Eileach an Naoimh is a tiny uninhabited isle of 138 acres. It is the southernmost of the Garvellachs, a group of islands north of the isle of Jura in the Firth of Lorn. Now uninhabited, there are the a number of monastic buildings on the isle. The earliest are thought to be the double beehive cells, the remains of a monastery established in the 542 A.D. by St. Brendan. The beehive cells are thought to be the earliest surviving monastic structures in Britain.
Standing in front of the beehives is a 12-foot stone pillar with a natural overhang called St. Columba's Pulpit. The later day Christan monuments include a pair of churches two graveyards, and domestic buildings such as a kiln, and barn. The earliest church is from the 11th Century, while the other is from the 14th Century.
St. Columba is also thought to have visited the island, and it is thought that his mother Eithne is buried here. Her gravestone stands on the slope of the hill above the later-day monastery, marked with a simple cross, part of a graveyard.
About the Eileach an Naoimh Monastic Sites
Journey to the Eileach an Naoimh Monastic Sites
There is no ferry to Eileach an Naoimh. Access is by private boat only. Recommended: Farsain Cruises, which operates out of the marina at Craobh Haven on the Argyll Coast.
Eileach an Naoimh is a tiny uninhabited isle of 138 acres. It is the southernmost of the Garvellachs, a group of islands north of the isle of Jura in the Firth of Lorn. Now uninhabited, there are the a number of monastic buildings on the isle. The earliest are thought to be the double beehive cells, the remains of a monastery established in the 542 A.D. by St. Brendan. The beehive cells are thought to be the earliest surviving monastic structures in Britain.
Standing in front of the beehives is a 12-foot stone pillar with a natural overhang called St. Columba's Pulpit. The later day Christan monuments include a pair of churches two graveyards, and domestic buildings such as a kiln, and barn. The earliest church is from the 11th Century, while the other is from the 14th Century.
St. Columba is also thought to have visited the island, and it is thought that his mother Eithne is buried here. Her gravestone stands on the slope of the hill above the later-day monastery, marked with a simple cross, part of a graveyard.
About the Eileach an Naoimh Monastic Sites