The abbey or cathedral, which is now to be described, is classed along
with the buildings of the third pointed period, as the greater part of
the work connected with it belongs to a late date.
When the great distance of the Island of Iona from the centre of
operations of mediæval architecture is considered, it is not unnatural
to find those deviations from the rules and practice of the art which
are so frequent in Scottish architecture even more accentuated here than
is usual. The connection of the locality with the Celtic art of Ireland
and the west of Scotland has also had considerable influence in moulding
the style of the carving and decoration of the Cathedral of the
Isles.[36]
These facts, although rendering the building somewhat difficult to class
along with the general architecture of the recognised periods of Gothic
in Scotland, yet add much to the interest of this isolated and unique
structure.
It should also be noticed that the cathedral shows signs in all
directions of having been much altered and added to; but as the style of
the masonry of the walls is much the same throughout, whatever its date,
it is somewhat difficult to trace the points of junction of the work of
the various periods. This masonry of all dates consists of large blocks
of red granite of irregular shape, set with flat untooled face to the
outside, and with filling-in of smaller pieces of granite and slaty
stones between the larger blocks.