Iona Abbey and Nunnery

About the museum

Iona is the place where St Columba and a group of companions arrived from Ireland in AD 563 and founded a monastery. It grew into one of the most influential Christian centres in the British Isles and sent missionaries into northern Britain. Pilgrims have travelled to the island since the 7th century.

In the mid-12th century Somerled, ancestor of the MacDonald Lords of the Isles, became a patron of Iona. His son Ranald re-founded the community as a Benedictine abbey around 1200, and an Augustinian nunnery was set up nearby. Monastic life ended with the Reformation of 1560, and by the late 19th century the church and monastic buildings were roofless ruins.

Restoration began in 1899 when the ruins passed to the Iona Cathedral Trust, and from 1938 the abbey was rebuilt with the help of the newly founded Iona Community, which still uses the site. Care of the abbey, nunnery and related sites passed to Historic Scotland in 2000, and the abbey reopened in 2021 after a major renovation. The Abbey Museum, in the medieval infirmary at the rear of the abbey, shows early medieval carved stones and crosses that once stood on the island, including the restored St John's Cross.

Highlights

• Abbey church and cloister, restored in the 20th century
• Abbey Museum with early medieval carved stones and crosses
• St Columba's Shrine beside the abbey church door
• Medieval nunnery ruins close to the ferry landing
• Reilig Odhráin, the burial ground of clan chiefs and kings

Permanent exhibition

• Abbey Museum – Early medieval carved stones and crosses from Iona, including three of the four tall crosses of the 8th and 9th centuries that once stood near the abbey.

Founded

1964

Operated by

Historic Environment Scotland

Admission & discounts

Prices shown are the online prices; on the day the adult ticket costs £11 and the concession £9. Members of Historic Environment Scotland enter free, as do Explorer Pass holders (booking required). Members of English Heritage, Cadw and Manx National Heritage get free or discounted entry. Up to two carers per transaction enter free.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Step-free access to the nave of the abbey church is through the cloister entrance; inside there are steps at the crossing and towards the east end. A gravel driveway leads from the ticket office to the buildings, and the shop is reached through a narrow ramped doorway. The abbey is about 600 m uphill from the ferry pier on a single-track road; a local taxi can carry folded wheelchairs. There are no toilets on site; the nearest are at the Iona Community shop just north of the ticket office. Assistance dogs are allowed in all roofed areas.

Kids & families

Family tickets are available.

Getting there & parking

The walk from the ferry pier to the abbey is uphill along a single-track road. A taxi service is available on the island.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

A shop is on site. Secure bicycle parking is provided.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit