Abbeys
in Argyll and Bute.

It’s 01:33 in Argyll and Bute.

Argyll and Bute

Iona and Lismore.

Two of Scotland's oldest holy places are in Argyll. On Iona, the restored abbey stands on the site of the monastery St Columba founded in 563, from which Christianity spread across Scotland. On Lismore, the parish church was once the cathedral of Argyll, on the spot where St Moluag is said to have landed. Both islands are peaceful and reached by short ferry crossings. Leave time to walk.

Abbey of the dayJust now

St Moluag’s Cathedral.

Lismore's parish church, once the cathedral of Argyll, on the spot where St Moluag founded his monastery.

Read about it

LunchJust now

Isle of IonaSt Columba Larder200 yards

Argyll and ButeNinth Wave Restaurant1.3 miles

Argyll and ButeThe Boathouse13.6 miles

Lunch near Iona Abbey.

The three good places closest to it: St Columba Larder, Ninth Wave Restaurant and The Boathouse.

See Iona Abbey

From our guideJust now

St Conan’s Kirk.

The story goes that architect Walter Douglas Campbell built this exquisite, now Grade A-listed kirk for his elderly mother, who couldn’t manage the long drive to the parish church in Taynuilt after the family settled on Innis Chonain, an island in Loch Awe connected by bridge to the mainland. Initially simple in design, the structure became increasingly intricate as he devoted his life to crafting a range of ecclesiastical details from across Scotland rather than limiting himself to the Norman or Romanesque styles. After he died in 1914, his sister Helen took on the project, and it was finally completed by their trustees.

See the place

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