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MacLean's Cross

On Iona, about 250 metres south of the abbey
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MacLean’s Cross is a free-standing stone construction dating to the late 1400s.

Carved from a single slab more than three metres high, the disc-headed cross is carved on both sides.

The cross has some intricate decoration including;

  • tightly packed plait-work and foliage

  • on the east side, two animals 

  • on the west side, a crucification scene

  • an armed horseman on the foot of the shaft - possibly a depiction of the MacLean chief who commissioned the cross

The carvings resemble the West Highland graveslabs on display at the Abbey Cloister and Museum at Iona Abbey, and in the MacMillan Cross at Kilmory Knap Chapel, by Loch Sween.

Statement of Significance

You can find out more about MacLean's Cross and its history by reading our Statement of Significance.

Read more
Front view of a tall stone cross with a circular ring at the intersection of the arms, rising from a multi‑layered stone base. A dry‑stone wall runs behind it, with a field, bare trees, and stone buildings visible in the background beneath a clear blue sky.
A tall, weathered stone cross mounted on a rough stone plinth beside a curving pathway and low dry‑stone wall. The cross stands in a grassy open area with scattered buildings and leafless trees in the distance under a bright blue sky with soft clouds.

Discover more on trove.scot

See archive photographs of MacLean's Cross, plus archaeology notes and more on trove.scot. 

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