“Inch” is the word for “island” in Gaelic. Legend has it that a saint named Colm first settled on this tiny island. Alexander 1 sought shelter here from a storm in 1123, and vowed to build an altar there. The work was begun by his brother King David after Alaxander’s death. At the time the Abbey was build in the thirteenth century, the story was that St. Columba, who settled on Iona with his band of monks, had also come here. Seems there is no historical evidence that he came this far east. But this Abbey and the one on Iona were founded in same time frame, circa 1200, this one Augustinian ( religious order recognized in 11th c., with rule based on writing of St Augustine of Hippo, d. 430), and Iona Benedictine (followed the Rule of St. Benedict of Nursia, 480-560, founder of Abbey of Monte Cassino, Italy). The nunnery on Iona also dates from 1200 and was Augustinian. This is the best-preserved ruin of all the thirteenth-century monasteries – the Abbey at Iona has essentially been rebuilt, and the nunnery there as only foundation and some walls. Seeing this Abbey gives me better idea of how Iona nunnery might have looked in its day. The last photo shows people waving from the tower. I wanted to go up, but there is unbelievable narrow winding staircase (not depicted here, too dark to take good photo), and someone shouted to me from below – she started to go up it – not to try it, too scary.
I want to go there!