St Columba Hotel offers a fantastic location, putting you just a 5-minute walk from St. Oran's Chapel and Iona Abbey. Guests looking for a bite to eat can check out the restaurant, and the bar/lounge is the perfect spot to grab a drink at the end of the day. A terrace and a garden are other highlights.
St Columba Hotel, Isle of Iona, Scotland, PA76 6SL
What's nearby
Iona Heritage Centre - 3 min walk - 0.3 km
St. Oran's Chapel - 3 min walk - 0.3 km
Iona Abbey - 13 min walk - 1.2 km
Dun I - 5 min drive - 1.3 km
Uisken Beach - 34 min drive - 17.2 km
Getting around
Tiree (TRE) - 21.8 miles/35.1 km
Glasgow (PIK-Prestwick) - 89.5 miles/144 km
Glasgow International Airport (GLA) - 82.1 miles/132.2 km
Inverness (INV) - 121.1 miles/194.9 km
Restaurants
The Keel Row
St Columba Larder
Argyle Hotel - 4 min walk
Martyrs Bay - 6 min walk
Ailidh - 4 min walk
About this property
St Columba Hotel
St Columba Hotel offers a fantastic location, putting you just a 5-minute walk from St. Oran's Chapel and Iona Abbey. Guests looking for a bite to eat can check out the restaurant, and the bar/lounge is the perfect spot to grab a drink at the end of the day. A terrace and a garden are other highlights.
At a glance
DONE
Hotel size
27 rooms
DONE
Arriving/Leaving
Check-in start time: 2:00 PM; Check-in end time: 7:00 PM
Late check-in subject to availability
Minimum check-in age: 18
Check-out time is 10:00 AM
DONE
Special check-in instructions
The front desk is open daily from 8:00 AM - 10:30 PM
Guests must contact the property in advance for check-in instructions; front desk staffed during limited hours
To make arrangements for check-in please contact the property at least 72 hours before arrival using the information on the booking confirmation
If you are planning to arrive after 7:00 PM please contact the property in advance using the information on the booking confirmation
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools
DONE
Required at check-in
Credit card, debit card, or cash deposit required for incidental charges
Government-issued photo ID may be required
Minimum check-in age is 18
DONE
Pets
Pets allowed*
Service animals welcome
Food and water bowls available
WIFI
Internet
Free WiFi in public areas
Free WiFi in rooms
LOCAL_PARKING
Parking
Free onsite self parking
DONE
Other information
Smoke-free property
Property amenities
Food and drink
Free full breakfast each morning 8:00 AM–9:30 AM
Restaurant
Bar/lounge
What to do
Beach nearby
Hiking/biking trails nearby
Services
Front desk (limited hours)
Concierge services
Tour/ticket assistance
Laundry facilities
Luggage storage
Facilities
Safe-deposit box at front desk
Garden
Picnic area
Terrace
Room amenities
Home comfort
Heating
Electric kettle
Iron/ironing board (on request)
Sleep well
Bed sheets provided
Freshen up
Private bathroom
Bathtub or shower
Free toiletries
Hair dryer
Towels
Stay connected
Desk
Free WiFi
Food and drink
Free tea bags/instant coffee
More
Daily housekeeping
In-room safe
Special features
Dining
Onsite venue - This restaurant specializes in local cuisine and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Guests can enjoy drinks at the bar.
Awards and affiliations
Eco-Certified Property
This property participates in Green Tourism Program, a program that measures the property's impact on one or more of the following: environment, community, cultural-heritage, the local economy.
Fees & policies
Children & extra beds
Rollaway beds are available for GBP 25.0 per day
Pets
Service animals exempt from fees
Pets are allowed for an extra charge of GBP 15 per accommodation, per stay
Policies
This property does not have elevators.
Guests can rest easy knowing there's a fire extinguisher on site.
This property accepts credit cards. Cash is not accepted.
Credit cards accepted: Visa, Mastercard, American Express
National rating
This establishment has received its official star rating from VisitScotland, the National Tourist Board for Scotland.
Also known as
St Columba Hotel Isle of Iona
St Columba Isle of Iona
St Columba Hotel Hotel
St Columba Hotel Isle of Iona
St Columba Hotel Hotel Isle of Iona
Frequently asked questions
Does St Columba Hotel offer free cancellation for a full refund?
Yes, St Columba Hotel does have fully refundable room rates available to book on our site. If you’ve booked a fully refundable room rate, this can be cancelled up to a few days before check-in depending on the property's cancellation policy. Just make sure to check this property's cancellation policy for the exact terms and conditions.
Are pets allowed at St Columba Hotel?
Yes, pets are welcome. There's a charge of GBP 15 per accommodation, per stay. Service animals are exempt from fees. Food and water bowls are available.
Is parking offered on site at St Columba Hotel?
Yes, there's free self parking.
What are the check-in and check-out times at St Columba Hotel?
Check-in start time: 2:00 PM; Check-in end time: 7:00 PM. Check-out time is 10:00 AM.
What is there to do at St Columba Hotel and nearby?
Have fun during the warmer months with activities nearby such as hiking. Enjoy amenities like a picnic area and a garden.
Are there restaurants at or near St Columba Hotel?
Yes, there's an onsite restaurant that offers local cuisine.
What's the area around St Columba Hotel like?
St Columba Hotel is a short 1-minute walk from St. Oran's Chapel and 3 minutes' walk from Iona Abbey.
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Reviews
St Columba Hotel Reviews
9.2
Wonderful
All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travelers who have booked a stay with us can submit a review. We verify reviews according to our guidelines and publish all reviews, positive or negative.
9.6
Cleanliness
10
Location
9.6
Staff & service
9.2
Property conditions & facilities
Popular mentions
Service staff
Food
View
Location
Breakfast
Room
Lounge
Gardens
Ferry
Reviews
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
Apr 10, 2025
Hotel room was clean and comfortable. Weather was cold and rainy but room was warm and inviting. The dining room service and food were excellent. Location is convenient to all important sites on the island.
DAVID
DAVID, 2-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
Sep 5, 2023
I loved staying here. Everything was splendid. Staff was lovely. Food was excellent...wish I could live there forever.
Cornelia
Cornelia, 2-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
Sep 7, 2023
The hotel fulfilled our expectations. The staff were excellent, friendly and helpful. There was a relaxed atmosphere which suits the island environment. Will go back.
Sandy
Sandy, 2-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
May 8, 2024
The hotel is situated right next door to the abbey, and the whole island is walkable from there. The hotel has a beautiful food garden that is at least a few acres, and guests are free to walk in the organic garden, I found this very peaceful. Staff were all very helpful, picked up my bags at the ferry, which was welcome. The hotel is very comfortable with large lounge areas, which led to lots of interaction with other guests, adding to the pleasure.
Brian
Brian, 1-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
Sep 29, 2024
This is a wonderful hotel, great location to access everything on Iona, staff clearly enjoy working there, as nothing was too much trouble and shared lots of local knowledge and lovely warm hospitality. Really helpful to have concierge to help with bags up from the ferry.
The hotel lounge is just as enjoyable as seeing the island as it looks across the water and so you can just breathe in the view.
Food was high standard and lovely they have a kitchen garden so lots of fresh organic materials.
Rooms spacious and beautiful decorated and dressed so it feels luxurious. Using lovely Scottish toiletries was a nice touch.
I wished I could have stayed longer.
Hayley
Hayley, 1-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
May 6, 2026
yes
david
david, 2-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
Oct 14, 2023
Definitely Stay At St Columba Hotel in Iona
Wonderful staff, especially front desk.
Joseph
Joseph, 1-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
Apr 23, 2023
Absolutely wonderful stay - beautiful hotel - location out of this world. Staff so friendly - nothing too much trouble - food excellent. Can’t wait to come back!
Donna
Donna, 1-night trip
Verified
6/10 Good
May 17, 2023
Alarm went off before 6am was quite annoying especially as it was a technical fault. Food sounded better than it was, we had a family room which was small for 3. There was nice lounge and beautiful views.
ben
ben, 1-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
May 24, 2023
Incredible location on the Isle of Iona near St. Oran's Chapel, the Abbey, and the Nunnery ruins. Amazing sea views from my window. Staff were unfailingly kind, warm and helpful. A full breakfast in a beautiful room off the main dining room was included, by far the most substantial and varied breakfast of my trip. There were a few glitches with the room, for example; the only light in the bathroom was attached to a noisy fan, impeding my ability to take a peaceful bath. Glitches were not bothersome enough to mar my overall enchanting stay.
Aren
Aren, 1-night trip
Verified
6/10 Good
Oct 9, 2022
Not great value for money.
More than happy with the service but we felt let down by the standard of the hotel for the price paid. Heating seems to be an issue as the common rooms were all cold - and we were not the only ones that noticed. There is no raging fire as described in the website - it is fake fire with steam to help your imagination. The sea view is of a garden bush with a glimpse of the water.
Next time we would stay somewhere else and only stop by for a meal which we did however enjoy. The views from the garden and sitting room are fantastic.
david
david, 1-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
Apr 27, 2019
A haven of tranquillity far from the madding crowd
The hotel has a great location - near the Abbey, and with wonderful views across the Sound of Iona to Mull. There is a pair of binoculars in the sitting room for use there by guests. You can see the ferry plying its way to and from Mull in all weathers. The staff were friendly and helpful. On the day of my departure it rained heavily and they offered to drive me and my luggage to catch the incoming ferry. The food was of a high standard. My room was comfortable, with none of those modern gimmicks like fancy extra fancy decorative cushions which always end up on the floor! I liked the fact there was no television in my room. WiFi was a little unpredictable, but satisfactory for my needs.
John
John, 1-night trip
Verified
2/10 Poor
Apr 12, 2024
Cannot recommend
Due to other reviews, I had high hopes in booking this hotel. Sadly, I absolutely cannot recommend this hotel. Due to a storm, ferries to the island were canceled so we were unable to arrive on our initial check-in day. I called the hotel to see what could be done about our 3 nt reservation. The front desk manager said the booking platform had a strict no cancelation policy. Yet, when I called the booking platform, the rep said the decision was fully the hotel's to make. The next day, there was a very short window where we were able to get to Iona for just a few hours (return ferries were predicted to be canceled the next day as well- and sure enough, they were). I went to the hotel to see if I could talk to someone in person. The front desk manager was so rude and patronizing when I explained the situation- and referred me back to the cancelation policy he said was listed on the hotel's website. There is NO cancelation policy listed on the hotel's website. And the cancelation information on the booking platform states that a refund is possible in case of cancelation. Dishonesty is NOT great customer service!
In addition, the hotel manager stated that ferries are often canceled- if this is the case, why is there no information for guests regarding what to do in this case??? Room rates for this hotel are really high. Not only did we lose what we pre-paid for the hotel- we had to pay for another hotel off island. Potential guests be warned!!
Joanna
Joanna, 3-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
Jul 29, 2025
Jederzeit wieder! Die Insel ist unfassbar schön.
Krisztian
Krisztian, 1-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
May 7, 2022
The views were spectacular from the sitting room window especially as the weather was so beautiful. The staff from Sara at reception to Tam serving dinner were welcoming, professional and so helpful.
Judith
Judith, 1-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
Oct 15, 2021
We really liked the locally grown food. The staff was very helpful and accommodating.
Peggy
Peggy, 1-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
Sep 24, 2021
Peaceful stay in very good hotel
Unique island and comfortable stay 10 minutes walk from ferry. Compact single room with all mod cons (no TV which was fine). The restaurant and dog-friendly area were welcoming. Food good. The staff were exceptional, front desk and hospitality. They could not do enough to help. Thank you for making me feel welcome.
Andrew
Andrew, 2-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
Sep 15, 2021
Great place to stay on Iona
The Hotel affords great views back toward Mull, was extremely clean and tidy, and the staff engagement / service really was some of the very best my wife and I have ever enjoyed
Richard
Richard, 1-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
Aug 23, 2021
Very nice staff and accommodations
Robert
Robert, 1-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
Jul 19, 2021
Brilliant hotel, amazing location
Absolutely beautiful rooms - incredibly comfortable and well equipped. Staff were fantastic - super friendly and extremely helpful!
Calum
Calum, 2-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
Jun 28, 2021
Staff make a relaxing break perfect.
Thankfully St Columba Hotel staff haven’t been exposed to the normal corporate welcome training package! Instead a genuine friendly welcome and effortless helpfulness throughout our stay made a relaxed break perfect.
Gordon
Gordon, 3-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
Jun 23, 2021
Very warm welcome, amazing food, spectacular location.
Verified traveler
1-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
Jun 20, 2021
Such a lovely hotel to stay at! All of the staff were very friendly and accommodating and the location is stunning. I was working from there and the internet was great for that. Will definitely be back!
Stella
Stella, 4-night trip
Verified
10/10 Exceptional
Jun 19, 2021
The staff were very helpful and friendly. We were able to book in early, which was great. The booking system for breakfasts and evening meals worked well and the afternoon teas and scones were suberb. Sadly the weather wasn't great but there is nothing the hotel could have done about that!
Verified traveler
2-night trip
Verified
8/10 Very good
Jun 9, 2021
Good place to stay on Iona
Nice hotel, friendly and helpful staff, great location being just a short walk from the ferry and Abbey, great views of Mull from the lounge and garden.