Long Holy Tradition

Christianity came to Holy Isle, off Arran, in the 6th Century while Buddhism made its appearance here in the 20th. A Tibetan Buddhist Centre, one of the first in the West, hosts retreats in the north of the island, while the Pillar Rock Lighthouse, photographed here by John Mobbs, is restricted to some of the community's monks and nuns. They live in the former-lighthouse-keepers' houses. There is a passenger ferry from Lamlash on Arran.

Scottish Islands Explorer - throws light on remote rocks for readers