Victor Naumenko's Pictures of St. Colm's Abbey, Inchcolm

Inchcolm Island

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St. Colm's Abbey, Inchcolm

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The Abbey ruins

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St. Colm's Abbey, Inchcolm

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The Abbey from the Firth of Forth

Crossing the Firth of Forth in 1123, Alexander I, King of the Scots, was blown off course and sought shelter at Inchcolm Island. Stormbound for three days, he and his retinue were looked after by a hermit, who shared his slender diet of the milk of a single cow, mussels and small fish. Afterwards Alexander vowed to build a monastery on the island, but he died in 1124 before being able to keep his promise. It was left to his brother, David I, to invite Augustinian canons to establish a priory on the island. It was raised to full Abbey status in 1235.

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St. Colm's Abbey, Inchcolm, Fife

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Inchcolm Island scene

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St. Colm's Abbey, Inchcolm

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Inchcolm Island from the Abbey Tower

After the Protestant Reformation of 1560 brought monastic life to an end, the island continued to serve in the defence of the country right up to the Second World War. In 1795, during the Napoleonic Wars, a gun battery was installed when the French threatened to invade. In the first half of the 20th century, the island was heavily fortified to help defend Edinburgh, Rosyth Naval Base and the Forth Bridge.

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St. Colm's Abbey, Inchcolm, Dalgety Bay, Fife

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Inchcolm Abbey

Inchcolm means 'Columba’s Isle', though the 'Iona of the East' has no known link with St Columba. The island is dominated by its dramatically located Abbey complex, comprising the best-preserved group of monastic buildings in Scotland. The Augustinian canons settled here in the early 12th century, enjoying the island’s isolation and tranquillity. However, its location in the Firth of Forth also made it a target for naval raids from the 14th to the mid-16th century. The brethren increasingly spent more time ashore in Fife.

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St. Colm's Abbey, Inchcolm, Fife

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