Hemmed by white sand beaches and a bright blue sea, Scotland's Iona pulses on the Atlantic's horizon, where it has captured the imagination of spiritual seekers for centuries, ever since Irish monk Saint Columba washed ashore here with 12 followers in 563 A.D.

The group created a monastery overlooking the coast, which became a " cradle of Christianity " in Scotland, while fostering influential artists and scholars who gave life to poetry, ornate stone carvings, and the monumental, illuminated manuscript known as the Book of Kells , which is said to have originated here. Repeated Viking attacks left a gruesome shadow, but Iona's legend traveled round the world, its legacy remaining in preserved ruins and burial grounds, ancient stone carvings, crosses, and walls.

Reports of

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