Martyrs Bay is just south of the village and pier. The derivation of its name is not certain. If the original name was Port nam Mairtear, it may allude to the slaughter of monks in one of the Norse raids of the 9th century. Or the word ‘mairtear’ may be a corruption of ‘martra (relics)’, commemorating the time when Colmcille’s relics had to be taken away for safekeeping. The bay did play an important part in funeral ceremonies: it was here that the coffins were brought in by boat and rested on the Ealadh – a small grassy knoll at the back of the bay. They were borne along the Street of the Dead, which began here, to the graveyard and Abbey.
The Nunnery was built at about the same time as the Benedictine Abbey – in the 13th century – by Reginald, son of Somerled, Lord of the Isles. His sister Bethoc was the first prioress.
Bethoc followed the Rule of St Augustine. Iona had one of only two Augustinian nunneries in Scotland (the other was in Perth) but there were many more in Ireland. It is likely that many of the first nuns were Irish. In Gaelic the nunnery was known as An Eaglais Dhubh (The Black Church), perhaps called this because of the nuns’ black clothing.
The Nunnery, with its cloister and church. is like a smaller version of Iona’s Abbey. The remains show what the Nunnery church – and Abbey – looked like in the 13th century. The best-preserved parts of the church are on the north and west side
The site would have originally included guest accommodation, a dormitory, a refectory and a meeting space – the Chapter House. The nuns also had land to the south of Loch Staonaig in the centre of the island and on other islands nearby which would have brought them some income.
A fine graveslab commemorating Prioress Anna Maclean who died in 1543 is on display at the Abbey Museum.
A cobbled track runs between St Martin’s Cross and the wall of the graveyard. This is the only visible portion of ‘The Street of the Dead’, a medieval pilgrimage route used for funeral processions.
St Oran’s Chapel is the oldest ecclesiastical building on Iona, and dates from the 12th century. It may have been built as a family tomb for the MacDonalds, a great ruling family of the period.
The Chapel was in ruins by the early 17th century, and was restored in 1957.
Reilig Odhrain – Oran’s Graveyard – predates the chapel, and one tradition holds that it was an early burial place of kings, but evidence for this is scarce. West Highland Chiefs adn warriors were certainly buried here, and their graveslabs may be seen in the Museum and Cloisters.
Oran may have been a relative of Colmcille, but he was not listed by Adomnan as one of the Saint’s first companions on Iona. Only much later medieval legend links Oran with this graveyard.
The Vallum marked the boundary of the Colmcille’s monastery on Iona. It is formed by two embankments on either side of a deep ditch. This raised ground is 335 metres long by 152 metres wide. ‘Vallum’ comes from the Latin word for the fortifications of a camp but this was not a defensive wall.
Within the Vallum there were beehive huts made of wood and turf (some with stone foundations); a small church; sleeping accommodation for the monks; a refectory for meals and a guesthouse. Beyond the Vallum, the monks had fields, farm buildings and workshops.
There are no visible remains of the first monastery here – it was probably on the site of the Abbey Church – also called the Cathedral of St Mary. There was a strong devotion to Mary on Iona – Cú Chuimhne of Iona wrote what is probably the earliest hymn to the Virgin by a Gael and images of Mary appear on stones carved on the island.
The Annals of Ulster record that the monastery at Iona was raided in 794. After several attacks in the following years, most of the monks left the island and the mother-house of Columba’s monastery moved to Kells in Ireland.
The Book of Kells was probably started in Iona and completed in Kells and is a testimony to the artistry and skills of the Iona monks who worked on it. Colmcille’s remains which had been kept in Iona were divided in 849 – some were taken to Kells and some to the Perthshire cathedral of Dunkeld.
Despite the violent Viking attacks, some monks remained in Iona. By the late 9th century Viking princes were being baptised and Iona was once again becoming an important focus for the followers of Columba.
The Benedictine Abbey Church you see today was founded in 1203 by Reginald MacDonald, son of Somerled who was founder of a Gaelic-Norse dynasty known as the Lords of the Isles. The Abbey thrived for over 300 years and linked itself closely to Colmcille and his powerful position in the early medieval church. The Abbey fell into decline before the Reformation and fell into ruins until a major restoration was completed in 1910. There is little left of the original 13th century building.
Jutting out from the wall, just North of the Abbey’s main door, is a tiny chapel named St Columba’s Shrine. There is evidence that the site was used for burials in medieval times and it is possibly where Colmcille himself was buried.
The Abbey museum contains the original crosses of St Oran and St John and many fine carved stone graveslabs.
Colmcille arrived on Iona in 563 having left Derry in Ireland.
According to tradition, Colmcille looked for a place to build his monastery where he would not be able to see his homeland – hence his choice of Iona.
He also needed to find a place where he could live and work in peace. Iona belonged to the ruling Dál Riata who controlled large areas of Argyll and the northeast of Ireland. Conall, king of the Dál Riata, possibly gave Colmcille permission to build his monastery on this land.
Colmcille’s monastery grew to become the centre of a network of religious settlements across Argyll, the outer islands and beyond to Pictland and the northern English monastery at Lindisfarne. This familia of monks and clergy owed their allegiance to Colmcille and the men who succeeded him as Abbot of Iona.
The High Crosses
Outside the Abbey, you can see St Martin’s Cross. There are the remains of four ancient high crosses on Iona, dedicated to St Martin, St Matthew, St John and St Oran.
The crosses may mark the site of the ancient church on Iona and Colmcille’s grave. They were possibly used as markers for pilgrims progressing along the route to Colmcille’s shrine inside the Abbey.
Only St Martin’s Cross – made between 750 and 800 – still stands here complete and on its original site. Nearby is a replica of St John’s Cross. The original St John’s Cross, plus the reconstructed St Oran’s Cross and St Matthew’s Cross, are part of an impressive new display in the Abbey Museum, re-opened in June 2013.
The monks of Iona may have had a particular devotion to St Martin. The saint was a Roman soldier in the 4th century but had a vision of Christ and become a conscientious objector. He became Bishop of Tours but also lived a life of austerity among cave-dwelling hermits. St Martin represented a religious ideal for the monks of Iona – he held an important position in the church while leading a life of poverty and simplicity.
The west face of St Martin’s Cross is decorated with scenes from the Bible including the Virgin and Child, Daniel in the Lions’ Den, David and Goliath, and David with Saul. The east face is decorated with bosses and interwoven serpents, typical decorative symbols of Christian carving of this period.
The popularity of St Martin is reflected in place names all over Scotland – including Kilmartin in mid-Argyll meaning ‘St Martin’s Church’ and the dedication of the 8th century church in Whithorn, Dumfries & Galloway, to the saint.
Tòrr an Aba – Abbot’s Hill
Archaeologists discovered the remains of a small beehive cell on this small hillock known as Tòrr an Aba close to St Martin’s Cross.
This may have been Colmcille’s writing hut, as described by Adomnán,
About a little ink-horn foolishly tipped over.
One day, shouting was heard from the other side of the Sound of Iona. The saint was sitting in his raised wooden hut and heard this, saying:
“The man who is shouting across the Sound is too careless to watch what he is doing. Today he will tip over my little horn and spill the ink.”
His servant Diarmait heard him say this and for a while he stood by the door waiting for the clumsy guest to arrive so that he could keep him away from the ink-horn. But soon he moved away for some other purpose, and then the troublesome visitor arrived. As he went forward to kiss the saint, he upset the horn with the edge of his garment and spilt the ink.
Life of St Columba by Adomnán of Iona, Book I Story 27
Adomnán describes Colmcille as using two separate buildings during his daily life – a writing hut and a hut where he slept ‘where at night instead of straw he had bare rock and stone for a pillow’.
Southend is said to be Colmcille’s first landing place in Scotland. He left Derry on the north coast of Ireland in 563 with 12 companions and landed here before heading up the Argyll coast to meet the king of the Dál Riata.
On a small mound to the west of the village there are two footprints set in a stone slab. According to tradition this marks where Colmcille first set foot on Scottish soil.
By sea, it is only 13 miles to the northeast coast of Ireland. On a clear day there are views to the fields and hills of Antrim.
Heading out of Southend towards High Keil, you will find a graveyard set around the ruins of the 13th century St Columba’s Chapel.
Just beyond the chapel, a path leads up to a small hillock. At the top two footprints have been cut into the rock.
One footprint is ancient and may have been used during the inauguration ceremonies of kings. The new king would have placed his foot in the hole as a sign that he would follow in the footsteps of his ancestors and that he was committing himself to the land.
Footprints like these have been found in sites all over Europe including Dunadd where there is another stone footprint linked to the kings of the Dál Riata.
The second footprint was carved into the rock in the mid 19th century.
The remains of St Columba’s chapel are mostly 13th and 14th century although people probably worshipped here before that date. There are medieval grave slabs on the floor of the chapel.
No-one knows exactly why Colmcille left Ireland. Writing 100 years after Colmcille’s death, his biographer Adomnán wrote,
‘Two years after the battle of Cul Drebene [when] the holy man first set sail from Ireland to be a pilgrim’
So one theory is that he left Ireland to be a Christian missionary. Legends also suggest that Colmcille was involved in a dispute over copyright which lead him to leave. Others say that he was so ashamed at his involvement with the Battle of Cul Dreimne in 561 that he felt compelled never to set foot on Irish soil again. There is also a tradition that he wanted to found his monastery in a place where he could not see Ireland.
Dunaverty rock and castle
Just south of the village of Southend there is a steep unusually-shaped headland with the remains of a castle probably dating from medieval times.
The first written record of a fortress here comes from the Annals of Ulster. The Annals describe a battle involving the king of the Dál Riata in 712.
The site is best known for a siege which took place in 1647 when 300 people were massacred.
This peaceful location on the shores of Loch Caolisport is said to be where Colmcille stopped for a few days on his journey north from Ireland in 563.
He was seeking a meeting with the local king, Conall mac Comgall, whose chief fort was about 15 miles from here at Dunadd. According to tradition Conall agreed at this meeting to let Colmcille use the island of Iona to create his monastic settlement.
The chapel and cave are only a few metres from the sea loch. The chapel is ruined and overgrown. The cave is almost hidden from view behind the chapel. Follow the path through the grass to the back of the chapel to find the cave.
Colmcille’s cave is 5 metres wide and 18 metres deep, large enough to accommodate a group of people.
On the east side there is a shelf supporting an altar. Above the altar there is a cross carved into the wall. An oval basin has been formed in the rock which would have held holy water.
You may find that visitors to the cave have left offerings on the altar. This is one of the few sites in the area that is used by pilgrims in this way.
more detail…
Archaeologists have made finds in this cave dating back to the Mesolithic period (10,000- 4,500BC) – the Middle Stone Age. A stone coffin and two shallow graves have also been discovered here.
The chapel of St Mary at Kilmory Knap is on the east side of Loch Sween. Kilmory means ‘the Church of (St) Mary’. From here there are clear views across to the island of Islay and Jura.
It was built in the first half of the 13th century and now houses a collection of early and late medieval gravestones and cross-slabs which used to be in the church and graveyard.
This site doesn’t have a particular link with the story of Colmcille. But it does reflect the very long Christian heritage of this area. The stonemasons who carved these stones had travelled from Ireland to work in Iona.
For centuries, people lived on and by the sea – and ideas, stories and reputations spread easily. The sea lochs and waters of the western isles were the highways travelled by Colmcille, his followers and successors as they did their missionary work.
The chapel was never a parish church. It was part of the parish of Knapdale with the main church at Keills across the water of Loch Sween.
By road, it is nearly 24 miles between the two places of worship. By sea, it is more like 3 miles. This is a landscape where sea travel has always been much easier and quicker than travel over land.
Inside the church there is a collection of early Christian cross slabs and late medieval graveslabs and standing crosses from the 14th to 16th centuries.
Apart from the east gable, the chapel walls have survived. Inside, a single recess in the east wall is the only remaining part of the original interior.
The chapel houses crosses and graveslabs, many of which were found in the graveyard here at Kilmory Knap.
Stones like these are found in sites all across the western Highlands and Argyll. The oldest ones were carved by stonemasons who travelled from Ireland to Iona in the 14th century to work on the Abbey buildings.
Crosses were put up as a sign of devotion rather than as markers for graves.
The graveslabs would have been laid flat on top of the grave. Each grave would have been used for several generations of the same family.
The stone was quarried locally – up the road between Kilmory Knap and Castle Sween.
Many of the stones are carved with Christian symbols, abstract patterns or images of contemporary life.
Keills Chapel sits up on a peninsular stretching out along the west side of Loch Sween. It dates from the 13th century but it is thought that people began worshipping here in the 8th century.
As with Kilmory Knap Chapel across Loch Sween, this chapel does not have a direct link to the story of Colmcille. But it does show that Christians were living here during the centuries after his death.
The chapel is home to a large collection of early and late medieval stones. The most striking is the Keills Cross which stands 2 metres tall.
From the chapel, there are stunning views of the sea loch and the islands of Islay and Jura.
With its simple rectangular shape, the chapel is similar to many built in the Western Highlands. The walls would have been covered both inside and outside with render and possibly some painted decoration.
The Keills Cross dates from the late 8th or early 9th century, reflecting the presence of Christian worshippers on this site.
The cross is carved on one side only. Four lions surround a central circular boss with St Michael represented above and a seated saint sitting below, at the top of the shaft. Below there are panels of interlace decoration and leaf scrolls.
There are graveslabs and crosses on display inside the chapel. Many are carved with decorative patterns, swords and symbols linked to the people commemorated in the stonework.
The Keills Cross was originally positioned on the slope beside the chapel. A replica marks the position of the cross, northwest of the chapel.
Kilmartin Glen is the site of more than 350 ancient monuments. These sites – which include 150 prehistoric monuments – lie within a six-mile radius of Kilmartin village.
Yet this area has also played an important role in Scotland’s early Christian heritage. Just 5 miles south of here at Dunadd, the kings of the Dál Riata had their stronghold. Colmcille is said to have visited the king not long after he had left Derry, perhaps to seek permission to build his monastery in Iona.
The graveyard of Kilmartin Church has a collection of 79 early Christian and medieval carved stones which can be found in the graveyard and a building by the side of the church. Two carved crosses are kept inside the church.
Kilmartin is Gaelic for ‘the church of (St) Martin’. Colmcille’s biographer, Adomnán, records that Colmcille’s monks paid particular devotion to St Martin. The library at Iona probably contained a copy of a 5th century Life of St Martin.
The earliest grave slab here dates from the 13th century but Christians were living and worshipping in this area long before that date.
Stones produced by the same group of sculptors have been found throughout the West Highlands and Argyll. The oldest of these were made on Iona by stonemasons who had come to the monastic settlement from Ireland. But they were not the only group of craftsmen and artists producing these stones. Among others, there was a group of sculptors working at Loch Awe in the late 14th-late 15th centuries, about 5 or 6 miles from here.
The two Kilmartin Crosses are kept in Kilmartin Church. The earlier cross dates from sometime around the 9th-10th century and the other is late medieval.
The grave slabs were laid on the ground and would have been used to mark the burial site of more than one generation of the same family. No names are recorded so it is not known who was buried under these slabs but they were probably from local ruling families.
There are decorative themes and patterns which reoccur on the stones. There are often warrior figures and weapons including long spears and swords. Mythological beasts or hunting animals are also carved into the stones. You can also see Celtic interlace patterns and symbols.
The stones are arranged in chronological order with the earliest on your left as you enter the room. Other collections of grave slabs can be found in Keills and Kilmory Knap, further south from here.
