SP01 Iona

Columba or Colmcille was an Irish abbot and missionary evangelist credited with spreading Christianity in what is today Scotland at the start of the Hiberno-Scottish mission. He founded the important abbey on Iona, which became a dominant religious and political institution in the region for centuries. One of the most iconic and sacred places in Scotland, Iona Island attracts thousands of visitors every year, intrigued by the secret legacy of 6th century mystic Irish monk, Columba, who founded a spiritual community here. So famous did the island become as an early international learning center under Columba, it is believed one of the most famous illuminated manuscripts was produced by one of Columba’s fellow monks, the richly-illustrated Book of Kells, now preserved in Trinity College Dublin.