Iona

The island of Iona, off the west coast of Scotland, is the symbolic centre of Scottish Christianity.

Through 1400 years of history its fortunes have fluctuated, from its heights as one of the greatest centres of learning in Dark Age Europe, to its lows as a crumbling ruin.

However, thanks to the fame of its monastic founder, St Columba, the island has always been revered as a holy place, and, over the centuries,

Iona has continually been re-invented and reconstructed as a centre for pilgrimage.

Iona's fame began in 563 AD when Columba, with thirteen followers, landed at the south end of the island

 at St Columba's Bay, to establish a monastery.