Overview

The Iona Community Shop and Welcome Centre is directly opposite Iona Abbey. It is step free information centre, lovely gift shop and sells hot and cold drinks, snacks, the famous Iona Abbey Bread and home-baking. There are two accessible toilets. This is a great place to head to if you are visiting Iona.

Transport & Parking

Travelling to Iona involves taking a ferry from Fionnphort Ferry Terminal in Mull. The ferry mostly takes foot passengers but residents of Iona or for disabled people who arrange permission in advance, can take their car over. From Iona Ferry Terminal it is about a 10-15 minute walk to Iona Community's Shop and Welcome Centre with the first part being slightly uphill. The other option is to take a taxi. There is one taxi service on Iona and I used it while I was there and found the staff very help. Just be aware they don't take cards so you will need to pay by cash.

Access

There is a permanent ramp into the building. I can't remember what the outside manual doors were like and I didn't take a picture (sorry the visit to Iona took a lot out of my spoons for the day and I've missed photographing it). There is then double glass doors into a large room where the information centre and shop are. items are on shelves of differing heights (sorry forgot to take a photo) and the desk is at standing height. Outside there are picnic style benches and a bench with back support and arms.

Toilets

Immediately inside the entrance in the foyer area are are two accessible toilets. One has right and the other left hand side transfer. They both have manual doors, are spacious, uncluttered. There are grab rails on one side of the toilet only but on both sides of the sink. Both were clean, tidy and well maintained. NOTE: There are NO toilets in the Abbey grounds so these are the nearest accessible toilets if visiting the Abbey.

Staff

I only had any contact with the staff when I went the counter to pay for my shopping. They were friendly and welcoming. Service was excellent.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

The shop is stocked with a wide range of tempting gifts and is reasonably priced. I was very happy to discover its existence before I visited Iona as it was one of the places which made Iona itself very accessible, knowing that there were accessible toilets and step free access, gave me the confidence to know I could comfortably visit the island. Highly recommended visiting if on Iona.

Photos