Iona Vacations, Iona Vacation Reviews, Tourism Guide

Iona Vacation Guide

Iona is an island in Scotland. It is 3.5 miles long and 1.5 miles across. The island only has two major settlements, Baile Mor and the Iona Community. There are 70 permanent residents, but 500,000 visitors each year.

The monastic community on Iona was founded in 563AD by Colum Cille (St. Columbia) from Ireland. This was the home of celtic christianity for six hundred years until King David suppressed celtic christianity in the twelfth century. Iona remained a major pilgrimage site until the reformation when the island was sacked and the community scattered. In the early twentieth century, the abbey was rebuilt and a new monastic community has begun here, providing much of the tourism for the island.

See:

The Augustan Monastery in Balle Mor
Iona Heritage Centre
MacLean's Cross - one of the few surviving stone crosses on the island.

Walk to the top end of Iona where there are several beaches with white sand, clear water and beautiful rocks. The views are stunning views back towards the Ross of Mull or to the North to Tiree, Coll, The Treshnish Isles, Staffa, Eigg, Muck, and Skye. This walk can be combined with a visit to the Abbey, which is enroute to the beaches.

Walk to South West coast of the island to the beach at Camas Cuil an t-Saimh. To the south of the bay there is a spouting cave.

There are boat trips to Fingal's Cave on Staffa.