The Isle of Iona, Argyll, Scotland

The Isle of Iona
The tiny Holy Isle of Iona, now in the care of the National Trust for Scotland, has been a place of Christian pilgrimage and worship for over 1400 years as it was here that St. Columba landed from Ireland in 563. It is here that The Book of Kells, now residing in Trinity College, Dublin, is believed to have been transcribed. There are no cars on the island, but if you can't walk far, you can hire a horse-drawn carriage, which waits at the pier for people arriving on the ferry.

Whilst no buildings survive from St Columba's time, the abbey has been extensively rebuilt over time and is an interesting place to visit. Adjacent to the abbey is a small chapel, believed to be the grave of St Columba. To the south of the abbey is St Oran's Chapel, which is in the centre of the ancient graveyard, where not only Macbeth and Duncan are buried but numerous other kings of Scotland. A more modern grave that of John Smith former Leader of the UK Labour Party is also situated on Iona.

Iona is a magical, spiritual place and it is well advisable to stay on the island for a night in a B&B as the best time to be on Iona is either early in the morning or in the evening, thus avoiding the day-trippers. The area around the Abbey can get very crowded during the day so it is advisable to find one of Iona's sandy beaches and relax during the day and then enjoy the Abbey in relative solitude once the day-trippers have left. Incidentally, there are no cars on the island, but if you can't walk far, you can hire a horse-drawn carriage, which waits at the pier for people arriving on the ferry.