Iona - A History of the Island with descriptive notes

In her preface the author explains that before her visit to Iona in 1917 she could not find a suitably priced guide so this small but beautiful pocket book is the result.

The resulting guide pays respect to Iona's importance not just in Celtic culture but also in the wider western civilisation culture.

A rare copy of this original 1st edition with an unclipped dustcover with just some minor tears and loss around the edges of the spine..

The inside pages are bright and clean with some age-realated tanning and some light foxing.

Overall the book is in good condition and, in pocket format, is the perfect guide in your bag for your visit to the legendary Isle of Iona.

Please check the images associated with this Book to gain a clear insight into the book's condition and if you require further details please send an email enquiry. Please remember the book you are seeing in the image is the copy your are purchasing.

Florence Marian McNeill, MBE (1885–1973), was a distinguished Scottish folklorist, author, suffragist, and political activist. Born in Holm, Orkney, she was the eighth of twelve children in a Free Church minister's family. Educated at Kirkwall Burgh School alongside poet Edwin Muir, she later earned an MA from the University of Glasgow in 1912. Following her studies, McNeill taught English in France and Germany. She then became an organiser for the Scottish Federation of Women's Suffrage Societies and later served as secretary for the Association for Moral and Social Hygiene in London. After World War I, she contributed to the Scottish National Dictionary project, eventually becoming its principal assistant.​

McNeill was a central figure in the Scottish Literary Renaissance. Her seminal works include The Scots Kitchen (1929), an encyclopedic exploration of Scotland's culinary heritage, and The Silver Bough (1957–1968), a comprehensive four-volume study of Scottish folklore and festivals. In 1934, she co-founded the Scottish National Party and served as its first vice president. Recognised for her contributions to Scottish culture, she was appointed MBE in 1962. McNeill passed away in Edinburgh on 22 February 1973.