A small Hebridean island off western Scotland revered as the cradle of Christianity in the country since Columba founded a monastery there in 563 CE.
Geography
Iona lies one kilometer off the southwestern tip of the Isle of Mull. Its low, treeless surface of pink Lewisian gneiss and white shell-sand beaches is among the most ancient rock formations in the British Isles.
History
Irish monk Columba landed on Iona in 563 CE and made it the center of Celtic Christianity. The Book of Kells, a richly illuminated 9th-century Gospel manuscript, is believed to have been begun on Iona.
Royal Burials
According to tradition, 48 Scottish kings including Macbeth and Duncan are buried in the Reilig Odhrain cemetery beside the restored medieval abbey.
Find more islands by letter
Iona starts with I and ends with A. Browse other islands along the same letter.
Islands that contain a letter from "Iona":