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Major city · United Kingdom

IonaÌ Chaluim Chille

Go for one night, two at most: the abbey and the beaches fill a day, and day-trippers leave on the 16:00 ferry.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
GBP
Best months
May–Jun, Sep
avoid Nov–Feb (short days, exposed crossings, most beds shut)
Airports
OBN · GLA · EDI
Nights
1
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 8Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…
  • Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
  • Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
  • Britain and Ireland ↗Neither the UK nor Ireland is part of Schengen: days spent here do not count towards the 90/180-day Schengen limit, and a Schengen visa does not admit you to either country.
  • Britain and Ireland ↗The island of Ireland runs on two currencies: euro in the Republic, pound sterling in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Carry a card that pays in both without fees.
  • Britain and Ireland ↗Both islands drive on the left. Speed limits are in miles per hour in the UK (including Northern Ireland) and in kilometres per hour in the Republic of Ireland.
  • United Kingdom ↗Most visitors who do not need a UK visa now need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before travelling; this includes EU nationals. Irish citizens are exempt. Check the UK government site for your passport.
  • United Kingdom ↗The UK is outside the EU and the Schengen area; a Schengen visa is not valid for the UK.
  • United Kingdom ↗Driving is on the left; London has congestion and emissions charges for most vehicles, so do not drive in the city.

Iona is a 3.5-mile island off Mull with 210 residents, one road and a restored abbey founded by St Columba in 563. Most people see it in four hours between ferries; one night buys you the empty evenings and mornings. There is no mobile signal, no cars for visitors and little to do beyond walking, the abbey and the shore.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Iona, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or cake at the Heritage Garden Cafe£3–6 (≈ US$4–8)
  • Sit-down mealPub or hotel main course£14–22 (≈ US$19–30)
  • Museum or sight ticketIona Abbey entryAdult £9.50 (≈ US$13), conc £7.50 (≈ US$10), child £5.50 (≈ US$8)
  • Budget bedCampsite pitch (Apr–Sep), a night, per person£10 (≈ US$14)
  • Mid-range bedB&B double room, a night, per room£130 (≈ US$180)
  • High-end bedB&B double room, a night, per room£180 (≈ US$250)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget £55 (≈ US$75) · Mid £100 (≈ US$140) · High £180 (≈ US$250)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Iona AbbeySt Columba and early Scottish kingsSt Oran's Chapel and the Reilig Òdhrain graveyardWhite-sand beaches and the Bay at the Back of the Ocean
Airports
OBN Oban (small airfield, no scheduled UK-wide service) (Most travellers arrive by train or bus to Oban, then ferry to Craignure on Mull, then bus 496 to Fionnphort, then the CalMac ferry to Iona pier.) · GLA Glasgow (Train or bus to Oban, then the Mull chain; Glasgow to Iona is about 5 h with an early start.) · EDI Edinburgh (Longer than Glasgow; add a bus or train to Glasgow or Oban first.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Iona: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

8°C

3°C

20 rd

Feb

8°C

3°C

16 rd

Mar

9°C

4°C

18 rd

Apr

11°C

5°C

15 rd

May

14°C

7°C

14 rd

Jun

16°C

10°C

14 rd

Jul

17°C

12°C

16 rd

Aug

17°C

12°C

17 rd

Sep

16°C

11°C

18 rd

Oct

13°C

8°C

20 rd

Nov

10°C

6°C

20 rd

Dec

8°C

4°C

20 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Walk. The island is 3.5 miles long and 1.5 miles across, and a paved lane runs from the pier past the nunnery, Duncan's Cross and St Oran's Chapel to the abbey, all within half a mile. Bikes are free on the ferry but not worth bringing. Iona Taxi can meet you at the pier or run you to Craignure or Glasgow airport.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Staffa and Fingal's Cave

go

Door to door: About 3–4 h return

Boat from Iona pier or Fionnphort with Staffa Tours

Weather-dependent; book ahead in summer.

Fionnphort and the Ross of Mull

go

Door to door: About 30 min

CalMac ferry, about 10 min

Roughly hourly 08:30–18:00, on demand in summer; bikes free, visitors' cars not carried.

Craignure and the rest of Mull

caution

Door to door: About 1.5 h

Ferry to Fionnphort, then bus 496

Buses and ferries are held for connections, but a same-day return leaves little time on Iona.

Oban

overnight

Door to door: About 3–4 h

Ferry to Craignure, then the CalMac car ferry

Do this as a travel day, not a day trip.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Baile Mor (village, by the pier)

Argyll Hotel, Bishop's House retreat, shops and the Spar; everything within a 10-minute walk of the ferry.

North end (Lagandorain and the machair)

Green Shed self-catering and Iona Pods; a mile north of the pier, closest to the beaches.

South of the village

Ardoran House and the campsite; a mile inland, breezy and boggy in wet weather.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
£45–75 (≈ US$60–100) excl. bed
Mid
£80–130 (≈ US$110–180) excl. bed
High
£150 (≈ US$200)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
B&B double room1 × 1 night × £130£130
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × £100£200
CalMac ferry Fionnphort–Iona, return2 × £8£16
Iona Abbey entry, adult2 × £10£19
Staffa boat trip2 × £40£80
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge£45
Trip total≈ £245 per person per day, bed included£490≈ US$700

2026 estimate in pounds; mainland travel and ferry fares to Mull excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Iona Abbey entryAdult £9.50 (≈ US$13), conc £7.50 (≈ US$10), child £5.50 (≈ US$8)
Campsite pitch, per person per night£10 (≈ US$14)
Coffee or cake at the Heritage Garden Cafe£3–6 (≈ US$4–8)
Pub or hotel main course£14–22 (≈ US$19–30)
Spar groceries for a picnic£5–12 (≈ US$7–16)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Iona is safe; the real risk is the sea and the weather. Four men from the island died when their boat capsized on an evening trip to Mull in 1998. Stay off exposed rocks and don't take small boats out in a swell.
  • No mobile signal from any UK carrier: arrange meeting points before you cross.
  • Visitors' cars are not allowed on the ferry; park at Fionnphort (free car park by the community centre, pay and display when full).
  • Fionnphort is exposed to Atlantic weather and ferries can be cancelled; staff may advise non-residents against crossing in a bad forecast.
  • The campsite is breezy and boggy, and the golf course has a bull on the ninth hole.
  • Most beds and cafés close from late October to March; check before booking a winter trip.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance, coastguard
999
Same, from a mobile (EU-wide)
112
NHS non-urgent advice
111
Police non-urgent
101

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

IonaÌ Chaluim Chille

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Chun a' chidhe, mas e do thoil eTo the pier, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance, coastguard999
  • From a mobile112
  • NHS non-urgent111

Embassy

No embassies on the island; the nearest US consulate-general is in Edinburgh and most others are in London. For urgent consular help, call the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in London.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • CalMac ferry Fionnphort → Iona: about 10 min, roughly hourly 08:30–18:00, on demand in summer
  • Iona Taxi: +44 781 032 5990 (≈ US$8,000); can meet at the pier or run to Craignure or Glasgow airport
  • Staffa boat trip: about £40 (≈ US$55) return, weather-dependent

Say or show

  • Halò — Hello (ha-LAW)
  • Tapadh leat — Thank you (TA-pa let)
  • Mas e do thoil e — Please (mas eh do HOYL eh)
  • Càite a bheil an cidhe? — Where is the ferry pier? (KAHT-cheh a vayl an KEE-eh)

No mobile signal on Iona: save this card offline before you cross.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Iona. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Jun, Sep · avoid Nov–Feb (short days, exposed crossings, most beds shut) · month by month →
  2. 3 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. An airport-to-bed path that says whether a late landing still works
  2. Walking clusters with bag rules
  3. Day plans checked against opening hours
  4. Field-verified times and fares

Meanwhile

Back to United Kingdom

Sources