Iona Abbey

On Iona, Saint Columba founded a monastery in 563 with twelve companions, which became an influential centre of Christianisation among the Picts and Scots. Today’s abbey goes back to Benedictines who were settled here around 1200 (1203 according to Wikipedia, at the invitation of the Lord of the Isles); the church was extended in the 15th century. In 1899 the Duke of Argyll handed the ruins over to the Iona Cathedral Trust; from 1938 the Iona Community, founded by George MacLeod, rebuilt the monastic buildings. The museum displays high crosses, and tradition holds that 48 early Scottish kings lie in the graveyard, a claim modern scholars doubt.

Fionnphort on Mull is the ferry port; the passenger ferry takes about 10 minutes, and only residents may bring cars across. The abbey is about 800 m from the jetty, roughly a 15-minute walk. The island is 5.6 km long and 2.4 km wide at its widest. To avoid the day-tripper crowds, it is best to visit early in the morning or in the evening.