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A Pilgrimage to Iona

The Small Scottish Island with a Big History

By Jamie Ross

As we ferry out of Oban Bay, the sky opens up and the rain beats down. Huge droplets explode on the ship’s deck, scattering the passengers, sending them retreating for the boat’s inner-sanctums. I refuse to leave my chair on the exposed upper deck, for I have come a long way to enjoy the rugged, shoreline beauty of the Western Scottish Highlands. Besides, I cannot be outdone by my stubborn, 75 year old Aunt, who is accompanying me today on a pilgrimage to the ancient Abbey on the Isle of Iona.

Sweeping out of the west coast of Scotland in a great double arc, the Inner and Outer Hebrides consist of a hundred or so craggy, worn islands clothed in soft, green felt. Their location often puts them in the path of cold, wet North Atlantic winds. Though it may be true that the rain is part of the allure of these isles, I am still glad when the clouds break and sun beams filter through, just as we cruise up the picturesque Sound of Mull to Craignure, with its colorful houses fringing a quiet harbor.

The evening before in the coastal, resort town of Oban, we booked a “Three Islands Tour.” The organized day trip takes us by ferry to Craignure, west across Mull to Fionnphort by bus, on a detour aboard a small tug to the strange Isle of Staffa and Fingal’s Cave, and then on a passenger-only ferry to the small, four mile long island of Iona.

Iona has an historical and religious importance out of all proportion to its size. The island, founded in 563 by the Irish monk Colum Cille or Columba, became a missionary center and the head of a family of monasteries in Ireland, Scotland and northern England. Celtic Christianity was strongly ascetic in character, and many monastic founders preferred island sites for their communities. What St. Columba discovered was a tiny island off the coast of Scotland, a small piece of grass-covered rock that had seemingly crumbled loose from the west coast of the Isle of Mull. Here, he founded his monastic community, the first Christian settlement in Scotland, and a place that became a hub of spiritual power and pilgrimage for centuries.

Upon disembarking at the pier in St. Ronan’s Bay, it becomes quickly apparent that we are at a place of historic reverence. The procession of modern pilgrims sets off; reciting, in hushed tones, passages from their guide books. The main street leads up from the jetty, past the post office and grocer’s shop to the crumbling remains of a thirteenth century nunnery. All that remains today are the chancel, nave and parts of the vaulted roof of the chapel. Many old tombs can still be seen, including that of the last prioress, Anna, who died in 1543. The ground is a carpet of short grass, with flowerbeds adding splashes of purple, yellow and red. The ruins are of more subdued colours ranging from pink to grey, enclosed by a matching oblong wall.

The earliest surviving standing building on Iona is St. Oran’s Chapel, probably erected as a family burial chapel by Somerled, Lord of the Isles, in the 1100's. The surrounding burial ground, Reilig Odhrain, is rumored to contain the bones of 48 Scottish kings, including Macbeth and Duncan I, together with numerous other sovereigns from Ireland, France and Norway. However, nothing very recognizable is left of the tombs today.

Beyond the north wall of Reilig Odhrain can be seen a branch of a medieval roadway, the “Street of the Dead,” leading to the Abbey. Following repeated attacks by Norse invaders, little remains of Columba's early Christian monastery today. The present Abbey dates from Medieval times, founded about 1200 for Benedictine monks and dedicated to St. Columba. It stands near the center of the area occupied by the early monastery. After the Reformation, it fell into ruin and the royal gravestones were almost lost under the weeds.

It wasn't until the start of the 20th century that the church itself was restored when the Duke of Argyll made it over to the Iona Cathedral Trust. In 1938, George Macleod, a minister in Glasgow, founded the Iona Community and initiated the long process of reconstructing the monastic buildings. Today, the restored buildings of Iona, including the Abbey, serve as a spiritual center under the jurisdiction of the Church of Scotland.

In front of the west door stands a carved cross commemorating the fourth_century French bishop Saint Martin. To the north of the main entrance to the Abbey Church, tucked behind St. John’s Cross is Saint Columba's shrine. Only the footings of this tiny, steep-roofed building had survived, before it was restored in 1962. The inner cell is illuminated by a single candle next to an open bible.

The Nave was the only part of the medieval church to require extensive rebuilding, in 1910. Once inside, the church reveals itself to be brighter than I had imagined, and features a north and south transept, a prayer corner, the effigy of Abbot John MacKinnon and a Choir. In lieu of a church choir, robins sing in the archways, hopping from one support to the next. While some visitors attempt quiet contemplation, prayer and recollection, others mill about with cameras flashing.

Several doors lead through the north wall. I pass through to the other side and find myself in the cloisters. Warm sunlight caresses the stone curves, as rows of perfect arches run endlessly round a grassy court. In the middle of the quadrangle stands a strange bronze by Holocaust refugee Jacob Libschitz, “The Descent of the Spirit.” The sculpture has been greened by weather and time.  Here, also, ancient knights carved on memorial stones lean against the walls like silent witnesses. What secrets lay behind the upper windows? What events are imprinted on the stone walls? What answers to life's questions?

Ignoring such meditative musings, I wander over well-worn stone slabs, through a tiny passageway, into a cramped gift shop, and am quickly transported back to the present. Amongst post cards, souvenir key chains, stickers, posters, Abbey playing cards and pencil sharpeners, there are a good selection of religious and historical books, and some well-crafted jewellery..

Around the back of the abbey is the abbey museum, once the infirmary. Behind a heavy door, is a room full of early Christian and Medieval stones, effigies and crosses of late medieval, West Highland type. At one end stood the partly reconstituted form of Saint John's Cross, possibly the first ever Celtic ringed cross. Its position in front of the abbey is now occupied by a replica.

Outside, on the grounds, a group of workers from the religious community toil in the gardens and on the lawns. The rent free tenant of the Abbey buildings is the Iona Community, who occupy the property as a living Christian community and are responsible for interior maintenance of the residential quarters.

It is a beautiful and important chapter in the history of Christianity. I am moved by the Abbey. I can feel the weight of the centuries in the air and in the very fabric of the building. It is not as spectacular in appearance as many of the great cathedrals I have visited, but it surrounds itself with an aura of truth rather then pretension. It is solemn, humble and old. The soft afternoon light gives the abbey an earthy glow, polished by centuries of weather, love and faith.

Visiting Iona

We took the “Three Island Tour,” out of Oban at a cost of 29 pounds. This full day trip also allowed for a guided tour of Mull and a visit to Fingal’s Cave on Staffa. Our bus driver/tour guide, David Greenhalgh, was both informative and entertaining, making for an enjoyable drive across the Isle of Mull, and the unusual basalt formations that make up Staffa and Fingal’s Cave were awe-inspiring.

On its own, the short ferry ride from Mull to Iona costs 6 pounds return. There is no mandatory charge for entry to the Abbey and associated buildings, though a donation of 2 pounds is encouraged for the Iona Cathedral Trust. An Official Guide Book and an associated Audio Tour of Iona Abbey and Nunnery are available at the Abbey Reception Gate.

Iona has a permanent population of some 100 people, and several families retain their Gaelic language and traditions. Besides providing services for the hundreds of thousands of visitors who come each year, fishing and crofting remain important in the island’s economy.

Images by Jamie Ross

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