Inchcolm

Inchcolm is a small island in the Firth of Forth off the coast of Fife. It lies a quarter of a mile from the mainland, separated by Mortimer’s Deep. The island has three main parts: the eastern end with wartime defences, the central lowland with a small harbour and shop, and the larger western section. Inchcolm was once called Emona or Innis Choluim, and may have been used by the Roman fleet. It was later linked to St Columba, who is said to have visited in 567. The island’s abbey began as a priory in the 1100s and became an Augustinian abbey in 1235. It was attacked repeatedly during the Wars of Scottish Independence, and later fortified in both world wars. The abbey’s cloister is the best preserved in Scotland, with a square tower, ruined church, refectory and chapter house. A hogback stone from the late 10th century shows early Christian carvings, and Walter Bower, abbot from 1418 to 1449, wrote the Scotichronicon here. Visitors reach Inchcolm by boat from Queensferry and find the abbey ruins under Historic Scotland’s care. The cloister and parts of the church remain largely intact, while the eastern end shows wartime gun emplacements. The small natural harbour and shop sit near the island’s centre. The western end is quieter, with open ground and views across the Forth. The island’s history is visible in its stones and ruins, from medieval carvings to 20th-century defences.