ard,
containing beautiful specimens of Highland carved tombstones, and near
which reposes the dust of Scotch, Irish, and Norwegian kings and
ecclesiastics. The late Duke of Argyll both preserved and restored, and
the foundations of the chapels and cloisters have been plainly marked
out, and give a clear idea of the original plan of the abbey. The abbey
or cathedral, although begun in the twelfth century, took a long time in
building, was altered and added to, and is classed with the buildings of
the Third Pointed period, as the greater part of the work connected with
it belongs to a late date.[197] It is cruciform in shape, consisting of
nave, transepts, and choir, with sacristy on the north side of the
choir, and aisle on the south. Near the west entrance was a small
chamber called St. Columba's tomb. Over the crossing is a square tower,
70 feet high, and supported by arches resting on four pillars. It is
lighted on one side by a window formed by a slab with quatrefoil
openings, and on the other by a marigold or Catherine-wheel window with
spiral mullions. The capitals of the pillars are carved with beautiful
ornamentation and grotesque figures, which are still sharp and well
defined.[198] There are three sedilia, and the high altar seems to have
been of marble. North of the nave is the cloister-garth; to the north
and east of the cloisters are the refectory and chapter-house; the
building over the chapter-house was the library, which was large and
valuable. There were said to be many crosses in Iona; the entire ones
are St. Martin's Cross, opposite the west door of the abbey church, and
Maclean's Cross, on the wayside between the nunnery and the cathedral.
There are the ruins of a small detached chapel to the north-east of the
chapter-house, and of another to the west of the cloister: to the
north-east of the cloister lie the total ruins of what is called the
abbot's house.[199] A short distance north-east of the abbey church, at
Cladh-an-diseart, there was found in 1872 a heart-shaped stone, with an
incised cross on it, which Dr. Skene is disposed to think was the stone
used by St. Columba as a pillow.[200]

The ruins of the nunnery, of which Beatrice, sister of Reginald, was the
first abbess, and which was apparently erected soon after 1203, consist
of a quadrangle about 68 feet square, having the church on the north
side, foundations of the chapter-house and other apartments on the east
side, and the refectory on t