Discover Skye & the Islands - Discover Scotland: Experience the Best of Scotland - page 494

History
St Columba sailed from Ireland and landed on Iona in 563 before setting out to spread
Christianity throughout Scotland. He established a monastery on the island and it was here
that the Book of Kells - the prize attraction of Dublin's Trinity College - is believed to
have been transcribed. It was taken to Kells in Ireland when Viking raids drove the monks
from Iona.
The monks returned and the monastery prospered until its destruction during the Re-
formation. The ruins were given to the Church of Scotland in 1899, and by 1910 a group
of enthusiasts called the Iona Community ( www.iona.org.uk ) had reconstructed the abbey.
It's still a flourishing spiritual community that holds regular courses and retreats.
Thar She Blows!
The North Atlantic Drift - a swirling tendril of the Gulf Stream - carries warm water into the cold, nutrient-rich
seas off the Scottish coast, resulting in huge blooms of plankton. Small fish feed on the plankton, and bigger fish
feed on the smaller fish, and this huge seafood smorgasbord attracts large numbers of marine mammals, from har-
bour porpoises and dolphins to minke whales and even - though sightings are rare - humpback and sperm whales.
In contrast to Iceland and Norway, Scotland has cashed in on the abundance of minke whales off its coast by em-
bracing whale watching rather than whaling. There are now dozens of operators around the coast offering whale-
watching boat trips lasting from a couple of hours to all day; some have whale-sighting success rates of 95% in
summer.
While seals, porpoises and dolphins can be seen year-round, minke whales are migratory. The best time to see
them is from June to August, with August being the peak month for sightings. The website of the Hebridean Whale
& Dolphin Trust ( www.whaledolphintrust.co.uk ) has lots of information on the species you are likely to see, and
how to identify them.
A booklet titled Is It a Whale? is available from tourist offices and bookshops, and provides tips on identifying
the various species of marine mammal that you're likely to see.
Sights & Activities
Head uphill from the ferry pier and turn right through the grounds of a ruined 13th-cen-
tury nunnery with fine cloistered gardens, and exit at the far end. Across the road is the
Iona Heritage Centre ( 01681-700576; adult/child £2/free; 10.30am-5pm Mon-Sat Apr-Oct) ,
which covers the history of Iona, crofting and lighthouses; the centre's coffee shop serves
delicious home-baked goods.
Turn right here and continue along the road to Reilig Oran , an ancient cemetery that
holds the graves of 48 of Scotland's early kings, including Macbeth, and a tiny