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Iona: Ancient Sacred Isle

In his book "The Druids" Peter Berresford Ellis writes: "the druidic religion...was the corner-stone of the Celtic world, linking the Celts of Ireland with their fellow Celts in Britain and on the Continent in a common heritage."

On a tiny barren island in the Inner Hebrides at the western tip of Mull, the druids retreated to their final refuge against the relentless onslaught from Rome. Driven from the mainland by Roman invasions, they clung to the desolate landscape of Iona as one of their last havens before being overpowered by St. Columba.

Only one mile wide and three miles long, surrounded by dangerous seas and having no natural resources to speak of, it is a marvel that Iona became a cornerstone in the history of civilization. When Columba and his twelve fellow missionaries landed there from Ireland in 563, he was met by hostile druids defending their last stronghold. After a brief but bitter struggle, the druids were vanquished and the native chiefs were converted to the new faith. From the monastery that Columba built there, Christianity spread throughout Scotland.

Iona of my heart, Iona of my love,
Instead of monks' voices there shall be lowing of cattle:
But before the world comes to an end
Iona shall be as it was.

Thought to be the words of Saint Columba shortly before he died (according to the Life of Saint Columba, the biography written by Saint Adamnan)

The name Iona may have come from a misinterpretation of a more ancient name, Ioua Insula or the island of Io. It has also been called Innis na Druineach, or The Island of Druids. Today it is known as the burial site of early Scottish kings, and the site of the famous monastery. There is almost nothing left of Columba's original monastery, after repeated Viking raids. A nunnery was built there in the early thirteenth century, but only ruins of it remain. There is a medieval abbey that was restored from ruins in the early 20th century. This abbey is presently occupied by an active religious community. The island is now in the care of the National Trust for Scotland.

From the northern tip of Iona on a clear day, Fingal's Cave can be seen on the island of Staffa six miles away. To the northwest lies the Treshnish Isles (Col, Tiree, Rum and Eigg) and to the south are the Paps of Jura. The weathered scenery is rough, wild and forbidding even today. There are almost no trees and in the winter, Iona is assaulted by Atlantic gales. In the summer, the weather is more peaceful and the surrounding sea is often a breathtaking shade of blue from the underlying fine white sands.

For a virtual tour of the isles of Iona, Mull and Ulva, visit here!

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LUGHNASADH: FEAST OF FIRST FRUITS
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Reflections on Cnoc Áine
Samhain: The Last Feast of Summer
Clonycavan Man
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Changelings
The Origins of Celtic Christianity and St. Patrick in Ireland
In Search of the Real Myrddin, Mad Prophet and Poet
Myth and Celtic Culture by Draoi-man Brigantes (David Drew)