A guide to
Scotland’s islands.
Which island?
Choose a group of islands for its guide, or answer five questions further down.
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The Cuillin, the Quiraing and the Old Man of Storr, over the bridge from Kyle.
White sand at Luskentyre, the Calanais stones and Harris Tweed off the loom.
Skara Brae, the Ring of Brodgar and the Italian Chapel, a short crossing from Caithness.
Puffins at Sumburgh Head, Mousa Broch, and nearer to Bergen than to Edinburgh.
Islay, Jura, Mull, Iona and Colonsay, all by ferry from Oban or Kennacraig.
Scotland in miniature: Goatfell, standing stones and two distilleries.
The islands, in two minutes.
Scotland has almost eight hundred islands, and more than ninety with people living on them. They fall into groups: the Inner Hebrides close to the west coast, the Outer Hebrides beyond them, Orkney and Shetland to the north, and Arran, Bute and Cumbrae in the Firth of Clyde.
Each group is its own trip. Skye can be driven onto; Arran is an hour from the mainland; Shetland is a night on the boat. Choosing one group and seeing it properly is better than collecting crossings.
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Where to start.
The sights everyone asks about, each with what to know before going.
The Old Man of Storr.
A pinnacle about 50 metres high above Loch Leathan, two hours there and back on foot, seven miles north of Portree.
Isle of Skye
Callanish Stones.
A cross-shaped setting of standing stones on a ridge above Loch Roag, raised 5,000 years ago, before Stonehenge.
Outer Hebrides
Ring of Brodgar.
A Neolithic stone circle of 36 standing stones on a strip of land between two lochs; free to visit and open all year.
Orkney
Luskentyre Beach, Harris.
The largest and most spectacular of the Harris beaches, a great bay of white sand and turquoise water below the North Harris hills.
Outer Hebrides
Iona Abbey.
The restored Benedictine abbey on the site of St Columba's monastery of 563, with its cloister, high crosses and museum of carved stones.
Isle of Iona
Sumburgh Head.
Sumburgh Head lies on the southernmost point of Mainland Shetland and enjoys commanding views out to sea and across the ‘Roost’ to the most southerly of the Shetland Isles – Fair Isle.
Shetland Islands
Three things to know.
Book the ferry first.
Car spaces on summer sailings sell out weeks ahead, long before the beds do. Foot passengers can almost always just turn up.
Leave room for weather.
Sailings are cancelled in high wind, mostly in winter. Never plan a flight home for the same day as a long crossing.
Sunday is quiet.
In parts of the Outer Hebrides shops and cafes close on Sundays. Fill the tank and buy food on Saturday.
Find your island.
Answer five quick questions to find the island that suits you.
Isle of SkyeThe Isle of Skye Distillers
Outer HebridesIsle of Barra Distillers
Argyll and ButeIsle of Islay (pronounced Eye-la)
Argyll and ButeIsle of Lunga
Argyll and ButeIsle of Staffa
Isle of SkyeIsle of Skye Baking Company
Isle of SkyeIsle of Raasay Distillery
Argyll and ButeIsle of CollWhere to go.
Places of ours, each with what to know before you go.
See more on Explore
Sanaigmore Bay walk on Islay's north-west coast
A walk from Canna over the bridge to Sanday's white beach
Golden eagles at the North Harris Eagle Observatory
Glen Rosa walk to the Blue Pool on Arran
Ronas Hill, Shetland's highest hill
A walk to Ardtornish Castle on the Sound of Mull
A walk from Kingussie to Ruthven Barracks
A walk to Finlaggan, island of the Lords of the IslesDays worked out.
Each with its stops in order, the drive between and somewhere to eat.
See every day out
To readA Day Ashore in Stornoway, Lewis
To readA Day Ashore in Portree, Skye
To readA Day Ashore in Lerwick, Shetland
To readA Day Ashore in Kirkwall, Orkney
To readA Weekend Exploring the Isle of Mull
To readDocumenting the Small Isles
To readCafé Canna
To readBack to OrkneyFrom the magazine and the Journal.
The people and the stories.
The Library
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