St. Columba...

...ministered to the Picts in the early middle ages. Iona had long been regarded as a spiritual place, even before the time of Columba so it makes perfect sense that he would choose this wild and beautiful island.

He was from royal lineage in County Donegal and was a member of the O'Neils of Ulster, one of Ireland's ruling dynasties. He was a man of influence and had trained to be a monk. Before coming to Iona, Columba founded monasteries in Ireland before leaving for Iona in AD563.

The kingdom of Dalriada was a Gaelic speaking realm and stretched from the west of Scotland (Argyll) to the north east of Ireland (Donegal). In the year AD 563 Columba journeyed from Loch Foyle with twelve clansmen to establish a religious foundation in Argyll with the King of Dalriada, Conall MacComhgalls help. Conall gifted the Isle of Iona to Columba and his followers. Iona was ideal in practical terms of defense, agriculture and raw materials and the monks on Iona formed a self sufficient community maintaining a tannery, iron and wood workshops. The land produced plentiful grain and fodder. They hunted deer on neighboring Mull and caught seals around the shores of Iona, a valuable source for oil for lamps.

Columba was a renowned writer and scholar of his day; this led to a tradition of the written word and all things scholarly on Iona.

Two hundred years after Columbas' death, the monks, true to tradition, commenced work on an illuminated transcription of the gospels, an item of rare beauty. When Viking raids started this treasure was transferred to a new monastery in Kells, County Meath, Ireland where it was completed. The book is now known as the Book of Kells.

The Viking raids in the 9th century included the pillage and looting of Iona on several occasions and eventually Iona was abandoned until a Benedictine monastery was started in the 12th century.

Although a great traveller and statesman, Columba was also a dedicated church leader and spent most of his last years on Iona.