Accessibility

Font Size

100% 150% 200%

Background Colour

Default Contrast
Close Reset

Archaeology Notes

Event ID 673177

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/673177

NM22SE 5 28683 24515

NM22SE 5.01 NM 2871 2453 Abbey Museum Museum

NM22SE 5.02 NM 2870 2451 'Michael Chapel' Chapel

NM22SE 5.03 NM 2867 2451 Crosses, cross-slabs

NM22SE 5.04 NM 28678 24544 Abbot's House

For coin hoard found in Iona Abbey (NM 2865 2451), see NM22SE 2. For Iona, Early Christian Monastery (NM 286 244) and related crosses, see NM22SE 4.00. For Iona Nunnery (NM 2843 2410), see NM22SE 14.

(NM 286 245) St Mary's Cathedral (NR) (In Ruins)

OS 6" map (1900)

A modern restoration of the Benedictine Abbey whose church became the Cathedral of the Bishops of the Isles in 1499.

The Abbey was founded before 9th December 1203 when a papal letter confirmed its possessions to the abbot and convent. The monastery was dedicated to St Columba - as witness a papal letter of 1247 addressed to "the abbot of the monastery of St Columba of the order of Saint Benedict" - and the church to St Mary. It is said to have been damaged by a reforming mob in 1561 and by the end of the 17th century, the buildings were in ruins. Since the end of the 19th century, the whole complex has been restored, first by the Duke of Argyll and since 1938 by the Iona Community.

The abbey is unusual but not unique in having its monastic buildings to the north of the church, presumably because of the water supply, and in having three detached buildings. Those on the east - now the Michael Chapel (NM 2870 2451) and the Museum (NM 2871 2453) - may have been a chapel and the infirmary while that on the west (NM 2564 2452) was the Old Guest House.

The church shows evidence of alterations and additions but since all are made with the same type of red granite they are difficult to date. A suggested building history could be a Romanesque church built about 1190, an eastern building or additon in the 13th century, a rebuilding or enlarging about 1420 and a final refurbishing about 1500. An added complication is the fact that the lines of a cruciform church, smaller and earlier than the Abbey, underlie it and may date from the late 12th century.

The square precinct wall of the Benedictine monastery has been defined by excavation. It ran between the monastery and Tor Abb and a gateway was exposed with Sraid nam Marbh running through. Thomas says it was essentially that which stood until about 1860.

D E Easson 1957; W F Skene 1875; D MacGibbon and T Ross 1897; D M Wilson and D G Hurst 1968; A C Thomas 1959; R Reece, undated

As described. No definite trace of the precinct wall could be found although a wall running S from the "Guest House" may represent the remains.

Visited by OS (RD) 9 June 1972

Limited excavation took place while a hole to house the underground plantroom for a new heating system was machine dug to the E of the Abbey. Layers and features, including a stone-linked drain, were noted and sampled. Finds of pottery, iron and animal bone were made.

A Haggarty 1983

NM 286 245 An assessment was undertaken at Iona Abbey in September 2002 in order to advise on potential damage to archaeological features in advance of disabled access being constructed. Three trenches were excavated: two within the main entrance passageway, and the third to the E inside the abbey. The trenches were excavated down to archaeologically significant features but did not remove them, thereby giving an indication of the depth of material that could be safely removed during the construction.

Archive to be deposited in the NMRS.

Sponsor: HS

G Ewart and A Radley 2002

Archaeological monitoring was undertaken in July 2004 during the partial demolition and reconstruction of a disabled access ramp into the cloisters. The ramp consisted primarily of the existing underlying rubble used to construct the former stepped access, running E-W from the main entrance and terminating at the cloisters. No finds of archaeological significance were made.

Archive to be deposited in the NMRS.

Sponsor: Historic Scotland

C Shaw 2004

People and Organisations

References