Basic Site Details

Name: Iona Abbey
Island: Iona
City or county: Argyll
Country: Scotland
Parish:  
Status:  
Grid ref:
Notes: In 1891 Peter Macgregor Chalmers made proposals for restoration; he was superseded by Thomas Ross and John Honeyman in 1902-04 but recovered the commission 1908-10 when he rebuilt the nave.

The proposed restoration work of the cloister and refectory was originally planned by Fairlie in 1931-32 but was taken over from Fairlie by Ian Lindsay, said to be at the insistance of J S Richardson: since Fairlie and Richardson were friends, and Lindsay had been an assistant of Fairlie and remained a friend, this must have been achieved amicably. DMW does not recall Lindsay ever mentioning it.

Ian Lindsay's work won a Civic Trust Award.

Civil engineers for 1983 work McGregor Associates; Main contractor for 1983 work Andrews-Weatherfoil (Paisley)

Building Type Classification

The building is classified under the following categories:
 ClassificationOriginal classification?Notes
Item 1 of 1Abbey  

Events

The following date-based events are associated with this building:
 FromToEvent typeNotes
Item 1 of 15  Won award or awardsIan Lindsay work won Civic trust Award
Item 2 of 15June 1891  Proposed restoration - drawings for first scheme dated
Item 3 of 15August 1900April 1902 Drawings dated- restoration of choir
Item 4 of 1519021904ConstructionRestoration of choir, crossing & transepts
Item 5 of 151905  Restoration of rose window in north gable
Item 6 of 1519081910 Rebuilding of nave and furnishings
Item 7 of 15July 1908  Drawings dated - rebuilding of nave
Item 8 of 1519111912 Drawings dated - furnishings
Item 9 of 15March 1913  Proposed caretaker's house
Item 10 of 151921  Rebuilding of two arches at west end of north arcade
Item 11 of 1519311932 Proposals for reconstruction by Fairlie
Item 12 of 15July 1931  Drawings dated for Fairlie scheme from this date onwards
Item 13 of 151933 Design exhibitedDesign for restoration of cloister and the refectory (Fairlie)
Item 14 of 1519381965 Restoration of monastic buildings
Item 15 of 151996 ReconstructionCaphouse reconstructed

People

Design and Construction

The following individuals or organisations have carried out design/construction work. Where architects or practices worked together, matching letters appear beside their names in the Partnership Group column.
 NameRolePartnership GroupFromToNotes
Item 1 of 26Honeyman & Keppie A1891 Proposed restoration of nave - not executed at the time
Item 2 of 26John Honeyman A1891 Proposed restoration - not executed at the time
Item 3 of 26Peter Macgregor Chalmers B1891 Proposed restoration - not carried out
Item 4 of 26David MacGibbon C1902 Restoration of choir, crossing & transepts - with John Honeyman
Item 5 of 26MacGibbon & Ross C19021904Proposed restoration of choir, crossing & transepts - with John Honeyman
Item 6 of 26Thomas Ross C19021904Proposed restoration of choir, crossing & transepts - with John Honeyman
Item 7 of 26Honeyman, Keppie & Mackintosh D19021904Restoration of choir, crossing & transepts - with MacGibbon & Ross
Item 8 of 26John Honeyman D19021904Restoration of choir, crossing & transepts - with Thomas Ross.
Item 9 of 26John Honeyman E19041905Restoration of rose window in north gable
Item 10 of 26Peter Macgregor Chalmers F19081912Rebuilding of nave and furnishings
Item 11 of 26Peter Macgregor Chalmers I1913 Proposed caretaker's house
Item 12 of 26Andrew W Bell G1921 Rebuilding of two arches at west end of north arcade
Item 13 of 26Oldrieve Bell & Paterson G1921 Rebuilding of two arches at west end of north arcade
Item 14 of 26William Paterson G1921 Rebuilding of two arches at west end of north arcade
Item 15 of 26William Thomas Oldrieve (sometimes William Thomas Oldgrieve) G1921 Rebuilding of two arches at west end of north arcade
Item 16 of 26Reginald Francis Joseph Fairlie  19311932Proposals for reconstruction, restoration of cloister and the refectory
Item 17 of 26Ian Gordon Lindsay H19381965Restoration of monastic buildings
Item 18 of 26Orphoot, Whiting & Lindsay H19381940Restoration of monastic buildings - continued by Lindsay under subsequent partnership
Item 19 of 26Alastair Norman Leigh McQueen  Late 1938 or early 1939 Scheme for rebuilding the monastic buildings - not executed
Item 20 of 26Orphoot & Lindsay H19451952Restoration of monastic buildings - begun by Lindsay prior to partnership and continued by him after its dissolution
Item 21 of 26George Hay I19521965Restoration of monastic buildings - begun by Lindsay under earlier partnership
Item 22 of 26Ian G Lindsay & Partners I19521965Restoration of monastic buildings - begun by Lindsay under earlier partnership
Item 23 of 26Ian Gordon Lindsay I19521965Restoration of monastic buildings - begun by Lindsay under earlier partnership
Item 24 of 26Robert Matthew, Johnson-Marshall & Partners (RMJM) J1983 Acting as Service Engineers - installation of heat pump
Item 25 of 26Ian G Lindsay & Partners K1983 Installation of heat pump
Item 26 of 26John Renshaw S1996 Caphouse reconstructed

Clients

The following individuals or organisations have commissioned work on this building/design:
 NameNotes
Item 1 of 1Russell, David, SirClient for the Reginald Fairlie scheme

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this building:
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 13Academy Architecture1891   Proposed restoration of 1891 - not executed. Shows saddleback roof to central tower
Item 2 of 13Academy Architecture1906 Part 1 p72
Item 3 of 13Glendinning, Miles1997Rebuilding Scotland: The Postwar Vision, 1945-75  Tuckwell Press Ltdp8, p9
Item 4 of 13Nuttgens, Patrick1959Reginald Fairlie 1883-1952: A Scottish Architect Edinburgh: Oliver & Boydp57
Item 5 of 13RCAHMS Inventory of Argyllvol 4 Iona  
Item 6 of 13RIBA1970RIBA Directory 1970   
Item 7 of 13RIBA1981Directory of Practices 1981   
Item 8 of 13RMJM  RMJM Practice Brochure   
Item 9 of 13Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts1918   638 (Chalmers design)
Item 10 of 13Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts1936   338, 341
Item 11 of 13RSA1936   716, 722 & 730 (Fairlie proposals)
Item 12 of 13Stark, David2004Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Co., 1854 to 2004 Glasgow: Stenlake Publishing Ltdpp159-61
Item 13 of 13Walker, F A2000Argyll and Bute (The Buildings of Scotland)  p511-17

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this building:
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Builder22 May 1909XCVI  

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this building:
 SourceArchive nameSource catalogue no.Notes
Item 1 of 5Historic Scotland (location unlear)Records of the Iona Community and the Trustees For McQueen scheme
Item 2 of 5Keppie Design (David Stark)Database of jobs by Honeyman and Keppie No 238, 319
Item 3 of 5National Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMSDrawings Collection AGD/23/620-625 For Peter Macgregor Chalmers 1891 proposals
Item 4 of 5National Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMSIan G Lindsay Collection For 1931 Fairlie scheme , the 1891, 1908, 1911-13 Chalmers work and 1900-1920 work by Ross
Item 5 of 5RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers Ian Gordon Lindsay: F no4495 (combined box 18)