Colum Cille
and the Saints of the Western Isles

This year marks the 1400th anniversary of the death of Colum Cille, St Columba. Colum Cille is one of the great figures in the early history of Scotland, a founding father of Christianity in northern Scotland.

To commemorate this anniversary, Comhairle nan Eilean, the Western Isles Council, is mounting a major exhibition at its museum in Stornoway, Lewis.

A programme of events, lectures and activities on the theme of the early Christian church and the coming of Christianity to the islands will take place at venues throughout the Western Isles during the summer and autumn.

Colum Cille
and the Saints of the Western Isles
Exhibition, Museum nan Eilean, Stornoway

Colum Cille arrived in Scotland in the year 563 from Ireland. He established a monastery on the island of Iona. From here, he and his successors were responsible for taking the Christian message to a large part of northern Scotland.

There is no evidence that he ever came to the Western Isles. The Christian faith here was established by other Irish monks.

The exhibition, Colum Cille and the Saints of the Western Isles, is in two supporting sections. The first examines the coming of Christianity to the Western Isles. The second explores the life of Colum Cille and the achievements of his monastery on Iona.

The Saints of the Western Isles
12 May - 6 December 1997

This section of the exhibition explores the coming of Christianity to the Western Isles; the saints associated with the establishment of the first Christian communities; early Christian sites and monuments; the lives of the people in the islands during this early Christian period (about AD 600 to AD 800) until the coming of the pagan Viking settlers; and the later traditions concerning the early Christian church.

These themes will be examined through original artefacts, photographs, drawing and sound commentary.

Colum Cille
9 June - 6 December 1997

This section of the exhibition will look at the life of Colum Cille; life in his monastery on Iona and the expansion of his church into northern Scotland and north eastern England.

The monastery of Iona was the centre of a great spiritual and artistic movement, producing some of the finest artistic pieces of its age, including great illuminated manuscripts such as the Book of Kells.

The exhibition will feature a replica of the famous Book of Kells, original manuscripts of the period and Christian metalwork to show the high skills of the craftsmen of the period. It will include loans from the British Museum, the British Library, the National Museum of Ireland and the National Museums and Library of Scotland.