Isle of Iona : How to get the most out your visit to this beautiful Scottish Island

If you want to know how to get the most out of your trip to the Island of Iona, just of the Isle of Mull, then join us as we take the ferry from Fionnphort and spend one full day exploring this beautiful Island on foot!
We climb Dun I, the highest point on the island, we discover its many stunning beaches, we try coffee from St Columba Larder and we also look round Iona Abbey.
How many miles do we end up walking on Iona? Watch to the end to find out!
Filmed in October 2022
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[@asacraig9876]

KZbin suggested this video, and it made me ache for Iona. I've been many times before, but always yearn for that little island when I'm away from it. What I'd suggest is go back again and spend a few days there. You need at least 3 days to get a real feel of the place and discover all its hidden beauty. Alas, you missed the most breathtaking beach on the whole island... and you were so close! Had you carried on walking another 5 minutes from the machair, you would have found Port Ban beach which is stunningly beautiful! (PS machair is pronounced mak-air, and refers to the grass area by the beach, which is called the Bay At The Back Of The Ocean) 😀

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Thank you so much for watching, we really appreciate your comments. Unfortunately, we only had the day on Iona, as we had a more permanent accommodation for the week on Mull. We will definitely go in search of your beach the next time we go. Many thanks, Simon and Elaine

[@AbeedBasheer]

Beautiful Scottish Island

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Thank you so much...

[@mustangmagster]

Wow great to see this in my recommended videos.. Cape Breton Island Nova Scotia here with roots in Scotland with a middle name of Iona ❤ thanks for sharing.

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Thank you so much for watching and commenting, kindest regards, Simon and Elaine

[@luckyjanetravel]

so amazing place it's very good air great view wow! wonderful church

[@epicmomentsna9127]

Fantastic experience! Super interesting tour! Greetings 😁👌🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️🎅🌲🌲

[@renisrecipes]

Thanks for sharing 👍 Like 53

[@BackroadExploits]

Thanks so much for finding my channel! Thoroughly enjoyed this video and I certainly will return for more content!! Beautiful area and boy did you put the miles on! I said that to myself as you were filming, they surely are racking up some good exercise. Beautiful Abbey and enjoyed seeing the countryside very much.

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Thank you so much, we have new content in the New Year, continuing our Scottish adventures, kind regards, Simon

[@cristinacastilloobrien7052]

Beautiful. Lovely abbey and nunnery.

[@AlphaTraveler1]

The areas are wonderful. Love seeing the drone footage. LIKE 22. 👍👍👍👍

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Thank you so much 👍

[@PlanetImo]

I love going on ferries!

[@HikeCamp]

Very few places in this side of the pond that you need a ferry to get to another part of it... Lots of bridges but few ferries. But that does look quite fun. The white sand is pretty. Looks like you were the only ones braving the wind.. 11 miles a decent walk indeed.

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Thanks Max, it was a highlight of our time in Scotland

[@ikichannelhiburan]

the adventure of visiting a beautiful island.. Also seen the ruins of the Lona Nunnery, founded in the 1200s and other buildings. ...

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Thank you so much, very kind...

[@travisreed5965]

Excellent Intro - Freezing Cool But Thanx For Stepping Out - Righteous Tunes For The Pot Of Gold - Well Done You Two Cheers

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Many thanks Travis

[@JoeCoachTV]

I enjoyed a fantastic and interesting journey on your channel. Thanks my friend!!👍48

[@duyquocletravel]

Một hoàn đảo xinh đẹp trên bờ Bienr Scotland nơi lý tưởng để tận hưởng cuộc sống tuyệt vời, chúc bạn tôi luôn mạnh khỏe🌹🌹🌹

[@libmananchannel]

Hello "unowho travel channel"! it's amazing! Thanks for the very nice video! I saw it with great interest! Great! Thanks for the inspiration! Merry Christmas! Have a nice day!

[@PlanetImo]

I liked the look of those ancient carved stones in the Abbey.

[@introkoreawalkingtour4572]

t's a cool and sincere video. I always thank you and support you. My friend!!!😊😊😊😊😊😊

[@Siswoyo_Dahlia]

Helo friend thanks for sharing this video always stay connected💯👍

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Thank you too, appreciate your comments

[@explorewithmartha6297]

Great adventure, windy!!? So beautiful to see and enjoyed it 🤩👍🏾

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Thank you 🤗

[@LarryBees]

Good show Top Team.!! . 11 mile hike .You made the best time there off piste for Iona 😍😍

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Cheers Larry, Iona was a big highlight of our recent trip, loved it there...

[@craigbetts1586]

besides being windy it looked to be a cold day the way your dressed, beautiful small island to day explore, loved the tour of the abbey and beaches

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Cold and windy but so worth it Craig, hope you're well, regards, Simon

[@craigbetts1586]

@@unowhotravelchannel 👍

[@florentintise]

Awesome travels 😍

[@SurTox]

👍👍Congratulations for this wonderful video. I liked!

[@royedwards8713]

Hi Simon enjoyed the video another lovely place 👌

[@poentang]

Such a beautiful place to visit! Awesome island my friend! Thanks for sharing.

[@user-db9ob5yz7m]

This makes me miss the island I go there every summer and I stay in Iona cottage. When I get there I jump of the pear and I go Savin for crabs the crabs are so nice. I see my frend Iona in Iona and we go davin together 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Thank you for watching and commenting, it’s a beautiful island👍

[@TheLaughingLion]

I really enjoy these tours on the scottish coasts. I would never get to see these islands if it not for your videos exploring them. I enjoyed the ferry ride over, the view spot at 6:39, the abbey, and the beach walks. The island experience is well worth the trip. 👍👍17

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Thank you, you'd love it here and your filming would be great in some of the Scotland Cities, Edinburgh and Glasgow for example!

[@revenant_scot]

Someone else mentioned this but just wanted to mention the machair. The correct pronunciation is more like mach-ur, with the emphasis on the first syllable and where the ‘ch’ is not pronounced like in chair or watch, or indeed like ‘ck’ in lock or sock. It’s more of a hard rolled sound at the back of the mouth / top of the throat. If you’ve ever heard a Scot say ‘loch’, it’s the same sound. There isn’t really an equivalent sound in English so it can be quite a challenge to say correctly. Machair is an area of common grazing land and was often central to crofting communities. Enjoyed the film though!

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Thank you so much for watching, kind regards, Simon

[@DesmondsDonders]

Wait the highest point on Iona is the Duni LOL. We parked there. The Tourist Information was the Ferry Ticket spot then and was closed for lunch. With the ferry due. Looks like the ferry has put a stop to that. Lovely video, renewed my interest in the Isle of Mull not sure about the boss LOL I watched with Tea and crisps, will have to rewatch with cake. LOL

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Ooohhh, make it chocolate cake👍😋

[@revenant_scot]

No, not ‘the Duni’. In Gaelic, Iona is called Eilean Ì. The highest point is Dùn Ì, which translates to Hill of Iona in English. Sadly, the joke you intended is actually pretty disrespectful of the Gaelic.

[@ATJHTRAVELS]

Awesome ty for sharing sledgehammered that like button sharing out full watch stay safe and blessed

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Cheers Guys, Happy New Year...

[@ItStartsWithAStep]

Looks so beautiful all the sheep and lovely countryside :) cool tip about the parking :) seems like a windy day but nice travelling on foot instead and exploring :) glad the weather brightened up for you! amazing views x

[@zlukaszemprzezswiat]

very beautiful island with a lot places to explore.

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Thank you so much

[@renatalimarzi]

Hello, my friends! What a supernice tour discovering this beautiful Isle! Scotland has a unique charm. This place is truly a lovely destination to explore for sure. The Abbey was absollutely amazing too. And the views of the coastline...oh, I always LOVE to watch the sea! Hugs and Season's Greetings , my friends! Renata

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Thank you Renata, our Scotland series will continue in the new year...wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New 2023!

[@renatalimarzi]

@@unowhotravelchannel Oh, nice!! Scotland is WONDERFUL!! Merry and blessed Christmas to you too and have a wonderful Festive Season , my friend! Renata

[@HitchUpAndTow]

Amazing scenery reminds me of Norfolk but with Hills😂

[@jkira]

Beautiful 😊Thanks for sharing your wonderful trip

[@unowhotravelchannel]

My pleasure 😊

[@Langit-Pagi]

Thanks for sharing... 👍👍👍👍👍

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Thank you too

[@JapanHiroshima]

So beautiful to see and enjoyed it

[@AlphaTraveler1]

Hey there, just coming to wish you a fantastic New Year 2023. Stay safe my friends.

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Thank you guys, same to you, here's to a great 2023...

[@Electrowave]

Another great video :-) Have a wonderful Xmas!

[@Rosebud100]

Machair (spelling?!?) is not pronounced the way you pronounced it (and probably not spelled the way I have spelt it!?!?)... but I think that this word refers to the type of grassland or fauna on Iona. Great video. I adore Iona. Thank you.

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Thank you so much for watching and commenting...yes, I always learn about these pronouniciations after our visits...Iona is indeed beautiful, so glad we visited. Kind regards, Simon

[@smithy5271]

Great video thank you , currently on Mull car camping and going to iona in the morning. ;-)

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Thanks for watching, enjoy Iona, it’s a lovely island, kind regards, Simon

[@HEAVENGLAMOUR]

amazing video

[@billyb5057]

looks a lovely Island to explore Simon *🌲here we go with a like👍👍Au👀full view too🎅🌲*

[@bigdave6246]

Another fantastic video. Thanks

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Thank you so much, regards, Simon

[@kreator573]

Excellent video my dear friends. Like it very much

[@mikirecords4243]

4 like,best wishes;-)

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@DonnaTaibossigai]

This was a very enjoyable travel vlog. Loved the views of the landscape - the brilliant sky, the ocean. So amazing to explore!

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Thanks Donna, very kind, regards, Simon and Elaine

[@Alvicatchannel]

Another great episode, enjoyed it very much! Eleven-and-a-half miles of stunning views are more than rewarding :)

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Thank you, it’s a beautiful island👍

[@G.J..Journeys]

Looks a beautiful Island to explore. Many thanks for giving us more ideas for next year 👍Graeme

[@trvlnthru]

This looked like a fun hike with lovely views. But I probably would have enjoyed the abbey the most. Looks like such a great historical building. Loved the beach footage too. Thanks for taking us along!

[@FXWalesAnnaAlf]

Hi both this was amazing to see you walk around Iona because it's a place that Alf and I have considered doing a Christian retreat on at the Abbey and this video was sooo helpful as we're on a break from Church work and been looking into various retreats and courses and here at Iona being one. I'm going to watch it again on the big TV with Alf on Tuesday when we have time to focus and will share this with other minister friends who are thinking of using their sabbatical there. A couple of our minister friends have been already and have raved about it but your video has definitely made the desire more urgent for me to go now and we got to see so much of the whole place which was great. So good to see all around the ruins of that nunnery from the 1200s too and that beach was amazing. Thanks for this , I might have to come back with questions for you ! :) 👍 ~ Anna

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Hi Anna, yes if you have any questions feel free to ask. There was a fair bit I omitted from the vlog, there's a great museum at the Abbey but it was so dark in there, it didn't come out well in my filming so was left on the cutting room floor, so to speak!

[@jenniedarling3710]

I've stayed with the Iona community and looking forward to going back soon. I found it an amazing experience.

[@FXWalesAnnaAlf]

@@jenniedarling3710 Ah Jennie that sounds great, thanks for letting us know. We really want to do it sometime. This was encouraging to hear 🙂

[@FXWalesAnnaAlf]

@@unowhotravelchannel Thanks Simon, just found this reply and definitely might have some questions if we ( hopefully) get to visit 🙂

[@sunflowerslots364]

Beautiful nature and landscapes in Scottish Island. Really enjoyed watching. Hope you both doing well and have a wonderful holidays Simon 🎄

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Thank you so much, kind regards, Simon

[@Filipinospanishwalk]

Watching this video,i can say that scotland have its own natural and unique beauty.nice and well filmed.happy holidays!

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Thank you so much, regards, Simon

[@SandVan]

Nice ❤merry Christmas from Australia 😊🙏🎅🏻🎄❤️

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Thank you so much, Merry Christmas to you too, regards, Simon and Elaine

[@discover-montenegro]

What a lovely island, looks so peaceful, and slow paced. Lovely video again, thank you for sharing this lovely Scottish island 🤗 🥰

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Glad you enjoyed it, thank you for commenting, regards, Simon

[@discover-montenegro]

@@unowhotravelchannel ❤❤❤

[@discover-montenegro]

@@unowhotravelchannel 🤗

[@ervinslens]

Wow, this looks absolutely brilliant folks. Stunning presentation, love it! 🔥🔥

[@RaymondoLeeTravel]

Such a stunning island! Thanks for the tour!

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Thanks so much for watching, regards, Simon

[@grapesodatravels]

We're off to Mull next summer and Iona is firmly on the list of places to see. What is your top tip for a holiday on Mull?

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Hi, thanks for your comment. Have you watched our main Mull vlog? That hopefully gives a few ideas…we especially enjoyed Tobermory and the walk to the nearby lighthouse. Mull was a larger island than what we expected and you have to plan when deciding where on the island you wish to visit! Good luck and have a great time next year👍

[@soniawheatley1408]

How long would you reccomend being on the island of iona because I presume you need to book your return journey before hand

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Hi Sonia, the advantage of the Iona ferry is that its a "turn up and go service", you do not need to book tickets in advance. We just went for the day and had a return ticket. How long to spend on the island is a good question, we squeezed a lot in and walked much of the island in the day we were there, but if you want a more relaxed experience and enjoy it at a more leisurely pace, we'd recommend a couple of days...we loved it there.

[@soniawheatley1408]

​@@unowhotravelchannel ok thankyou we are thinking of doing Scotland next year . We have tried ayr but it wasn't for us . We might try higher up maybe better views then.

[@user-db9ob5yz7m]

I recommend being thare for 3 weeks so you get enough time to go swimming and take in all the butty

[@revenant_scot]

If you like to walk and are reasonably fit, I’d suggest at least a couple of days. There are plenty of accommodation options on the island. There are some places worth seeing that weren’t featured in this film such as Port Bàn which is the best beach on the island and brilliant for a wild swim in the Atlantic! There’s also the Marble Quarry and St Columba’s Bay at the south end of the island. It’s recommended that a walk down to the south end will take a minimum of 3 hours. Take advice from locals on how to get there as the Marble Quarry in particular can be hard to find. It’s also quite steep to enter and I wouldn’t recommend it in the wet unless you’re very agile! Staying overnight would also give you the opportunity to attend an evening worship in the Abbey. Even if you’re not Christian or a person of any faith, there’s something very special about services in the Abbey. Services are run by The Iona Community and you should be able to find out more about worship on their website. Hope this is helpful.

[@Bertil_Lundin]

Hello there and thanks for sharing this great film from your visit to Iona. A nice little island. Iona makes me think of one of my long time favourites. The band IONA. If you haven't heard them here are two examples. Irish Day (which in a way also connects to your recent videos) kzbin.info/www/bejne/i6uboGyHZt5ojbs Lindisfarne which was the first one I heard with IONA kzbin.info/www/bejne/d6HOp5iehrZ4iK8 Greetings and happy holidays! // Bertil.

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Thanks for the links Bertil, I will check them out, regards, Simon

[@aber6617]

My grandad said he went and got a weird sensation when he got on the island. I’m not sure I believe him and was wondering if u did?

[@unowhotravelchannel]

Our excitement was the only weird sensation we felt, a beautiful island. Thanks for watching and commenting, kind regards, Simon and Elaine

[@jenniedarling3710]

It's a holy place maybe he could sense the presence of the Holy Spirit.

[@revenant_scot]

I lived on Iona for a few months many years ago. I never got a ‘weird sensation’ but it’s very possible a person might. It’s an incredibly historic place! St Columba founded the Abbey there in 563CE. Some of the history is quite brutal. For example, Martyr’s Bay is slightly to the south of the ferry jetty. It is believed to be the place where 68 monks were massacred during a Viking raid in the early 9th century. I myself believe I saw the ghost of a Nun entering the Nunnery. There are many, many stories of a spooky nature on the island. Alternatively, Rev George MacLeod who founded the modern day Iona Community in 1938 and who was the driver of rebuilding the then ruined Abbey described the island as a ‘thin place’ between the earthly and the heavenly. It’s hard to explain that, but if you visit the island, you do get a sense of what he meant. Either way, there are good reasons why your grandad may have experienced a weird sensation!