Experience Easter on Iona
24 March 2027 @ 4:00 pm - 30 March 2027 @ 9:00 am
Experience Holy Week and Easter on Iona; Learning from the Living Stones
Join us for Easter on Iona as we journey through Holy Week together and celebrate the hope of Easter in community.
We will be led through Holy Week by Palestinian Christians Samia Odeh and Shadia Qubti, with Fiona Haworth, who will bring their insights into the rhythms of the Week. We will engage through Scripture and Liturgy with the events we recall leading to Jesus’ death and resurrection, alert to the current realities of Palestine and the wider world today.
This Holy Week retreat offers space for worship, reflection, conversation and prayer, alongside the daily rhythm of Abbey life. Through shared worship, meaningful discussion and the beauty of the island, we’ll explore the Easter story together and consider what it means for our lives and our world today.
Whether you’re seeking a joyful Easter retreat experience, focused discussion, or simply space to reflect during this sacred season, you’ll find a warm welcome at Iona Abbey.
Costs: 6 Nights: £960 per adult or £480 concession rate
Where: The Iona Abbey
When: 24 March – 30 March 2027
Led by: Samia Odeh, Shadia Qubti, Fiona Haworth
About the programme
Experience Easter on Iona as part of a week shaped by worship, reflection, community, discussion and celebration.
Together, we’ll journey through Holy Week, exploring the events leading up to Easter and reflecting on what they mean for our lives today, and in the wider world. Through worship, conversation, prayer and shared experiences, you’ll have the opportunity to engage deeply with the Easter story while sharing in the daily rhythm of life at the Abbey.
This Iona Easter retreat is for anyone seeking to mark Holy Week and Easter in a meaningful way. Whether you’re looking for an Easter retreat UK experience, a time of spiritual reflection, or the opportunity to celebrate Easter in community, you’ll find space to pause, connect and explore faith alongside others.
Set in the unique landscape of Iona, the week offers both structured programme time and opportunities for personal reflection, helping you enter fully into the journey from Holy Week to Easter Day.
Meet the Programme Leader(s)
Samia Odeh is a Palestinian Christian musician whose work connects music, faith, justice, and peace. A McGill University graduate and winner of the McGill Concerto Competition, she is the founder of the Canada Music Academy and serves as Music Director at Wall Street United Church. Her Palestinian Christian roots, including 25 generations of priests dating to 1113 AD and her family’s displacement from Jerusalem in 1948, have deeply shaped her faith and her use of music to explore shared humanity, compassion, and justice.
Shadia Qubti is a Palestinian Christian from Nazareth, currently an arrivant on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, known as Vancouver, Canada. She worked in faith-based peacebuilding in Palestine/Israel for 15 years, focusing on amplifying women’s voices through initiatives like the Women Behind the Wall podcast. Her writing is inspired by her completed research into Palestinian and North American Indigenous understandings of land, informing her approach to contextual theology. Her publications include “Noticing Sumac in Unexpected Places: Theological Engagement” in The Cross and the Olive Tree: Cultivating Palestinian Theology Amid Gaza (Orbis Books, 2025) and the forthcoming article “Joshua in the Shadows of Genocide: A Hagaric Decolonial Reading” in the Spring 2026 edition of Critical Theology. She is currently working on her first sole-authored book, exploring the intersections of gender, context, and theology, expected to be published in 2027. Shadia currently serves as Community Engagement Animator at Trinity Grace United Church in Vancouver and as a Commissioner to the General Council of the United Church of Canada.
Fiona Haworth is a member of the Iona Community, a priest in the Church of England. A biochemist before entering the church, she has maintained an interest in the intersection of science and faith, and is passionate about working for justice, peace, and the integrity of creation. Fiona enjoys walking, the natural world, reading, and cooking. Her interest in Palestine was shaped by meeting Bishara Awad, founder of Bethlehem Bible College, on a college study tour whilst training for ministry. She is an active member of the Common Concern Network Israel Palestine.
What to expect
Holy Week and Easter are at the heart of this programme. Together, we’ll journey through the final days of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection through worship, reflection, prayer and conversation.
Each day follows the rhythm of Abbey life, with opportunities to gather for worship, take part in programme sessions, share meals and spend time in community. There will also be space for personal reflection, quiet walks and exploring the island.
Throughout the week, we’ll engage with the Easter story in ways that connect faith with the realities of today’s world. Through teaching, discussion and shared reflection, we’ll explore themes of hope, renewal, justice and peace.
As Easter Day approaches, the programme moves from the reflection of Holy Week towards joyful celebration, culminating in worship and community celebrations of resurrection and new life.
Whether you’re joining this Holy Week retreat as part of your Easter tradition or experiencing Easter on Iona for the first time, you’ll be invited into a week that is thoughtful, prayerful and deeply rooted in community.
Key Information
Before booking, it’s helpful to know that this week combines practical work with community life at the Abbey. You’ll contribute to a range of seasonal projects while sharing meals, worship and daily life with staff, volunteers and other guests. No specialist skills are required, and accommodation, meals and programme activities are included in the cost of your stay.
Booking Information
What's included
Your stay at Iona Abbey includes everything you need to fully take part in the experience:
+ Accommodation in the Abbey
+ Breakfast, lunch and dinner each day
+ All programme sessions
+ Music, art and craft opportunities
+ Guided walks
Pricing & discounts
Prices vary depending on the type of week and length of stay.
- Standard week (6 nights): from £960 (adult)
- Reduced rates available from £480
- Non-Standard Week (6 Nights) from £1,152 (Adult)
- Reduced rates available from £576
- Work Week (6 Nights) from £600 (Adult)
- Reduced rates available from £300
- Children aged 5–15: £480
- Children under 5: free (contact [email protected])
A 20% non-refundable deposit is required to secure your booking.
We offer a 50% reduced rate for eligible UK residents, including:
+ Students
+ Those on state benefits or pension
+ Those earning below the real living wage
+ Refugees, asylum seekers, or those experiencing homelessness
A 15% family discount is automatically applied for groups of four or more (where adults pay full price).
We also have an Access Fund to support those who would not otherwise be able to attend.
Food & dietary
All meals are provided, with a focus on:
+ Healthy, seasonal, and locally sourced ingredients
+ Primarily vegetarian meals (with one optional meat meal per week)
We can cater for most dietary requirements (including vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free), but please let us know in advance.
Accommodation
+ 21 guest rooms (single, twin, triple and family rooms)
+ Some rooms are accessible, with lift access available to certain areas
+ Guests may be asked to share a room, particularly if travelling alone
+ Families of up to four can usually be accommodated in one room
If you have specific requirements (e.g. accessibility or room type), please let us know when booking.
For full room details and accessibility information, see our Accommodation FAQs.
Support our Access Fund
While you are making your own booking, please consider making a donation towards the Access Fund if you are able to, which allows financially disadvantaged people to stay at Iona Abbey. Thank you.
Your gift would help to pay towards:
| £1,000 | A week for a family on Iona |
| £300 | A week for a person on Iona |
| £200 | A week for a child on Iona |
| £100 | A week for a person at Camas |
| £50 | A night on Iona |
| £25 | A night at Camas |
Planning your stay
Getting to Iona
Travelling to Iona is part of the experience and involves:
+ Ferry from Oban to Mull
+ Bus across Mull
+ Ferry from Fionnphort to Iona
We recommend planning your journey in advance and allowing plenty of time.
Arrival and Stay
+ Arrival day is typically Saturday from 3pm onwards
+ You’ll be welcomed at the jetty or Abbey on arrival
+ Guests are invited to take part in daily community life, including optional worship and light shared tasks
Important to know
- Full balance must be paid 6 weeks before arrival
- Cancellations within 6 weeks are non-refundable
- Travel insurance is strongly recommended
- The Abbey is an alcohol-free environment
- WiFi is available but may be limited
Need help?
If you have any questions before booking, you can contact the team at [email protected]
USA North East