St. Columba Abbey exists only in the imagination its author, the Reverend Israel James Douglas Nelson. The Abbey is populated by eccentric monks who follow the Rule of St. Benedict, squabble with one another, and are members of the Church of Scotland. These stories tell how they live out their monastic lives on the island of North Uist, pestered by cabbage-loving seals and idiosyncratic guests, including the Queen herself.
As far as Israel Nelson knows, there is no Church of Scotland monastic community that follows the Rule of St. Benedict. He doubts if there is any such place on North Uist, an island in the Hebrides that does exist. He chose to locate his imaginary community on North Uist because few people have ever heard of it, especially Americans. He is somewhat familiar with the Church of Scotland, the mother church of the Presbyterian Church (USA), of which he has been Teaching Elder member for more than 50 years. He's also familiar with the Rule of St. Benedict, as an occasional guest in Cistercian houses where that rule dominates. So, come along and meet the monks who share a common life following the Benedictine rule and honoring the founder of the Christian faith in Scotland, St. Columba of Iona.
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