‘The Iona of the East’: Inchcolm, Dunkeld and the cult of Columba in eastern Scotland

Abstract

Inchcolm is an island in the Forth on which stands the extensive remains of a twelfth-century Augustinian monastery dedicated to St Columba, both this dedication and the island’s name testifying to close links with the saint. It is often referred to as ‘The Iona of the East’. This article explores how apt this designation is and how early these Columban links might be. It then examines Inchcolm’s relationship with the other focus of his cult in eastern Scotland, Dunkeld. Finally it looks at how Inchcolm maintained and amplified the status of St Columba throughout the Middle Ages, to some extent eclipsing Dunkeld as the eastern centre of his cult.