Latest / The Story of Scotland: Clans, Crowns, and the Fight for Identity — Fexingo History / The Iona Abbey Graveyard: Scotland's Royal Necropolis
Transcript
- Lucas: So, we've covered a lot of Scotland's dramatic moments—battles, betrayals, clearances. But today I want to take us somewhere quieter. A small island off the west coast, barely three miles long, that holds an extraordinary secret. Luna: Iona? Lucas: Exactly. Iona. It's often called the cradle of Christianity in Scotland, but what we're focusing on today is its graveyard. Reilig Odhráin. The burial ground of the kings. Luna: I've heard the claim that 48 kings are buried there. But is that actually true? Lucas: That's the question, isn't it? The traditional list includes forty-eight kings—forty-eight named individuals, from different kingdoms. Scots, Picts, Irish, even some Norse kings from the Isles. Among them are Kenneth MacAlpin, the first king of a united Scotland, and Macbeth's rival Duncan. And Somerled, the progenitor of Clan Donald, who we talked about in the Lordship of the Isles episode. But the problem is, we don't have much physical evidence. Luna: So it's more legend than fact? Lucas: It's complicated. The earliest written source that lists the kings buried there comes from the 17th century, a manuscript by the historian Sir James Balfour. And later, in the 19th century, the antiquarian W.F. Skene compiled a similar list. But archaeological excavations have found very few identifiable graves. There are some medieval stone crosses and fragments of tombstones, but no royal inscriptions. So historians are divided. Some think the list is a later invention, a way to boost Iona's prestige. Others argue that the graves were there, but were destroyed during the Reformation or later vandalism. Luna: What makes Iona so special that everyone wanted to be buried there? Lucas: It goes back to St. Columba. He founded a monastery on Iona in 563 AD, and it became a major center of learning and missionary activity. The monastery produced the Book of Kells, though it's now in Dublin. But more importantly, Iona became a holy site. For the early medieval kings of the Scots and Picts, being buried on Iona was a way to assert their Christian piety and their connection to Columba's legacy. It was like being buried in Westminster Abbey, but more ancient. Luna: Didn't the Vikings attack Iona though? Lucas: Yes, repeatedly. The first Viking raid on Iona was in 794 AD, just a year after the sack of Lindisfarne. The monastery was burned, and many monks were killed. But the site was rebuilt. And interestingly, the Norse settlers who later ruled the Isles also adopted Iona as a burial place. There's a tradition that some of the Norse kings of Mann and the Isles are buried there. So it became a place of reconciliation between the Gaelic and Norse worlds. Luna: How did the Reformation affect the burial ground? Lucas: The Reformation was devastating for Iona. The abbey was dismantled, its roofs stripped, and the monastic community dispersed. The burial ground was neglected. In the 17th century, the Marquis of Argyll, who was a Protestant, actually ordered the destruction of some of the remaining monuments. He saw them as idolatrous. So a lot was lost. But the tradition of burying important people there continued sporadically. For example, John Smith, the leader of the Labour Party, was buried on Iona in 1994, though not in the ancient graveyard. Luna: So the list of 48 kings—can you name a few of the most famous? Lucas: Sure. According to the tradition, Kenneth MacAlpin, who united the Scots and Picts in the 9th century, is there. Also his son Donald I. Macbeth's predecessor Duncan is listed. Macbeth himself is also said to be buried on Iona, though that's disputed. There's a king named Donald II, who was killed at the Battle of Dunnottar in 900. And Somerled, who died in 1164, is said to be buried there, though his grave is marked by a later cross. Luna: What about Malcolm Canmore? The king who defeated Macbeth? Lucas: A good question. Malcolm Canmore is traditionally said to be buried at Dunfermline Abbey, not Iona. The practice of royal burials on Iona seems to have declined after the 11th century. The later kings, like David I and Robert the Bruce, were buried elsewhere. So Iona's role as a royal necropolis was really a product of the early medieval period, before the crown centralized power on the mainland. Luna: Is there any evidence of Viking burials on Iona? Lucas: Yes, there are some Norse graves. In the 1950s, archaeologists excavated a small cemetery on the island and found a number of Viking-age burials, with grave goods like weapons and jewelry. But they weren't in Reilig Odhráin itself. There's also a famous stone cross known as St. Martin's Cross, which is carved with Norse-style interlace. So the Viking influence is clearly there. Luna: What about the site today? Can visitors see the graves? Lucas: The graveyard is still in use, but it's a beautiful, windswept place. You can see some early medieval grave slabs, carved with crosses and patterns. The most famous monument is the 8th-century St. Oran's Cross, though only the base remains. The abbey itself was restored in the early 20th century, thanks to donations, and it's now a thriving religious community. But the atmosphere of Reilig Odhráin is unique—it feels ancient, even if the actual resting places of the kings are lost to time. Luna: So how much of the king list is actually plausible? Lucas: Some historians, like the archaeologist John Barber, argue that the list is largely a literary construct, put together in the 16th or 17th century to bolster the claims of the MacDonalds, who were the lords of the Isles and had a strong connection to Iona. Others point out that many of the kings on the list are also mentioned in contemporary sources as being buried on Iona, like the Annals of Ulster. For example, the annals record that in 878, King Áed mac Cináeda was 'killed by his own people' and buried on Iona. So there is some contemporary evidence. Luna: Interesting. So it's not entirely myth. Lucas: No, but it's wrapped in layers of tradition and later embellishment. I think the truth is that Iona was a royal burial site for several centuries, but the number of kings buried there is probably exaggerated. And many of the graves simply didn't survive the centuries of neglect and destruction. The symbolic importance of Iona, though, is undeniable. It's a place where Scotland's early history feels tangible, even if the specifics are hazy. Luna: It makes me want to visit. Lucas: I highly recommend it. You can take a ferry from Oban, and it's a short trip. The island is tiny, but it's packed with history. And standing in Reilig Odhráin, with the wind blowing off the Atlantic, you can almost hear the echoes of those ancient kings. It's a reminder that Scotland's history isn't just about battles and politics—it's also about faith, tradition, and a deep connection to the land. Luna: So what's the final verdict? Are 48 kings buried on Iona? Lucas: I'd say probably not 48, but definitely a significant number. The true figure might be more like a dozen or so, but we'll never know for sure. And in a way, that mystery is part of the appeal. Iona's graveyard is a place where history and legend meet, and that's a powerful thing.