Mull and Iona are two of the most visited islands in Scotland, and have
played a central role in the history of the country. As the cradle of
Christianity in Scotland, Iona has been a place of pilgrimage for almost
1,500 years and was a beacon of intellectual light during the Dark Ages,
when magnificent works such as the Book of Kells were crafted by the
monks of the abbey founded by St Columba.
This book provides a full and engaging history of the islands from the
time of their earliest human inhabitants to the present day. The
gazetteer lists all the places of interest from all periods in the
islands' history, from the world-wide renowned churches, crosses and
grave slabs on Iona and the magnificent restored Duart Castle on Mull,
seat of the clan Maclean, to the planned village of Dervaig, the
townships in the Ross of Mull and Ardmeanach which were cleared during
the nineteenth century and the mausoleum of Lachlan MacQuarrie, the much
esteemed 18th-century Governor of New South Wales.