Top Things to do in Isle of Iona
Top Restaurants in Isle of Iona
The 10 Best Things to Do in Isle of Iona, United Kingdom (UK)
Discover the best top things to do in Isle of Iona, United Kingdom (UK) including Iona Abbey and Nunnery, St. Columba's Bay, St. Oran's Chapel, Machair, Iona Nunnery, St. Oran's Cemetery, Iona Heritage Centre, Dun 1 Hike, Port Ban Beach, Iona Craft Shop.
Restaurants in Isle of Iona
1. Iona Abbey and Nunnery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 808 reviews
Iona Abbey is one of Scotland's most historic and sacred sites. Located on the Isle of Iona, just off the Isle of Mull, it was founded by St Columba and his Irish followers in AD 563. As a celebrated focus for Christian pilgrimage, Iona retains its spiritual atmosphere and remains an enduring symbol of worship. The abbey church was restored at the beginning of the 20th century, whilst work on restoring the living accommodation began in 1938, following the foundation of the Iona Community. Today, the Iona Community continues the tradition of worship first established by St Columba 1,450 years ago. To mark the 1,450th anniversary of Columba’s arrival, Iona’s magnificent carved stones have been redisplayed in the Abbey Museum. New interpretation panels, audio guide and souvenir guidebook are also available.
Reviewed By og84 - Los Angeles, California
There are many remote, quiet and very spiritual places in Scotland. This is one of the most famous and certainly one of the oldest sites....it has also received perhaps the most publicity. As a result, it is easy for expectations to outrun the reality. The abbey itself, as abbeys are concerned, is relatively modest in size, but well preserved and restored. Its a relatively short walk of several minutes, slightly uphill (not steep) from the ferry landing to the abbey and monastery buildings. If you time it right, you might be able to enjoy a musical concert (check schedules) in the abbey church, which is well worth your time (limited Seating however). The bookstore and gift shop is surprisingly large for such an attraction and the the number of books available is quite large. Don't skip the museum. If you want to take it all in, its easy to spend five or six hours here. If you want to immerse yourself in the spiritual wormhole that is wrapped around the island, then its best to spend at least a night here bt accommodations are very limited, as are food and beverage options. If you come for the day, in the summer, its best to come over with the very first ferry from Mull to Iona, because the lines waiting to cross over grow rapidly and can be quite long. It is possible to start in Oban in the morning, get to Mull, traverse Mull, cross over to Iona, visit the island, cross back, retrace your steps and get back to Oban, all in one day...but this works only if you take the very first ferry leaving from Oban to Mull, and then contract with one of the few taxi drivers on Mull to meet you at the ferry landing. This way, you can cross Mull and be at the front of the line for ferry to Iona, and maximize the number of hours on Iona before returning. Even with a private vehicle, its a long haul across Mull because the road is only one lane (there are turnouts) but whenever you meet an oncoming vehicle, one of them has to back up to the last turnout. We consider driving on Mull to be quite difficult and stressful, as the road across the island is not in the best of condition and maintenance is aimed more at preserving the rural aspect of the island's lifestyle than providing a smooth and comfortable trip for visitors. Bad weather can make the trip longer. It will cost more, but in our opinion it is worth it, to pay the driver to wait at the Fionnaphort landing while you are on Iona, because many of the drivers live at the other end of the island (Tobermory) not in Craignure or Fionnphort, and a lot of driving is required. You can of course, use the public bus system, but this is a slow and time consuming process. If you are coming on an organized tour, this is also a cumbersome process, as the group can move only as fast as its slowest member. As an individual or a small group, you can move a lot more quickly across the island than the groups and maximize your time on Iona (unless you get caught behind a large bus or a tractor).....its a lot of time and effort and money to get there, its a shame only to be there for an hour or two. Consequently good advance planning is necessary. Considering contacting a taxi or private driver when you are in Oban the night before, so that they are ready and waiting when you get to Mull. The alternative is to spend more time on Mull and make the journey to Iona a multi-day trip. This will also take good advance planning because there are not many accommodations on Mull and as noted, the roads are small and narrow. Note: the Ferries attempt to run on the posted schedules, but weather and tides can impact the sailings, so you will want some "flex" time in your schedule. In particular, the ferry between Iona and Mull doesn't wait for stragglers, and if you are late and miss it, and must wait for the ferry to come back again, it will throw off your entire time schedule. So plan wisely and make sure to have a Plan B. Again, be sure to leave enough time. .
2. St. Columba's Bay
3. St. Oran's Chapel
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 74 reviews
This church, the oldest building on the island, is named after Oran, a convert who was buried alive to sanctify the church grounds.
Reviewed By Scotlover4546
This is a building beside Iona Abbey. The graveyard leading to the Chapel is a fascinating look at the history of the island and the MacCleans.
4. Machair
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 43 reviews
Take a swing at your ball, but try not to hit the grazing sheep: this 18-hole golf course is naturally dramatic and - best of all - free of charge.
Reviewed By John B - Toronto, Canada
It's about a 25 minute walk to the Machair, a wide open grazing ground which is also home to the century old Iona Golf Course. There is a beautiful small bay with beach and plenty of sheep and cows grazing. Watch out for the occasional golfer playing the course - it does have 18 holes and the sheep and cows are relied upon to keep the grass trimmed! If you wish to play pick up a scorecard at the post office in town - it's only £1 and an absolute must to find each hole (many have hidden greens).
5. Iona Nunnery
Overall Ratings
4 based on 65 reviews
Reviewed By Sc0ttishbill - Faro, Portugal
An ancient ruin with some beautiful old stonework which has survived all that the Iona weather can throw at it, but this should be a spiritual experience. Transport yourself back in time and let yourself become a Nun living all of your life in this spartan building as a practical statement of your Faith.
6. St. Oran's Cemetery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 57 reviews
Some of the biggest names in Scottish royalty have been buried here since Scotland's earliest days.
Reviewed By gastronaut_11 - Perth, United Kingdom
After visiting you fully appreciate the location and desire for people to be buried here. The gravestones indicate in detail the history of Iona.
7. Iona Heritage Centre
Overall Ratings
4 based on 47 reviews
Learn about island life over the last few centuries; the fishing and crofting community, school and churches, artists, craftworkers, visitors and memorable events. View old photographs and search the family trees for your ancestors, many of whom emigrated to the New World. There is also information about the geology and wild flowers of Iona. The Heritage Centre's gift shop has a wide range of quality gifts and souvenirs including a good selection of books about Iona.
Reviewed By Catherine M - Glasgow, United Kingdom
I regret to say that it was my first visit to the Heritage Center. A fine, well displayed collection of local things that illustrate the more recent history of Iona; including beautiful unique Iona silver ware. A great place to spend an hour especially if it is raining. Admission is £2.50.
8. Dun 1 Hike
Overall Ratings
5 based on 13 reviews
Reviewed By ThomasClanadventures - rosyth
So head past all the modern christian stuff and head to Dun hill dont bother with the information map at the village as its as accurate as the german intelligence on D Day.
Head along the road north until your directly between the hill and the Mainland of mull. You will see a track heading up the hill. unmarked and hard to follow but not to difficult. Watch out on bad weather as the eastern side of the hill has very large drops. View from the top are stunning and worth the easy trek. If heading of the hill beware that good map and terrain Reading is needed as sheep tracks crisscross the area. Wet feet is guaranteed so good footwear is a must
9. Port Ban Beach
Overall Ratings
5 based on 13 reviews
Reviewed By Jean B - Maybole, United Kingdom
First found Port Ban in 1993 and loved it before even knowing it had a name. Usually you get it to yourself because the day-trippers don't have time for more than the usual round of abbey, St Oran's, shopping and eating. This bonny white beach is the true spirit of Iona - solitude, peace and purity. Don't forget to look for cowrie shells in the tideline!
10. Iona Craft Shop
Overall Ratings
5 based on 12 reviews
Reviewed By Scotlover4546
We stopped here on our way back to the ferry from the Abbey. The shop keeper was friendly and knowledgeable. We picked up several unique gifts including Iona marble that a local had picked up from the beach and they had in the store. It was free to take (but you could give a small donation if you wanted- we did).
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