Today, many thousands still make these journeys as pilgrims. Why? Now, as then, pilgrims make a pilgrimage to ask for some favour or blessing, or to seek an answer to a problem or difficulty, or to seek peace, healing and strength, to make new beginnings, or to express sorrow or thanksgiving.
Over the centuries the island of Iona has been seen as a place of pilgrimage - a place where saints have lived and where prayers have been answered. Until very recently, the physical journey to Iona was a hard one - rough paths, barren moorland, small boats and uncertain tides. Although buses and ferries make it easier for today's pilgrims, the awareness of travelling is still there. No one visits Iona without a sense of being on a journey.
Watch this Video on Iona from You Tube: