About
Iona Abbey stands on the small Hebridean island where St Columba and 12 companions landed from Ireland in AD 563 and founded one of the most influential monasteries in the British Isles, sending missionaries across northern Britain. The Book of Kells was probably made here. Columba's monastery survived repeated Viking raids, and around 1200 the family of Somerled, King of the Isles, founded the Benedictine abbey, St Oran's Chapel and the Augustinian nunnery, now the most complete nunnery complex in Scotland. The abbey church, rebuilt between the 13th and 16th centuries, was restored as a living place of worship, and the Iona Community, formed in 1938, holds daily services open to all. The Abbey Museum keeps Scotland's finest collection of early medieval carved stones and crosses, while St Martin's Cross still stands outside after more than 1,200 years. Ancient kings are said to lie in the Reilig Odhráin. Reviewers love the calm of the cloisters. Cross on the five-minute public ferry from Fionnphort on Mull.
Check today’s timesPick a day for times and prices
- Until 24 Dec
- Mon–Sat 10:00–16:00, last entry 15:15
- 25 Dec–7 Jan
- Mon–Thu 10:00–16:00, last entry 15:15
- 8 Jan–31 Mar
- Mon–Sat 10:00–16:00, last entry 15:15
Later dates are in the calendar.
Today, Saturday 24 October
- Iona Abbey and Nunnery10:00 – 16:00last entry 15:15
Prices, non-members
| Ticket | On the day | Online |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | £11.00 | £10.00 |
| Concession | £9.00 | £8.00 |
| Child | £5.50 | £5.00 |
Opening times may change at short notice.
1 April to 30 September Monday to Saturday 9.30am to 5.30pm and Sunday 12.30pm to 5.30pm; 1 October to 31 March Monday to Saturday 10am to 4pm, closed Sundays; last entry 45 minutes before closing; closed 25 and 26 December and 1 and 2 January. The abbey may close at short notice when the ferry is disrupted. Historic Scotland's webstore asks for all visits to be booked in advance to guarantee entry. The site phone line is down; email ionaabbey.vo@hes.scot. The Iona Community's services in the Abbey Church are open to all, and some rooms are closed because it is a working church.
A gravel drive runs from the ticket office to the buildings; step-free access to the Abbey Church nave is through the cloister entrance, with two steps up to the crossing and more to the east end. The shop has a narrow ramped doorway. There are no toilets on site; the nearest are at the Iona Community shop just north of the ticket office, and at the Fionnphort slipway. Bikes can be left safely on site. No cafe or audio guide; there are places to eat on the island. The ticket also covers the nunnery, about 400 m south in the village.
Photo: Iona Abbey's church and tower with the restored monastic buildings, seen across the Sound of Iona below the island's rocky hills. Reading Tom, CC BY 2.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Iona_Abbey_(32176081278).jpg. Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0. Resized and cropped for display; derivatives retain the source licence.
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