Why You Need to Visit the Amazing Isle of Iona Scotland
The Isle of Iona is a small island off the coast of western Scotland.
Despite its diminutive size — it’s 1 ½ miles wide by 3 miles long — it has a lot to see, do and experience.
And it’s very important to Christianity in Scotland.
So let’s start with placing Iona on the map.
Where EXACTLY is the Isle of Iona?
As you can see from the map below, Iona is a wee island off the southwest coast of the Isle of Mull.
And the Isle of Mull is off the west coast of Scotland, just a bit northwest of Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city.
The only way to get to Iona is to first get to Mull.
See below for all the logistics of getting to and around Iona.
So…What makes Iona worthy of my time?
Iona Abbey
This is one of the biggest reasons to visit the Isle of Iona — to see the abbey that St Columba started in 563.
While there is little in the way of actual buildings remaining of St Columba’s abbey, the importance of the place is very much intact.
It’s thought the all important Book of Kells — now found at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland — were produced here.
The abbey was raided for the first time in 795 by the Vikings who then raided the special place again a few times in the early 800’s.
In 825 it was burned and the monks relocated.
It was in 1200 that the Benedictine monks came here and new structures were built.
The MacDonalds who were the lords of the isles expanded the abbey church in the 1400’s.
However, when the Reformation came to Scotland in the 1500’s, the abbey was no longer important.
So the monks left and Iona Abbey was abandoned.
Thankfully at the turn of the centuries (19th going into the 20th) some folks came along that recognized the importance of this religious settlement and began the arduous task of restoring it.
It was in 2000 that the trust that had restored it handed it over to Historic Environment Scotland.
It was again renovated and reopened in 2021.
My thoughts on Iona Abbey
I’m not a religious person, as I think I’ve noted before, but I love visiting religious sites.
And I definitely enjoyed the visit to Iona Abbey.
You’ll get an audio guide with your entrance fee.
Please use the guide as it’s excellent.
You’ll learn so much about the abbey, its significance and its history.
And you’ll learn what life was like during the times that monks and nuns lived here.
It’s a beautiful, peaceful place that is still a spiritual home to the Iona Community, an ecumenical Christian religious order, whose headquarters are in Glasgow.
Iona Nunnery
If you’re just coming off the ferry, you’ll walk by the ruins of the Augustinian nunnery which was founded at the same time as the Benedictine abbey.
These ruins are a part of the greater Iona Abbey although the ruins are free to wander about.
And they are quite well preserved.
So do take some time to read the placards that are about and explore the ruins.
More to the Isle of Iona than the spiritual aspects
While the spiritual and historical facets are the main reasons travelers come to Iona, there is also the natural beauty of this wee island.
The coastline is really gorgeous with some beautiful beaches to enjoy.
There are places to play in the sea or simply sit on the sand and relax.
On the north end of the Isle of Iona you’ll find a couple of beaches.
Walking north past the abbey on the road for just a bit under a mile you’ll come to a gate.Just walk through the gate and go left or right and you’ll find yourself on a stunning beach.
On clear days you get views to Mull, Staffa and the Treshnish Isles.
Port Bán and Bay at the Back of the Ocean are 2 beaches to the west.
I didn’t visit these, but they look lovely, especially Port Bán.
I also didn’t explore the southern end of the island which is where you’ll find St Columba’s bay with its rocky beach.
This end of the Isle of Iona is less visited so would be a good spot to go to if you are seeking a quieter place — especially on busy summer days.
There are some nice walks including one that I wish I had done up Dun I (meaning hill of Iona) which is the highest point on Iona.
It’s only 100m above sea level so it’s an easy walk up.
The views are fabulous if the weather is good.
The walks to both St Columba’s Bay and Bay at the Back of the Ocean are 2 other walks you may be interested in.
Obviously, with Iona being so small, none of the walks are particularly long or too taxing.
Logistics for traveling to and around Iona
As mentioned earlier, the only way to get to the Isle of Iona is to first ferry to the Isle of Mull.
The best way to do this is to ferry from Oban on the mainland to Craignure on Mull.
From Craignure it’s 35 miles to Fionnphort where you catch the ferry to Iona.
Now, 35 miles doesn’t sound like much.
But if you listen to the podcast episode on Mull, then you’ll know that the roads are single track and not all of these roads are in the best of shape.
So 35 miles is going to take a good hour to an hour and a half.
Ferries run regularly in season between Mull and Iona.
You can’t take your car to Iona — and you don’t need it — so you’ll park near the ferry port in Fionnphort and catch the ferry.
You can do this trip in a day from Oban but I advise starting early.
And do know that if the weather is bad, the ferries can be canceled.
This is less likely from May to September but it can still happen.
If you do a day trip from Oban, my recommendation is to take a very early ferry from Oban to Mull so you have plenty of time to get to Fionnphort and then over to Iona.
You want to ensure you have enough time on Iona to enjoy your day and to get back to the ferry port at Craignure then over to Oban.
Another option is to do a day trip with a small group tour from Oban so you don’t have to worry about driving.
The way I approached visiting the Isle of Iona was to stay on Mull somewhere and make the day trip.
I drove the 60 miles from Dervaig in the north of Mull to Fionnphort, parked the car and got on the ferry.
Then did it all in reverse after my visit.
But in late July the days were long so I had lots of daylight and had plenty of time on Iona.
The final option is to stay a couple of nights on the Isle of Iona.
For a wee island, there are enough places to stay and the diversity is good — from campsites to b&b’s to a couple of hotels to self catering houses.
Just know that in high season you will want to make reservations well in advance.
And this may be a good choice for you if you want to slow down and enjoy this tranquil island.
I have to admit, I think I might enjoy a couple of days on Iona.
Of course, you’ll also need to eat while on Iona.
There are also a few places to stop for a bite to eat.
St Columba Hotel and Argyll Hotel both have restaurants.
You’ll find a nice cafe, Rookery Cafe, at the Iona Heritage Center.
The St Columba Larder has a cafe as well as some nice local gifts.
And there is a small Spar shop to buy some snacks.
I highly recommend bringing some food with you and having a wee picnic on one of the beaches if your weather is good.
Final thoughts on Iona
I would go back to Iona especially on a day like I was fortunate to have.
It’s a picturesque island with the historic abbey, quaint harbor area where the ferry comes in and some stunning beaches.
In some ways, I think it would be great to stay a couple of nights and really enjoy the tranquility of the island.
I definitely want to walk more of Iona!
The one thing I will say is that if you are planning a trip to Mull, you absolutely want to make it a priority to visit Iona as long as you have decent weather.
It doesn’t have to be blue skies and sunshine — because it is Scotland.
But as long as it’s not lashing rain, then go!
Have you been to the Isle of Iona?
Drop a comment below or email me at Lynne@WanderYourWay.com.
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