☰Iona Abbey

The abbey standing today is a 20th-century reconstruction of a medieval Benedictine monastery, but the site has been sacred since Columba built his first wooden church here in the 6th century. The nave, cloister, and chapter house have all been carefully restored by the Iona Community, which still maintains a presence on the island. In the grounds stand some of the finest early medieval high crosses in Scotland — St Martin's Cross, dating from around 800 AD, is particularly well preserved. The small museum inside houses a collection of carved stones that would otherwise be weathering away in the open air.