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List of islands of Scotland
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Everything about List Of Islands Of Scotland totally explainedThis is a list of the islands of Scotland, the mainland of which is part of the island of Great Britain. Also included are various other related tables and lists. The definition of an offshore island used in this list is that it's 'land that's surrounded by seawater on a daily basis, but not necessarily at all stages of the tide, excluding human devices such as bridges and causeways'.
Scotland has over 790 offshore islands, most of which are to be found in four main groups: Shetland, Orkney, and the Hebrides, sub-divided into the Inner Hebrides and Outer Hebrides. There are also clusters of islands in the Firth of Clyde, Firth of Forth, and Solway Firth, and numerous small islands within the many bodies of freshwater in Scotland including Loch Lomond and Loch Maree.
Many of these islands are swept by strong tides, and the Corryvreckan tide race between Scarba and Jura is one of the largest whirlpools in the world. Other strong tides are to be found in the Pentland Firth between mainland Scotland and Orkney, and the Grey Dog between Scarba and Lunga.
The largest island is Lewis and Harris which extends to 2,179 square kilometres, and there are a further 200 islands which are greater than 40 hectares in area. Of the remainder, several such as Staffa and the Flannan Isles have achieved considerable notability despite their small size.
The culture of the islands has been affected by the successive influences of Celtic, Norse and English speaking peoples and this is reflected in names given to the islands. Most of the Hebrides have Scots Gaelic derivations, whilst those of the Northern Isles tend to be derived from the Viking names. A few have Brythonic, Scots and even perhaps pre-Celtic roots.
Rockall, is a small rocky islet in the North Atlantic which was declared part of Scotland by the Island of Rockall Act 1972. However, the legality of the claim is disputed by the Republic of Ireland, Denmark and Iceland and it's probably unenforceable in international law.
Larger islands
This is a list of Scottish islands either with an area greater than 40 hectares (approximately 100 acres) and/or which are inhabited. The 'Groups' which in many cases provide a more useful guide to location than local authority areas are after Haswell-Smith (2004). The main Groups are: Firth of Clyde, Islay, Firth of Lorn, Mull, Small Isles, Skye, Lewis and Harris, Uists and Barra, St Kilda, Orkney, Shetland and Firth of Forth. In a few cases where the island is either part of recognisable smaller group or archipelago, or is located away from the main groups, an archipelago, local authority or other descriptive name is used instead. "F" designates a freshwater island.
|-
| Bigga
| Shetland
| 78
| 0
| 34
|-
| Boreray
| St Kilda
| 77
| 0
| 384
|-
| Boreray
| Uists and Barra
| 204
| 0
| 56
|-
| Bressay
| Shetland
| 2805
| 384
| 226
|-
| Brother Isle
| Shetland
| 40
| 0
| 25
|-
| Bruray
| Out Skerries
| 55
| 26
| 53
|-
| Burray
| Orkney
| 903
| 357
| 80
|-
| Bute
| Firth of Clyde
| 12217
| 7149
| 278
|-
| Calf of Eday
| Orkney
| 243
| 0
| 54
|-
| Calve Island
| Mull
| 72
| 0
| 20
|-
| Canna
| Small Isles
| 1130
| 6
| 210
|-
| Cara
| Islay
| 66
| 0
| 56
|-
| Càrna
| Mull
| 213
| 0
| 169
|-
| Cava
| Orkney
| 107
| 0
| 38
|-
| Ceallasaigh Mòr
| Uists and Barra
| 44 *
| 0
| 10
|-
| Ceann Ear
| Monach Islands
| 203
| 0
| 17
|-
| Ceann Iar
| Monach Islands
| 154
| 0
| 19
|-
| Coll
| Mull
| 7685
| 164
| 104
|-
| Colonsay
| Islay
| 4074
| 108
| 143
|-
| Copinsay
| Orkney
| 73
| 0
| 64
|-
| Danna
| Islay
| 315 *
| 5
| 54
|-
| Davaar
| Firth of Clyde
| 52 *
| 2
| 115
|-
| Easdale
| Slate Islands
| <20 *
| 58
| 38
|-
| East Burra
| Shetland
| 515
| 66
| 81
|-
| Eday
| Orkney
| 2745
| 121
| 101
|-
| Egilsay
| Orkney
| 650
| 37
| 35
|-
| Eigg
| Small Isles
| 3049
| 67
| 393
|-
| Eileach an Naoimh
| Garvellachs
| 56
| 0
| 80
|-
| Eilean Bàn, Lochalsh
| Highland
| <10 *
| 2
| 5
|-
| Eilean Chaluim Chille
| Lewis and Harris
| 85
| 0
| 43
|-
| Eilean Donan
| Highland
| <1 *
| 1
| 3
|-
| Eilean Dubh Mòr
| Slate Islands
| 65
| 0
| 53
|-
| Eilean Liubhaird
| Lewis and Harris
| 125
| 0
| 76
|-
| Eilean Kearstay
| Lewis and Harris
| 77
| 0
| 37
|-
| Eilean Macaskin
| Islay
| 50
| 0
| 65
|-
| Eilean Mòr
| Crowlin Islands
| 170
| 0
| 114
|-
| Eilean nan Ròn
| Highland
| 138
| 0
| 76
|-
| Eilean Righ
| Islay
| 86
| 0
| 55
|-
| Eilean Ruairidh Mòr (F)
| Loch Maree
| 41 *
| 0
| 51
|-
| Eilean Shona
| Small Isles
| 525
| 9
| 265
|-
| Eilean Sùbhainn (F)
| Loch Maree
| 118 *
| 0
| 36
|-
| Eileanan Iasgaich
| Uists and Barra
| 50
| 0
| 23
|-
| Ensay
| Uists and Barra
| 186
| 0
| 49
|-
| Eorsa
| Mull
| 122
| 0
| 98
|-
| Eriska
| Loch Linnhe
| 310 *
| 0
| 47
|-
| Eriskay
| Uists and Barra
| 703
| 133
| 185
|-
| Erraid
| Mull
| 187
| 8
| 75
|-
| Eynhallow
| Orkney
| 75
| 0
| 30
|-
| Fair Isle
| Shetland
| 768
| 69
| 217
|-
| Fara
| Orkney
| 295
| 0
| 43
|-
| Faray
| Orkney
| 180
| 0
| 32
|-
| Fetlar
| Shetland
| 4078
| 86
| 158
|-
| Fiaray
| Uists and Barra
| 41
| 0
| 30
|-
| Flodaigh
| Uists and Barra
| 145 *
| 11
| 20
|-
| Flodaigh Mòr
| Uists and Barra
| 58
| 0
| 28
|-
| Flodday
| Uists and Barra
| 40
| 0
| 42
|-
| Flotta
| Orkney
| 876
| 81
| 58
|-
| Foula
| Shetland
| 1265
| 31
| 418
|-
| Fuaigh Mòr (Vuia Mòr)
| Lewis and Harris
| 84
| 0
| 67
|-
| Fuday
| Uists and Barra
| 232
| 0
| 89
|-
| Fuiay
| Uists and Barra
| 84
| 0
| 107
|-
| Gairsay
| Orkney
| 240
| 3
| 102
|-
| Garbh Eileach
| Garvellachs
| 142
| 0
| 110
|-
| Garbh Eilean
| Shiant Islands
| 143
| 0
| 160
|-
| Garbh Eilean, Loch Maree (F)
| Loch Maree
| 65 *
| 0
| 25
|-
| Gigha
| Islay
| 1395
| 110
| 100
|-
| Gighay
| Uists and Barra
| 96
| 0
| 95
|-
| Glims Holm
| Orkney
| 55
| 0
| 32
|-
| Gometra
| Mull
| 425
| 5
| 155
|-
| Graemsay
| Orkney
| 409
| 21
| 62
|-
| Great Bernera
| Lewis and Harris
| 2122
| 233
| 87
|-
| Great Cumbrae
| Firth of Clyde
| 1168
| 1434
| 127
|-
| Grimsay
| Uists and Barra
| 833
| 201
| 22
|-
| Grimsay (South)
| Uists and Barra
| 117 *
| 19
| 20
|-
| Gruinard Island
| Highland
| 196
| 0
| 106
|-
| Gunna
| Mull
| 69
| 0
| 35
|-
| Handa
| Highland
| 309
| 0
| 123
|-
| Hascosay
| Shetland
| 275
| 0
| 30
|-
| Hellisay
| Uists and Barra
| 142
| 0
| 79
|-
| Hermetray
| Uists and Barra
| 72
| 0
| 35
|-
| Hildasay
| Shetland
| 108
| 0
| 32
|-
| Hirta
| St Kilda
| 670
| 0
| 430
|-
| Holy Isle
| Firth of Clyde
| 253
| 13
| 314
|-
| Horse Island
| Summer Isles
| 53
| 0
| 60
|-
| Housay
| Out Skerries
| 163
| 50
| 53
|-
| Hoy
| Orkney
| 13458
| 272
| 479
|-
| Hunda
| Orkney
| 100
| 0
| 41
|-
| Iona
| Mull
| 877
| 125
| 100
|-
| Inchcolm
| Firth of Forth
|
| 2
|
|-
| Inchfad (F)
| Loch Lomond
| c.40 *
| 2
| 24
|-
| Inch Kenneth
| Mull
| 55
| 0
| 49
|-
| Inchlonaig (F)
| Loch Lomond
| 77 *
| 0
| 62
|-
| Inchmarnock
| Firth of Clyde
| 266
| 0
| 60
|-
| Inchmurrin (F)
| Loch Lomond
| 133 *
| 13
| 89
|-
| Inchtavannach (F)
| Loch Lomond
| 52 *
| 3
| 84
|-
| Innis Chonain (F)
| Loch Awe
| 8 *
| 1
| 62
|-
| Isay
| Skye
| 60
| 0
| 28
|-
| Islay
| Islay
| 61956
| 3457
| 491
|-
| Isle Martin
| Summer Isles
| 157
| 0
| 120
|-
| Isle of Ewe
| Highland
| 309
| 12
| 72
|-
| Isle of May
| Firth of Forth
| 45
| 0
| 50
|-
| Isle Ristol
| Summer Isles
| 225 *
| 0
| 71
|-
| Jura
| Islay
| 36692
| 188
| 785
|-
| Kerrera
| Mull
| 1214
| 42
| 189
|-
| Killegray
| Lewis and Harris
| 176
| 0
| 45
|-
| Kirkibost
| Uists and Barra
| 205
| 0
| 7
|-
| Lamba
| Shetland
| 43
| 0
| 35
|-
| Lamb Holm
| Orkney
| 40
| 0
| 20
|-
| Lewis and Harris
| Lewis and Harris
| 217898
| 19918
| 799
|-
| Linga near Muckle Roe
| Shetland
| 70
| 0
| 69
|-
| Linga near Yell
| Shetland
| 45
| 0
| 26
|-
| Linga Holm
| Orkney
| 57
| 0
| 10
|-
| Lismore
| Mull
| 2351
| 146
| 127
|-
| Little Bernera
| Lewis and Harris
| 138
| 0
| 41
|-
| Little Colonsay
| Mull
| 88
| 0
| 61
|-
| Little Cumbrae
| Firth of Clyde
| 313
| 0
| 123
|-
| Longa Island
| Highland
| 126
| 0
| 70
|-
| Longay
| Skye
| 50
| 0
| 67
|-
| Luing
| Slate Islands
| 1430
| 212
| 94
|-
| Lunga
| Slate Islands
| 254
| 7
| 98
|-
| Lunga
| Treshnish Isles
| 81
| 0
| 103
|-
| Mainland, Orkney
| Orkney
| 52325
| 15315
| 271
|-
| Mainland, Shetland
| Shetland
| 96879
| 17550
| 450
|-
| Mealista
| Lewis and Harris
| 124
| 0
| 77
|-
| Mingulay
| Uists and Barra
| 640
| 0
| 273
|-
| Moncrieffe Island (F)
| River Tay
| 46 *
| 3
| 5
|-
| Mousa
| Shetland
| 180
| 0
| 55
|-
| Muck
| Small Isles
| 559
| 30
| 137
|-
| Muckle Roe
| Shetland
| 1773
| 104
| 267
|-
| Muldoanich
| Uists and Barra
| 78
| 0
| 153
|-
| Mull
| Mull
| 87535
| 2667
| 966
|-
| North Rona
| Atlantic Outlier
| 109
| 0
| 108
|-
| North Ronaldsay
| Orkney
| 690
| 70
| 20
|-
| North Uist
| Uists and Barra
| 30305
| 1271
| 347
|-
| Noss
| Shetland
| 343
| 0
| 181
|-
| Oldany Island
| Highland
| 200 *
| 0
| 104
|-
| Oronsay
| Islay
| 543
| 5
| 93
|-
| Oronsay
| Uists and Barra
| 85
| 0
| 25
|-
| Oronsay
| Mull
| 230 *
| 0
| 58
|-
| Oxna
| Shetland
| 68
| 0
| 38
|-
| Pabay
| Skye
| 122
| 0
| 28
|-
| Pabay Mòr
| Lewis and Harris
| 101
| 0
| 68
|-
| Pabbay
| Uists and Barra
| 250
| 0
| 171
|-
| Pabbay
| Lewis and Harris
| 820
| 0
| 196
|-
| Papa
| Shetland
| 59
| 0
| 32
|-
| Papa Little
| Shetland
| 226
| 0
| 82
|-
| Papa Stour
| Shetland
| 828
| 23
| 87
|-
| Papa Stronsay
| Orkney
| 74
| 10
| 13
|-
| Papa Westray
| Orkney
| 918
| 65
| 48
|-
| Priest Island
| Summer Isles
| 122
| 0
| 78
|-
| Raasay
| Skye
| 6405
| 192
| 443
|-
| Ronay
| Uists and Barra
| 563
| 0
| 115
|-
| Rousay
| Orkney
| 4860
| 212
| 250
|-
| Rùm
| Small Isles
| 10463
| 22
| 812
|-
| Samphrey
| Shetland
| 66
| 0
| 29
|-
| Sanda Island
| Firth of Clyde
| 151
| 1
| 123
|-
| Sanday
| Orkney
| 5043
| 478
| 65
|-
| Sanday
| Small Isles
| 184
| 6
| 59
|-
| Sandray
| Uists and Barra
| 385
| 0
| 207
|-
| Scalpay
| Skye
| 2483
| 10
| 392
|-
| Scalpay
| Lewis and Harris
| 653
| 322
| 104
|-
| Scarba
| Islay
| 1474
| 0
| 449
|-
| Scarp
| Lewis and Harris
| 1045
| 0
| 308
|-
| Scotasay
| Lewis and Harris
| 49
| 0
| 57
|-
| Seaforth Island
| Lewis and Harris
| 273
| 0
| 217
|-
| Seil
| Slate Islands
| 1329
| 560
| 146
|-
| Shapinsay
| Orkney
| 2948
| 300
| 64
|-
| Shillay
| Lewis and Harris
| 47
| 0
| 79
|-
| Shuna
| Slate Islands
| 451
| 1
| 90
|-
| Shuna
| Loch Linnhe
| 155
| 0
| 71
|-
| Skye
| Skye
| 165625
| 9232
| 993
|-
| Soay
| Skye
| 1036
| 7
| 141
|-
| Soay
| St Kilda
| 99
| 0
| 378
|-
| Soay Mòr
| Lewis and Harris
| 45
| 0
| 37
|-
| South Havra
| Shetland
| 59
| 0
| 42
|-
| South Rona
| Skye
| 930
| 2
| 125
|-
| South Ronaldsay
| Orkney
| 4980
| 854
| 118
|-
| South Uist
| Uists and Barra
| 32026
| 1818
| 620
|-
| South Walls
| Orkney
| 850 *
| 120 (est). It is in Loch Lomond, which contains over sixty other islands. The following list is of all islands with a highest elevation greater than 300 metres (984 feet).
| Rank |
Island |
Mountain |
Height (ft) |
Height (m) |
| 1 |
Skye |
Sgurr Alasdair |
3,258 |
993 |
| 2 |
Mull |
Ben More |
3,169 |
966 |
| 3 |
Arran |
Goat Fell |
2,867 |
874 |
| 4 |
Rùm |
Askival |
2,664 |
812 |
| 5 |
Lewis and Harris |
Clisham |
2,621 |
799 |
| 6 |
Jura |
Beinn an Òir |
2,575 |
785 |
| 7 |
South Uist |
Beinn Mhòr |
2,034 |
620 |
| 8 |
Islay |
Beinn Bheigier |
1,610 |
491 |
| 9 |
Hoy |
Ward Hill |
1,571 |
479 |
| 10 |
Shetland Mainland |
Ronas Hill |
1,476 |
450 |
| 11 |
Scarba |
Cruach Scarba |
1,473 |
449 |
| 12 |
Raasay |
Dùn Caan |
1,453 |
443 |
| 13 |
Hirta |
Conachair |
1,410 |
430 |
| 14 |
Foula |
The Sneug |
1,371 |
418 |
| 15 |
Eigg |
An Sgurr |
1,289 |
393 |
| 16 |
Scalpay, Inner Hebrides |
Mullach na Càrn |
1,286 |
392 |
| 17 |
Boreray, St Kilda |
Mullach an Eilein |
1,259 |
384 |
| 18 |
Barra |
Heaval |
1,256 |
383 |
| 19 |
Soay, St Kilda |
Cnoc Glas |
1,240 |
378 |
| 20 |
North Uist |
Eavel |
1,138 |
347 |
| 21 |
Ailsa Craig |
The Cairn |
1,108 |
338 |
| 22 |
Holy Isle |
Mullach Mòr |
1,030 |
314 |
| 23 |
Ulva |
Beinn Creagach |
1,026 |
313 |
| 24 |
Scarp |
Sròn Romul |
1,010 |
308 |
Former islands
The following is a list of places which were formerly islands, but by some definitions are no longer so, due to silting up, natural processes and harbour building.
Inchbroach, also known as Rossie Island, now part of Montrose harbour
Keith Inch (not to be confused with Inchkeith), is now part of Peterhead Harbour, and hence is the easternmost point of 'mainland' Scotland.
North Inch, one of the "Inches" in Perth, formerly an island in the River Tay.
Rosyth Castle also stands on a former island.
Bridged islands
Many of Scotland's islands are connected to the mainland/other islands by bridge or causeway. Although some people consider these to be no longer islands, they're generally treated as such.
Outer Hebrides
Many of the islands of the southern Outer Hebrides have been joined to other islands by causeways and bridges. These include:
Baleshare
Benbecula
Berneray
Eriskay
Grimsay
North Uist
South Uist
Vatersay (joined to Barra, but not to the above islands)
To the north, Scalpay and Great Bernera are connected to Lewis and Harris.
Inner Hebrides
The Isle of Skye is connected to the mainland by the Skye Bridge which now incorporates Eilean Bàn.
Eilean Shona is connected to mainland Moidart by a bridge.
Eilean Donan (to mainland)
Eriska (to mainland)
Seil (to mainland) via Telford's 1792 'Bridge across The Atlantic'.
Orkney Islands
Similarly, four Orkney islands are joined to the Orkney Mainland by a series of causeways known as the Churchill Barriers. They are:
South Ronaldsay
Burray
Lamb Holm
Glims Holm
Hunda is in turn connected to Burray via a causeway.
South Walls and Hoy are connected by a causeway called the Ayre. The islands are treated as one entity (Hoy) by the UK census.
There are ideas being discussed to build an undersea tunnel between the archipelago and Caithness, at a length of about 9-10 miles (15-16 km) or (more likely) one connecting Orkney Mainland to Shapinsay, although little has come of it.
Shetland Islands
Several Shetland islands are joined to the Shetland Mainland:
West Burra and East Burra (via Trondra)
Muckle Roe
Trondra
There is also a bridge from Housay to Bruray.
Others
Various other islands are also connected by bridges or causeways, to the mainland or other islands, including:
Inchgarvie (part of Forth Bridge), thus joined to both Fife and Lothian on the Mainland.
Garbh Eilean at the entrance to Loch Glencoul is now joined to the mainland by both the Kylesku Bridge to the south and its associated roadworks to the north.
Tidal islands and tombolos
There are a large number of small tidal islets in Scotland. The more notable ones include:
Baleshare
Calve Island
Castle Island
Corn Holm
Cramond Island
Danna
Davaar Island
Eilean Shona
Eriska
Erraid
Helliar Holm
Kili Holm
Isle Ristol
Sanday
Torsa
Oronsay means 'ebb island' and there are several tidal islands of this name.
The three main islands of the Monach Islands (Heisgeir), Ceann Iar, Ceann Ear and Shivinish are connected at main tide. It is said that it was at one time possible to walk all the way to Baleshare, and on to North Uist, five miles away at low tide. In the 16th century, a large tidal wave was said to have washed this away.
St Ninian's Isle is connected to Mainland Shetland by a tombolo. Although greater than 40 hectares in size it fails to meet the definition of an island used in this list as it's only surrounded by water during occasional spring tides and storms.
Dùn in St Kilda is separated from Hirta by a shallow strait about 50 metres wide. This is normally impassable but is reputed to dry out on rare occasions.
Gluss Isle at the western entrance to Sullom Voe is one of the many promontories in Orkney and Shetland connected to a larger body of land by an ayre.
Other elements
The name "Inch" (Innis) can mean island (for example Inchkenneth, Inchcolm), but is also used for terra firma surrounded by marsh for example Markinch, Insch.
Eilean is Gaelic for "island". However, Inistrynich, Eilean na Maodail, Eilean Dubh and Liever Island are all promontories on Loch Awe as opposed to islands, despite their names. Likewise Eilean Aoidhe on Loch Fyne. The Black Isle is also "An t-Eilean Dubh" in Gaelic, while Eilean Glas is part of Scalpay.
-holm is also very common as a suffix in various landlocked placenames, especially in the far south of mainland Scotland for example Langholm, Kirk Yetholm, Holmhead (by Cumnock), Holmhill (next to Thornhill, Nithsdale) et al. Some of these were river islands in their time, or dry land surrounded by marsh. Holm can be found in an element in Holmsgarth, now more or less a suburb of Lerwick and the Parish of Holm on Mainland Shetland and Mainland Orkney respectively. Neither of these is an island in its own right.
Islands named after mainland areas
Likewise, occasionally an island may be named after a location on the nearby mainland, or a major neighbouring island - or vice versa. Examples of this include Vementry, which was originally the name of an island, but whose name has been transferred to a nearby farm on Mainland Shetland, Oldany_Island, whose name has been transferred to Oldany; Cramond Island which is named after neighbouring Cramond (a district of Edinburgh) and Eilean Mhealasta in the Outer Hebrides, which is named after Mealista on Lewis.
Further Information
Get more info on 'List Of Islands Of Scotland'.
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External Link Exchanges
Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:
<a href="http://list_of_islands_of_scotland.totallyexplained.com">List of islands of Scotland Totally Explained</a>
Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned. |
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