ACCOMPANIED by the Duchess and their three children, the Duke congratulated the Iona Cathedral Trust on their conservation of some 300 significant volumes, both English and Gaelic, and the creation of handsome new book presses.
A state of the art humidistat system will ensure a safe environment for the books; in addition a digital catalogue of the library has been created. This will be hosted by the University of the Highlands and Islands as a resource for Celtic scholars and others around the world.
The Trustees gratefully acknowledge a grant of £100,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund. HLF rules require a focus on community as well as heritage and this proved to be a very positive experience, with children and adults from Iona and Mull taking part in workshops on book conservation and calligraphy.