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Some places are magical and just call to you. When you manage to visit, these places are capable of bringing you some kind of solace. The Hebridean Isle of Iona is that place for many people, giving refuge to those who traveled far and wide since St. Columba first landed on the island back in 563 AD. But beyond Columba and his dedicated pilgrims, Iona has a distinct magic felt by even the least religious. Nowadays, the Isle of Iona is mainly visited by day trippers who are gone before late afternoon since it’s an easy day trip from Mull. But many people are compelled to stay on the island to experience its magic – myself included.
Here is a little slow travel post on spending a few days on the Isle of Iona.
Table of Contents
1. Brief Introduction to the Isle of Iona
The Isle of Iona is an island located offshore from the Isle of Mull, on the west coast of Scotland. Iona is a small island, only about 1 mile wide by 3 miles long, and is home to about 130 permanent residents. For visitors, vehicles aren’t allowed onto the island, so there’s an unspoken charm that comes with that. When you arrive to Iona via the short 10 minute ferry from Mull, you’ll be directly in “the village”, Baile Mรฒr, which is the main settlement. But since it’s the only settlement on Iona, everyone just calls it the village.
Iona has been inhabited since 6000 BC and increased in popularity after St. Columba came to Iona in 563 AD following his exile from Ireland. Saint Columba is known for bringing Christianity to Scotland and subsequently, Iona is known as the birthplace of Celtic Christianity. Following Columba’s arrival to Iona, he founded the Iona Abbey which still stands as a place of worship to this day. During his lifetime, Columba was known to perform various miracles, such as healing people or expelling evil spirits. I think it’s for this reason people come to Iona, hoping for a miracle, hoping to be healed.
If legends are to be believed, Columba had seen the Loch Ness Monster back in 565, and banished the great “water beast” to the depths of the River Ness.
Many people come to Iona to visit Iona Abbey and bask in the magic and miracles that once imbued St. Columba and his followers. To this day, people still make the pilgrimage to Iona out of hope or desperation seeking some sort of comfort. It was that search for hope and comfort that brought me to Iona the first time.
2. Day trip to Iona vs. a few days on Iona
Since my first visit to Iona, I’ve returned many times and have always stayed a few days each time. Having chatted with many visitors there, so many people feel the pull of Iona and keep returning over the years or even decades. I guess I’m now one of those people.
Unfortunately, due to travel itineraries and schedules, most people only do a day trip over to Iona. If you have time or enjoy slow travel, I would highly recommend considering Iona as a stop versus a day trip, just because most of the magic happens without the day tripping crowds.
During the day, the island heaves with day trippers, crowding into the abbey or filling the puffin tour boats (the puffins nest on nearby Staffa between April to August). Around 4 pm, the queue for the ferry back to Mull extends past the pier and basically into the village. That’s usually when I arrive, when all of the day trippers leave. The late afternoon ferry to Iona on the other hand, in time for hotel check in, barely has a handful of people, if that.
The experience you’d have with a day trip to Iona would be significantly different than if you stayed a few days. With that said, because Iona is small and you’ll go everywhere on foot, you can still have a lovely few hours on Iona. It’s just not the same.
Staying for a few days of slow travel isn’t always feasible, consider a small group tour to Iona, including the Isle of Mull:
- 3-day Mull and Iona trip from Glasgow
- 4-day Mull, Iona and West Highlands from Edinburgh
Or, perhaps looking for a change in your job is a way to fully embrace slow travel. With Jooble, explore remote opportunities for the flexibility to slow your travel down. https://uk.jooble.org/jobs-work-from-home
3. 5 Things to do on Iona
Given that Iona is a small island, there are only a handful of things to do. Most center around the Abbey and St. Columba’s connection with the island. Additionally, since only resident vehicles are allowed on the island, get your walking shoes out – you’ll explore everywhere by foot!
– Stroll through the Iona Nunnery
Between the village and on the way to the Abbey, you’ll pass by the ruins of the Iona Nunnery, which was founded sometime in the early 1200s. The nunnery remained as one of two Augustinian monasteries for women in Scotland and is still the most complete medieval nunnery extant in Scotland. Following the Reformation, the priory was dissolved and left to ruin.
The Iona Nunnery is a good place for a quiet stroll, possibly accompanied with a freshly fried rhubarb donut from Ailidh Loves Pizza, which is around the corner.
– Take a tour and attend Church Service at the Iona Abbey
A visit to Iona is nothing without taking a tour of the Iona Abbey, a Benedictine abbey, and hearing the story of how the abbey came to be. Entry tickets (10 GBP for adults) to the abbey include an audio guide (or an actual guide at certain times), entry to the museum, and St. Oran’s chapel and the nearby graveyard – the burial place of old Scottish kings. Its a wonderful tour and really interesting to hear about the founding of the abbey to the viking raids, to the changes that have been made to the structure since its inception.
You can attend Sunday service at Iona Abbey (or evening service) even as non-members of the church. There have been a few church services that I’ve attended around the world that have moved me, and the Sunday Service at Iona Abbey was one of them. If you’re having a moment in life, and just need a bit of extra positivity, the church service at Iona Abbey may be exactly what you need. With a friendly hello and “peace be upon you” from your neighbor, it serves only to warm your heart and spirit.
Attending the Cook Islands Christian Church at the other end of the world and Saint Augustine Catholic Church in New Orleans have been special and moving church services that I’ve attended in my life.
Book of Kells connection to Iona
It’s been said that the Book of Kells was written in Iona and transported back to Ireland for safekeeping following a Viking raid on Iona in 806. The Book of Kells (sometimes known as the Book of Columba), a 9th century illustrated manuscript of the Book of Gospels, in Latin, was kept at the Kells Monastery (Ireland) from then until the 1650s when it was sent to Dublin. Since 1661, it’s been housed at Dublin’s Trinity College. Whether the Book of Kells was written and illustrated in Iona isn’t completely known, but some connection between Iona and the Book of Kells is known.
For both religious and non-religious, the visiting the Book of Kells exhibit at Trinity College in Dublin is an absolute must when in Ireland – the details are exquisite.
Photos courtesy of Trinity College Dublin
– Search for Eternal Youth at the highest point on Iona
Grab your hiking boots, and head up to the highest point on Iona, Dรนn ร (prounounced dun-ee). It’s only a 101 meter (331 feet) scramble up, but from there, you can see the entire island, and maybe even the lighthouse on Tiree on a clear day. You know you’ve made it to the top when you reach the cairn. Be sure to find the Well of Eternal Youth and bathe your face in it. Standing at the cairn and facing north, head down the slope, towards a cleft in the rocks. Eternal youth awaits you!
Note: the entrance to Dun-I is near the pods. If you’re walking (on the one road), you’ll see a sign that says “NOT” the entrance to Dun-I. (love that). The entrance is basically the next gate you encounter. It’s a counterintuitive note, but will make total sense when you are there.
– Find Columba’s tears in Columba’s Bay
Columba’s tears, also known as mermaid tears, are found on the rocky shores from the hike to the south of the island (trail map). Iona green serpentine marble, a light green, translucent little pebble, can be found on the south side of Iona at St. Columba’s Bay or the old Marble Quarry. In the photo below, I think it’s the lightest color pebble. That day, I was just picking up all small green pebbles in order to figure out which one was a tear later.
L: St. Columba’s Bay on Iona
R: A handful of pebbles, the lightest one should be Columba’s tear
Superstitious travelers carry Columba’s tears with them in their pocket, as its said to prevent against drowning.
If you’re lucky enough to find two Columba’s tears, one represents something negative to leave behind (and is thrown into the sea), and the other is for you to take home and remember your new beginning or intended commitment.
– Bask in the sunshine, hide in the rain
- Explore the beaches – Bay at the Back of the Ocean on the west coast and White Beach on the northern tip of Iona are both spectacular and secluded with lush, fine sandy beaches. St. Columba’s Bay in the south is a pebble beach with Columba’s tears hidden among the stones. But give the whole island a wander, there are several beaches that you just stumble upon!
- Iona Golf Course – pick up your scorecard for 1 GBP at the local post office, and then walk 30 minutes to an incredibly remote golf course, maintained by grazing cattle and sheep, with the wild sea as a backdrop. 18 holes with an audience of sheep watching!
- OR, if it’s puffin season (April to August) go on a puffin tour to nearby Staffa! Staffa Tours picks you up directly from the Iona pier and heads over to Fingal’s Cave and the puffin colonies on uninhabited Staffa.
4. Food on Iona
Being a small island, thereโs only a handful of places to eat on Iona. It might surprise you that the food is actually phenomenal! Iโll break it down for you:
– Argyll Hotel
Located just off the pier, the Argyll Hotel is a favorite of mine, not only to stay on Iona, but to eat as well! Gorgeously fresh, locally sourced and grown food, with a cozy, warm vibe. The shortcut from the hotel toward the abbey includes a wander by the Argyll Hotelโs garden, which supplies the hotel with locally grown produce. Meals at the Argyll Hotel can be taken in the conservatory, with a beautiful view overlooking Mull and the Sound of Iona.
What is this delicious delight to my left? Pan seared Iona hogget loin, roast garden potatoes, samphire, hogget & wine ragout, rhubarb jus & crispy capers. I mean… absolutely exquisite!
So many incredible chefs began at the Argyll Hotel in Iona – Pam Brunton from Inver, for one, and Carla Lamont from Ninth Wave, another. Both incredible chefs who honor sustainability and locally grown produce in their creativity. And both incredible destination restaurants worth visiting!
– St. Columbaโs Hotel
St. Columbaโs Hotel is the other hotel and restaurant on Iona that packs an incredible punch! I havenโt stayed here, but I have had a few delicious meals here. When the sun is shining, the picnic tables in the garden are perfect for a relaxing beer! You wonโt be able to miss the St. Columba Hotel Gardens on your way to the abbey, which provides locally grown produce to the hotel and restaurant.
Next door is St. Columbaโs Larder, a cute little shop with snacks, gifts, teas, coffees and cakes.
– The Rookery Cafe
Next to the Iona Heritage Center (worth a wee wander into!), the Rookery Cafe is a wonderful addition the Iona food scene. Itโs a perfect lunch spot for sandwiches and toasties, and delectable dessert treats to enjoy outside in the garden, on its many picnic tables.
The Rookery Cafe is opened during the day, Monday – Saturday. Being an island business, please check their social media for up to date hours and specials.
– Other food options
- Ailidh Loves Pizza: This is a brand new pizza and donut shop that I follow on social media and drool after. Last time I visited, they were only doing donuts (and of course, I got one) but their pizzas and flatbreads (with seafood!) look incredible for next time!
- The Martyrโs Bay – Local cafeteria and diner – your place to get a chippy on Iona.
- Iona Seafood – locally caught and landed crabs, lobsters, and other seafood. if you’re staying somewhere with a kitchen, be sure to order some local seafood to enjoy! pick up, where else? at the pier!
- Iona Craft Shop – this is a super cute craft and gift shop, which also sells coffees and cappuccinos! Pop by and browse the local wares while waiting for your latte.
Other food options across the way in Fionnpfort:
Although the next two are not located on Iona, but rather in Fionnpfort (where you got the ferry to Iona), they get a special mention regardless.
- The Creel Seafood Shack – Regularly voted Best Seafood in Scotland, this little shack is perfect for your black pudding and scallop roll before you board the ferry. Or, your seafood platter on a sunny day. (required to be ordered 24 hours in advance). Don’t forget to add a lush order of chips (fries)!
- If seafood is your jam, the Creel Seafood Shack makes an appearance on my Best Seafood in Scotland list.
- The Ninth Wave – an exquisite lunch treat from Head Chef Carla Lamont and her husband Johnny, that they deem as “hedonism on a plate.” The Ninth Wave uses seafood caught by Johnny and herbs and produce they grow in their garden. It’s a small dining area, but everyone is served each of the courses at the same time. Carla and Johnny explain the course to the diners in kind of an open forum. It’s casual and relaxed for such an incredible dining experience – one that I hope to revisit again in my coming travels!
5. Parting Thoughts on a slow travel trip to Iona
Iona is truly a special place, and once you’ve been entangled in its magic, you’ll keep coming back. Despite being an extremely small island, the island and its charms tend to have a mesmerizing effect. I’m not sure if you’d get that same feeling during a day trip with other tourists and travelers, but if that’s your entry point into Iona, then far be it for me to deny you that initial feeling!
Just a side note: many people visit Iona as it appears to sit on a ley line. Ley lines are supposed lines that connect multiple prehistoric or ancient sites, often with a certain kind of energy or paranormal phenomena. The ley lines connect Iona with other prehistoric sites in Scotland, including the Callanish Standing Stones on Lewis and the Ring of Brodgar in Orkney. Whether you believe or not, these sites are special. But is it the secret source of Iona’s magic? Who knows.
But what I can say is, a slow travel trip to Iona is rejuvenating to one’s soul. Slow down, breathe in the fresh air, laugh and dance in the rain, and eat great food. What else is there in life?
Before I close, I will leave you with an expert tip for your trip to Iona. I make a joke that no matter what, even if it’s sunny and the weather isn’t forecasted to rain, I always get caught in a mass downpour. Don’t worry, the island is small, so you’re never technically that far away from shelter. For me, the sudden downpour always invokes a laughing fit, which is the right kinda attitude for a place like Iona.
If you’re bouncing around Scotland in addition to Iona, I’d definitely recommend some Hunter wellies (or wellington boots for those who want to be a bit more formal), which are waterproof and perfect for sloshing around in the rain. They even have insulated wellies if you normally get cold feet! Trust me, you’ll want to prepare for rainy days in Scotland!
Until next time, dear readers, slow down and look for the magic in life!
6. How to get to Iona
The Isle of Iona is an island in the Inner Hebrides, located offshore from the Isle of Mull, on the west coast of Scotland. To get to Iona from mainland Scotland, you’ll take two ferries with a drive or bus ride in between.
- Step 1: Arrive to Oban, Scotland
- from Glasgow – 2.5 hours drive / 3 hours train;
- from Edinburgh – 3 hours drive / 4 – 4.5 hours bus/train;
- from Inverness – 3 hours drive – not recommended by public transportation.
- Step 2: Take the CalMac ferry from Oban to Craignure (Isle of Mull). 45 minute – 1 hour sailing, multiple ferries per day. Book in advance.
- Passenger cost: 3.90 GBP (single) / 7.80 GBP (return)
- Vehicle cost: 14.70 GBP (single) / 29.40 GBP (return)
- Step 3: Drive 1 hour across the Ross of Mull to Fionnpfort or take Bus 96/496 from Craignure to Fionnpfort.
- (sorry! I tried to get a cost for the bus, but all I could find was that there is an 18 GBP Mull day pass. surely you can buy single tickets from Craignure to Fionnpfort, I just don’t know how much that costs!)
- Step 4: Fionnpfort to Iona ferry, also on CalMac Ferries (10 minute sailing). With multiple sailings per day during high season. This sailing is a turn up and go, so you pay on board.
- Passenger cost: 1.85 GBP (single) / 3.70 GBP (return)
- Vehicle cost: -N/A- remember, no cars on the island for tourists!
Fionnpfort is prounounced FINNA-firt
If you’re driving, you will have to leave your car in Fionnpfort, as only resident vehicles are allowed on Iona. You can either pay for parking directly at the pier or, a short walk away (300 meters), there is a free car park. As you drive through Fionnpfort, you’ll see a sign to turn left for a free car park. I’d suggest that instead of the paid parking. It’s about a 7 minute walk to the pier. Since the ferries more or less go back and forth throughout the day, take the extra 7 minutes for free parking.
If you’d like to stay on Iona, in addition to the two hotels (Argyll Hotel and St. Columba’s Hotel) there are also campsites, pods, self catering houses and B&Bs available.
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Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.ย She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!ย She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.
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