Iona

Island in the Inner Hebrides; area 850 hectares/2,100 acres. A centre of early Christianity, it is the site of a monastery founded in 563 by St Columba. It later became a burial ground for Irish, Scottish, and Norwegian kings. It has a 13th-century abbey.

Rev George Macleod founded the Iona religious community in 1938. He believed that many working people had lost touch with Christianity and wanted somewhere where people from all walks of life could live, work, and worship together. Macleod and others worked to rebuild the abbey and develop the community, which now numbers about 240 people, not all of whom live on the island. Several thousand people a year visit the abbey and the youth camp.

Members of the community try to live according to Christian principles. They spend half an hour each morning at prayer, and meet regularly. 2% of their disposable income goes to the community fund.