When I embarked on a Celtic Christian Pilgrimage to Iona, Scotland with Culture Honey Touring, I pondered the words of Esther de Waal – “To be on a pilgrimage is to move into a world where the dividing line between past and present, between this world and the next, between what we call sacred and what we call secular, dissolves. The outward journey is also a journey inwards.”
Iona is a small remote island in the Inner Hebrides off the western coast of Scotland
with a population of around 170 permanent residents. For our group of travelers, the journey from various parts of the world was a long one, requiring travel by “trains, planes, and automobiles” and also two ferries! Whatever our reasons for joining this pilgrimage, we all shared a desire for spiritual transformation.
Although no religious background is required to participate, the pilgrimage is presented from the Celtic Christian perspective practiced here between the 5th and 12th centuries. Using Celtic-themed literature, there is an emphasis on the importance of nature, and the belief that all living things are sacred. Celtic spirituality places great importance on the idea of “thin places,” where the boundary between the physical and spiritual worlds is believed to be at its thinnest. Iona is considered one of those places.
Our pilgrimage began in Glasgow, Scotland, where we spent the day in this friendly city exploring St. Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art, and Glasgow Cathedral, the oldest medieval cathedral in mainland Scotland. After getting to know one another over a delicious traditional Scottish meal, we settled in for the night at our hotel steps away from historic George Square, the city’s main plaza. The following day we would continue our journey to Iona with a three-hour train ride north to the picturesque port city of Oban.
The scenery resembled a Brothers Grimm fairy tale as we passed through rolling hills lush with vegetation, beautiful lakes, flowing streams, and waterfalls. I gazed dreamily out the train window wondering if the ancient castle we passed in the distance was real or a mirage. In Oban, we boarded a ferry to the island of Mull where we planned to catch a bus to the other side of the island and yet another ferry to Iona. Our adventure began when we arrived in Mull and realized we missed the last bus of the day.
After calling Tony’s Taxis advertised on a colorful sign at the ferry dock, Tony, a middle-aged jolly Scotsman quickly came to our rescue. He took pride in showing us the sights as he navigated the one-lane road across the island. At times it was necessary to pull over on a small shoulder to allow the occasional car approaching from the other direction pass by. We passed small family farms and acres of farmland while Tony slowly and skillfully dodged sheep and cows crossing the road.
After a full day of travel, our ferry approached the island of Iona with a view of the iconic Iona Abbey in the distance. Nothing could have prepared me for the beauty and solitude that awaited in this small close-knit island community. Passing a few shops by the ferry dock, we walked to the St. Columba Hotel which would be our warm and comfortable lodging for the next three nights. Named after St. Columba who founded the monastery on Iona in AD 563, the hotel is one of only two on the island, and is owned by a group of locals eager to help you experience the island they know and love.
In the restored Iona Abbey, majestically built of granite and slate, it is here that the world-famous Book of Kells was written more than 1,200 years ago. The abbey is still used for worship today amongst the ecumenical Iona Community, new-comers, and visitors. The Abbey Museum houses Scotland’s finest collection of early medieval carved stones and crosses. Nearby, the remains of the medieval Augustinian Iona Nunnery founded in 1200 is an impressive reminder of the women who also lived and worshiped here.
When not attending a service at the abbey or touring the historic sites, our group spent our days in guided reflection or walking in the path that pilgrims have taken since the 7th century.
St. Oran’s Chapel, Iona’s oldest intact structure dating back to the 12th century, is a small one-room stone structure that is otherworldly and open for quiet reflection. It is particularly well-suited for chanting verse and song, creating an all-encompassing echo that reverberates in your heart long after the chant is over.
In my free time I set out alone on foot to experience the untouched natural beauty this island provides.
The island is only 1.5 miles wide by 3 miles long and can easily be navigated in a day. Only two roads traverse the island perpendicular to each other and one can walk from shore to shore enjoying the song of birds and colorful wild flowers, while viewing the sheep and cows dotting the green pastures along the way.
Hiking to the top of Dun I, (pronounced Dun Eee) in Gaelic means the “Hill of Iona” which is only 110m above sea level, one can have a 360 degree view of Iona and the surrounding islands and ocean beyond.
The windswept white sand and aquamarine water views at North End Beach makes for a great place to walk along the rugged coastline. The white and green colored Iona marble can be found amongst the pebbles along the shore at St. Columba’s Bay, and is said that to carry one in your pocket is protection against drowning.
Worship at the Iona Abbey was a transcending heart-warming experience as we sat beside regular local parishioners of the Iona Community. The service was led by women and men alike using the Iona Abbey Worship Book. A cantor taught the harmony and melody of the hymns and everyone was encouraged to participate. The joyous singing resonated off the stone walls of the abbey creating a truly religious experience. I thought about how many centuries this holy place has housed people in worship as I joined my fellow congregants in song.
It is this memory of acceptance and awe that I shared with the Iona Community while singing in the abbey that has stayed with me long after I left this sacred place.
It is a spiritual feeling unrivaled by anything I have experienced at home before or since. No words can better sum up how I feel about my pilgrimage to Iona better than this verse we sang together from the hymn “All Are Welcome” on our last night – “all are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place!”
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