Why do people visit iona

Iona is a holy isle and has been described as the birthplace of Christianity in Scotland. St Columba and 12 companions came here from Ireland in AD The monastery they founded was one of the most important and influential in the British Isles. It sent missionaries to northern Britain to convert people to Christianity.

Four tall, intricately carved crosses, dating from the 8th and 9th centuries, once stood close to the abbey. Three can now be seen in the Abbey Museum, while one is still in place. Iona was a leading artistic centre from the 8th century, and sculptors, metalworkers and manuscript illuminators flourished here.

It has been used as a graveyard into recent times. When the graveyard was extended in the s, important evidence was found of timber buildings associated with the Columban monastery. The island of Iona seems remote today. But it was at the centre of the life of the Irish Church, as it was easily accessible by boat from mainland Ireland and Scotland. Iona became an internationally renowned centre of spirituality, learning and art.

Iona is a rich archaeological landscape, and much more of the early monastery may survive beneath the upstanding remains. It was completely empty except from some friendly sheep. We then spent the best part of the morning on this beach just taking pictures and enjoying the view while the sheep eyed us suspiciously. Climbing this small hill gave us another absurdly exciting day for some reason. It also offers a far better and more open view of the surrounding sea and islands than I had expected from such a small hill.

There is apparently a Well of Eternal Youth at the top of this hill but I will need to wait a few years before seeing if it has the desired effect on me. I should point out that when you visit Iona it is in no way boring, despite this lack of big tourist attractions. It has a magical light in the air, shimmering water and a magical atmosphere. I saw that there are a couple of nice restaurants and a shop or two down where the ferry arrives. Because it is a relatively remote island things tend to be quite expensive here.

I mentioned the beach earlier. It is no surprise that the beaches are such a big attraction on a small island like this. This is where the saint is said to have landed when he first came here in the year to spread his religion. Each of these lovely beaches offers a different sensation when you visit Iona. They each have different views and something unique. For instance, the Bay at the Back of the Ocean is the last point in the sea before you reach North America. I felt a wide open feel of limitless possibilities here.

To be honest, I also saw that the world was a big and mysterious place here. I think that the White Strand of the Monks is arguably the prettiest of the beaches. It is difficult to explain how good it feels to here to be here just using words and pictures. You may just have to trust me on this one until you go there yourself. I definitely recommend that you do this. There is also a magnificent spouting cave in the South of the Island that is well worth a visit too.

There may very well be more places to discover but I did my exploring without a map. The few locals I spoke to were keen to show me and the rest of the group where to go to. This is how we found those places mentioned earlier.

Do you often find that the journey to get somewhere new is one of the best parts of the whole trip? In that case, you will love the journey across to beautiful Iona. This island is in the Inner Hebrides chain of islands. You need to get a couple of ferries across here from the mainland. My adventure started in the cool seaside town of Oban. It has an interesting Roman folly and quaint seafront shops to look out for.

From here you need to get a ferry across to Craignure on Mull, which takes a little under an hour and is a lovely trip. After this, you get a bus or hire a car to get across to the tiny village of Fionnphort on the opposite side of Mull.

There is nothing much to see here other than the ferry departure point for your Iona trip. I was delighted to find someone selling old books from their garage here.

Their journey also involves learning - about themselves, about others, or from their experiences. Like a physical journey, the Christian journey can be scary or full of adventure and unknown. Every Tuesday there is a pilgrimage walk around the island that stops at places of historical and religious significance. It is a pilgrimage for all ages, travelling together, sharing food, jokes, stories, songs, prayers and silence - a chance to help each other over stiles, up and down hills, and out of bogs.

Region: England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Pilgrimage: Iona What is so special about Iona?