Just three miles long and one mile wide, Iona may be small — but it is one of the most spiritually and ecologically rich islands in Scotland. Renowned as the birthplace of Christianity in Scotland, a sanctuary for rare summer wildlife, and home to the globally respected Iona Community, it’s a place where ancient stones echo with chant and the rustling of rare birds in the long grass.
Getting to Iona
Visiting Iona involves a scenic and satisfying multi-stage journey through some of Scotland’s most beautiful landscapes. First, travellers take the ferry from Oban to Craignure on the Isle of Mull, a 45-minute crossing with CalMac Ferries. From Craignure, the road west to Fionnphort leads through wild moorland, scattered hamlets, and sweeping coastal views — about an hour’s drive or bus journey. From Fionnphort, the small foot ferry to Iona makes the short ten-minute crossing. Cars are not permitted for visitors, so the island is blissfully peaceful and perfectly suited for exploring on foot.
Wildlife Wonders: Hearing the Corncrake
If you visit Iona in May or June and hear a strange, rasping “crex-crex” call echoing across the fields, you’re experiencing one of the rarest and most magical sounds in Britain — the voice of the corncrake.
Corncrakes were once widespread, but modern agriculture almost wiped them out. Mechanised hay cutting and the loss of traditional hay meadows left them with nowhere to hide or breed. Now, thanks to tireless conservation efforts, Iona is one of the few places in Britain where they’re making a cautious comeback. The RSPB works closely with local crofters, encouraging farming techniques that protect nests — including cutting hay later in the season and mowing from the centre of the field outward to allow chicks and adults to escape. The result is a delicate but hopeful success story.
Today, corncrakes nest in the machair — a rich coastal grassland filled with wildflowers — and can be heard in fields behind the fire station, near the abbey, and around the northern croft land. You may not see them, as they are notoriously elusive, but their unmistakable call is unforgettable.
Walking on Iona: Two Beautiful Routes
Iona is an ideal walking island, with quiet tracks, grassy headlands, and seaward paths that invite exploration.
One of the finest walks heads north from the village, winding along lanes and over croft fields to the white sandy beaches at the northern tip of the island. This area is quieter than the abbey precinct and offers wide views across the sea to Mull and the Treshnish Isles. Along the way, walkers pass machair grasslands buzzing with bees and butterflies in summer, and if lucky, may hear a corncrake or spot a hen harrier gliding above.
Another rewarding route heads west across the island, crossing the green sward of the Iona golf course — one of the most scenic and informal courses in Scotland — towards the Bay at the Back of the Ocean. This is a place of big skies and crashing waves, facing the wide Atlantic. Its name is evocative and fitting: the edge of the known world. The bay’s curves and tidal pools make it a lovely place to picnic, beachcomb, or simply sit and listen to the sea.
For those wanting to extend their stay beyond a day trip, Iona also has a small campsite, located just north of the village. With a view to Mull and the sound of seabirds in the air, it’s a peaceful and elemental way to experience the island.
Sacred Ground: Columba and the Birth of Celtic Christianity
In 563 CE, an Irish monk named St Columba landed on Iona with twelve companions. Exiled from Ireland, Columba founded a monastery that became the spiritual centre of early Christianity in Scotland. From Iona, he and his followers converted the Pictish tribes of mainland Scotland, taught literacy, and sent out missions that changed the religious landscape of Britain and beyond.
Columba was not only a missionary, but also a poet, scholar, and diplomat. He is credited with writing hymns and psalms, with copying important texts, and with calming clan feuds between rival tribes. Most remarkably, he is also the first person ever recorded to have seen the Loch Ness Monster. During one of his evangelical forays to the mainland, Columba is said to have encountered the beast near Inverness while travelling through Pictish territory. The account, written by his biographer Adomnán, is a curious footnote in the legend of Nessie — and a reminder of how myth and belief often blend in this part of the world.
The Book of Kells and the Iona Abbey
The Book of Kells, one of the world’s most exquisite illuminated manuscripts, was likely begun here in the monastic scriptorium. Although it was later completed in Ireland, the artistry and inspiration of Iona helped create its legacy. The monks fled Iona during Viking raids, but their artistic tradition left a permanent mark.
Today, visitors can explore the restored Iona Abbey, a 13th-century Benedictine structure built over the site of Columba’s monastery. Its stone cloisters, high crosses, and chapels are filled with atmosphere. Nearby lies St Oran’s Chapel and the Reilig Odhrain, the burial site of kings — over 40 Scottish, Irish, and even Norse monarchs are said to lie here, including Macbeth.
Standing proudly by the abbey is St Martin’s Cross, a masterpiece of early medieval carving, weathered by centuries of wind but still in its original place.
The Iona Community Today
The Iona Community, founded in 1938 by George MacLeod, has breathed new life into Columba’s mission. It is an ecumenical Christian group focused on peace, justice, inclusion, and environmental stewardship. Members and guests from all over the world join the community for retreats, worship, and work on social issues. Their continuing presence makes Iona not just a place of the past, but a living symbol of spiritual and ethical engagement in today’s world.
Visiting Iona: Practical Thoughts
To truly experience Iona’s quiet rhythms, stay overnight. Once the day-trippers leave, the island reveals its gentler side — golden light on stone crosses, seabirds settling for the night, and the faint sound of singing from the abbey.
Accommodation ranges from simple hostels and guesthouses to the community-run abbey itself. The weather can change quickly, so bring waterproofs and warm layers. And if you’re a birdwatcher, binoculars are essential — whether for scanning for puffins offshore or waiting patiently for a glimpse of a corncrake in the long grass.
Why Visit Iona?
Iona is a place where the sacred and the wild live side by side. Where you might see a puffin in the morning and a 1,200-year-old cross in the afternoon. Where the wind carries both birdsong and stories. It’s a place that whispers, rather than shouts — but what it whispers stays with you.
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