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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