One of Scotland's most historic libraries has been awarded a £100,000 grant to preserve it for future generations.

The library is hidden away above the cloisters of Iona Abbey and is home to hundreds of manuscripts, including nationally significant collections and rare Gaelic writings.

Its collection will now be moved to the mainland for restoration and repair during the two-year Iona Cathedral Trust project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

A digital catalogue of the library will also be made available online with help from the University of the Highlands and Islands.

Founded in the sixth century, the early monastery of St Columba is thought to have produced the Book of Kells.

The current library was restored during the rebuilding of the abbey after the founding of the Iona Community in 1938.

Rev George MacLeod enlisted unemployed skilled craftsmen and young trainee clergy from his parish in Govan, Glasgow, to go to the island to rebuild the monastic quarters of the medieval abbey.

Iona Cathedral Trust chairman Very Rev Dr Finlay Macdonald said: "We are delighted this gem of a library can be made more accessible and our valuable heritage preserved thanks to this support from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

"Iona Cathedral attracts many visitors but the library is hidden away over the cloisters. Many more people will be able to enjoy it thanks to this grant."