MacLean's Cross, Iona, Argyll and Bute, Scotland
Posted by: 
greysman
N 56° 19.945 W 006° 23.604
29V E 661148 N 6246129
A fine 15th-century free-standing cross.
Waymark Code: WMHVNW
Location: Northern Scotland, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 08/16/2013
Views: 3
Pilgrims landing at Port Ronain, ‘St Ronan’s Port’, on Iona, and making their way to the shrine of St Columba would have stopped here to offer up prayers before proceeding along the ancient Sràid nan Marbh, ‘street of the dead’ to the abbey. A stop would also have been made here by funeral parties bearing kings and chieftains to their last resting place on the sacred island, as the road runs from Martyrs’ Bay to Reilig Odhrain chapel. (Apparently, it also passes the site of the bakehouse, which offered food by way of welcome for travellers and pilgrims.)
This ancient roadside prayer cross can be found alongside the modern road between the Nunnery and the Abbey, close by the parish church and manse, and is of monolithic construction, a fine example of the Iona school of stone-carving which was being carried on in the late 14th century. Other examples of the school's output can be seen in the Abbey Cloister and Museum where graveslabs are on display, and the splendid MacMillan Cross at Kilmory Knap Chapel, beside Loch Sween.
Carved from a single stone slab this cross is more than 3m high, It is disc-headed and is carved on both sides with tightly packed plaitwork and foliage. The cross-head is decorated with two animals on the east side and facing the road, whilst the west side shows a crucifixion scene. The armed horseman carved on the foot of the shaft may be a depiction of MacLean of Duart or Lochbuie, the chief who commissioned the monument around 1500 but the inscription is no longer legible so it may also commemorate his life. The present pedestal is more modern than the cross itself, which may support the tradition that the cross formerly lay within the grounds of the Nunnery.
The Cross is superbly preserved, probably the best preserved in Argyll, especially considering that it still stands exposed the elements, and is classified as Category A in the Historic Scotland Buildings list.
Type of cross: Celtic cross
Material used: Stone (granite, sandstone, marble, ...)
Characteristics of this cross:
Small-disc headed prayer cross over 3m high, carved both sides.
Describe the location:
Roadside between the Nunnery and the Abbey not far from the parish church and the manse.
Year of manufacture: 01/01/1500
Is this cross commemorative ?: Don't know...
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