dating from the 12th century, this is the oldest surviving building on Iona. It sits beside Reilig Odhráin, the island’s ancient burial ground of kings and clan chiefs.
Sìthean Mòr. An atmospheric grassy knoll long associated with pagan and Christian rituals.
Dùn I. The highest point on Iona, rising 101 metres above sea level. From its summit, pilgrims and visitors alike are rewarded with sweeping views over Mull, the Treshnish Isles, and on clear days, all the way to Skye.
The Well of Eternal Youth. A natural pool in the cleft of rocks just below the Cairn on Dùn I Dun. Celtic Myth says that St Brigid of Ireland blessed the pool in 6th Century while visiting Iona on the Summer Solstice. The blessing was to bring healing and renewal to all that came to seek a new beginning in their lives. Definitely worth a splash.
Hermit’s Cell. A simple stone enclosure southwest of the Dùn I which marks the spot where St Columba is said to have prayed. If you have any luck finding this let me know!
Where to stay
St Columba Hotel — Overlooking the Abbey and the Sound of Iona, this former manse offers sweeping sea views. Its restaurant draws on produce from its organic garden and the island’s larder. Book on Booking.com
Iona Pods — Simple, eco-friendly cabins in a peaceful setting near the Abbey. A budget-friendly base for exploring the island, with easy access to beaches and pilgrim paths. Book on booking.com
Where to eat
Argyll Hotel Restaurant— A welcoming atmosphere and local produce, the Argyll Hotel’s restaurant opens onto a garden with wide views over the Sound of Iona.
St Columba Hotel— A former Victorian manse turned hotel, set in gardens overlooking the Abbey and the sea. Its menus highlight organic, home-grown and locally sourced food.
Ailidh — An artisan takeaway and micro-bakery in the heart of Iona village, Freshly made Neapolitan pizza that you can takeaway and each by the beach.
Retreats
The Iona Community Retreats. Run by the ecumenicalIona Community, these residential weeks take place at Iona Abbey (and formerly at the MacLeod Centre). Guests participate in daily worship, shared meals, and reflections on faith, justice, and creation, often including island pilgrimages and time for contemplation.
Spirit of Iona. A week-long group retreat run by the Findhorn Foundation hosted at the remote Traigh Bhan house, combining daily meditation, nature-based spiritual practices, group sharing, and ceremonial activities rooted in mindfulness and community living.
Argyll Hotel. Hosts writing and art retreats in a wonderful location looking over the Sound of Iona.
Books
The Book of Iona by Robert Crawford — This is a wonderful book that contains the writings of novelists, poets, and saints on Iona. From medieval monks to Seamus Heaney and Robert Louis Stevenson.
The Story of Iona: An illustrated history and guide Paperback by Dr Rosemary Power — Historian and Iona Community member Rosemary Power tells the story of the small Hebridean island of Iona and its remarkable spiritual influence over fifteen centuries.
Resources
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