Iona
Iona is a small island, 1 mile wide and 3.5 miles long, in the
Inner Hebrides,
Scotland. Its
Gaelic name is
Chaluim Cille , or sometimes just ' or
Idhe. It is approximately one mile from the coast of
Mull. It has a resident
population of 175.
In 563 Saint
Columba, exiled from his native
Ireland, founded a
monastery here with 12 companions. From here they set about the conversion of
pagan Scotland and much of northern
England to
Christianity. Iona's fame as a place of learning and Christian mission spread throughout
Europe and it became a major site of
pilgrimage.
Encyclopedia
Iona is a small island, 1 mile wide and 3.5 miles long, in the
Inner Hebrides,
Scotland. Its
Gaelic name is
Ì Chaluim Cille , or sometimes just
Ì or
Idhe. It is approximately one mile from the coast of
Mull. It has a resident
population of 175.
In 563 Saint
Columba, exiled from his native
Ireland, founded a
monastery here with 12 companions. From here they set about the conversion of
pagan Scotland and much of northern
England to
Christianity. Iona's fame as a place of learning and Christian mission spread throughout
Europe and it became a major site of
pilgrimage. Iona became a holy island where several kings of
Scotland,
Ireland and
Norway came to be buried.
Many believe that the
Book of Kells was produced, in whole or in part, on Iona towards the end of the
8th century. A series of
Viking raids on the monastery on Iona began in 794, and after its treasures had been plundered many times Columba’s relics were removed and divided two ways between Scotland and Ireland in 849 as the monastery was abandoned. A
convent for the Order of Benedictine Nuns was established in 1203, with Beathag, daughter of Somerled, as first prioress. The present Benedictine
abbey was built in the same period. The monastery itself flourished until the
Reformation.
Iona became the burial site for the kings of
Dál Riata and their successors, the early
kings of Scotland. Notable burials there include:
The ancient burial ground, called the Reilig Odhráin, contains the
12th century chapel of St Odhrán , restored at the same time as the Abbey itself. It contains a number of medieval grave monuments. Other early Christian and medieval monuments have been removed for preservation to the cloister arcade of the Abbey, and the Abbey museum . The ancient buildings of Iona Abbey are now cared for by Historic Scotland .
In 1938 George MacLeod founded the
Iona Community,
an ecumenical Christian community of men and women from different walks of life and different traditions in the Christian church committed to seeking new ways of living the
gospel of
Jesus in today's world. This community is a leading force in the present Celtic Christianity revival.
The Iona Community runs 3 residential centres on the Isle of Iona and on
Mull. These are places of welcome and engagement giving a unique opportunity to live together in community with people of every background from all over the world. Weeks at the centres often follow a programme related to the concerns of the Iona Community.
Iona Abbey, now an ecumenical church, is of particular historical and religious interest to pilgrims and visitors alike. It is the most elaborate and best-preserved ecclesiastical building surviving from the Middle Ages in the
Western Isles of
Scotland. In front of the Abbey stands the
9th century St Martin's Cross, one of the best-preserved Celtic crosses in the
British Isles, and a replica of the
8th century St John's Cross .
Also of note, Iona Nunnery is a site of beautiful 12th-13th century ruins of the church and cloister, and a colourful and peaceful garden. Iona's is the most complete survival of a medieval nunnery in
Scotland. Iona is popular among visitors for its tranquility and natural beauty. Its geographical features include the
Bay at the Back of the Ocean and the Hill with His Back to Ireland, said to be adjacent to the beach where Saint Columba landed.
See also
External links
- Computer-generated virtual panorama
References
