Iona, the Island

Located off the west coast of Scotland, the sacred Isle of Iona measures only 1.5 miles wide by 3 miles long. It is tiny, but it is mighty in its magnificence and uniqueness! 

Iona is recognized historically as a sacred isle to the Celtic Druids, as well as being recognized around the world as a place of spiritual and religious pilgrimage. Prior to Christianity, it was the great goddesses Brigantia and Brigid who were the protectors and wisdom keepers for the Celtic clans.

Iona is the place from which the flames of the fire of Celtic Christianity were fanned and expanded throughout Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and northern England. Under the inspired leadership of Saint Columba and the holy men and women, priests and priestesses of the time, Celtic Christianity grew and flourished.

It was in 563 CE than an Irish monk of royal lineage, self-named ‘Colmcille’ (meaning ‘Dove of the Church’) travelled by boat from Ireland to Iona with twelve colleagues and family members to lend their considerable skills and talents to strengthen one of the first Celtic Christian bases that had been established on Iona, in Scotland. 

Before Columba arrived, Iona was already a well-respected centre for education and learning. The learned Celtic Druid class of scholars, philosophers, and judicial heads had created a primary seat of learning on the holy isle. The Druids established a college there, and it was well-known across Europe and the vast lands of the Celts.

Given Iona’s established history as a Druid College, it is not surprising that the earliest Christian teachings had already been introduced there long before Columba’s arrival. The Druids and Culdees (early Hermetic Christians) played significant roles in facilitating the transition from the ancient Druidic college to what became a primary seat of learning for Celtic Christianity. This Celtic Christianity effectively blended the old with the new. The earliest teachings of Celtic Christianity are considered a pure representation of the ‘New Teachings’ of Jesus, prior to Roman influence.

Saint Columba himself is quoted as having said, ‘Jesus is my Druid’.

In any case, Columba, the Druids of Iona, and the Culdees were able to work effectively with other existing Celtic Druid strongholds in Scotland, strengthening, developing, and spreading the new Celtic Christianity. 

Even after Saint Columba’s death, the monastery on Iona continued as a major centre of the earliest Celtic Christian church, sending out ambassadors, such as Saint Aidan, from Iona for the establishment of Lindisfarne. Lindisfarne is an island located in Northumbria, England. Its strikingly beautiful monastic cathedral is accessible by foot, and only at low tide. 

Iona, her history and story are uniquely fascinating and impactful on the flowering of Celtic Christianity.

For more information on Saint Columba, click here.

Iona, the name

Iona’s name means many things. In ancient Gaelic or Pictish, it was called Ioua. In Irish, it was known simply as Hy or Y. In modern Gaelic it is called I. (The ‘I’ is pronounced ‘ee’ as in ‘glee’). 

It is also possible that the name, Iona, is derived from I-shona (pronounced ee-hona), meaning the blessed or sacred isle. In Hebrew, the word for dove is ‘Jonah’, pronounced, ‘Iona’. It means ‘peace’. The Latin word for dove is columba, which means peace. St. Columba’s name in Gaelic is Colum Cille, meaning the ‘Dove of the Church’.

The significance of the theme of ‘dove’ in relation to Iona, as a messenger of Spirit, and as an iconic symbol for the divine feminine is explored in the section titled,
‘The Dove, Iona, and the Pleiades Seven Sisters Star Cluster’.

Iona, and visitors

The island has a population of approximately 120 permanent residents.

This wee Holy Isle typically receives 130,00 visitors a year. Most visitors are day visitors.

Spiritually-minded and religious travellers from all over the world will continue to feel the call to Iona, to step foot on the island and to experience its history, magic, and beauty, and peace. 

Most day visitors arrive for a few precious hours, travelling to the island on the small ferry that departs every fifteen minutes during peak months from Fionnphort, Mull. 

The Benedictine Abbey and the Augustinian Nunnery were built in the 13th century. The Abbey was established on the location of the ruins of Columba’s monastery.

For more information on the history of ‘The Abbey’, click here.

For more information on ‘The Nunnery’, click here.

Many people also journey to Iona simply to experience its transcendent beauty, and its walkability, its varied and beautiful beaches, and the extraordinary light and colour, sea and sky effects. 

Still others go to Iona to participate in the excellent workshops, conferences, and retreats that characterize the organized spiritual and religious experiences that are offered on the island. There are residencies for artists and writers, organized walks for hikers and explorers, and health, wellness and meditation retreats for all. It is truly a place of spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional healing and rejuvenation.

For all who have the good fortune to visit Iona and experience her charms, a special re-vitalizing of one’s spirit is assured. 

Yes, there is indeed something very special about this little Holy Isle of Iona.