![Boreray from Conachair](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Boreray_from_Conachair.jpg)
The outlying islands of Scotland are not part of the larger archipelagos and island groups of Scotland—the
Hebrides
The Hebrides (; gd, Innse Gall, ; non, Suðreyjar, "southern isles") are an archipelago off the west coast of the Scottish mainland. The islands fall into two main groups, based on their proximity to the mainland: the Inner and Outer Hebr ...
, the
Northern Isles
The Northern Isles ( sco, Northren Isles; gd, Na h-Eileanan a Tuath; non, Norðreyjar; nrn, Nordøjar) are a pair of archipelagos off the north coast of mainland Scotland, comprising Orkney and Shetland. They are part of Scotland, as are th ...
or the
Islands of the Forth and
Clyde Clyde may refer to:
People
* Clyde (given name)
* Clyde (surname)
Places
For townships see also Clyde Township
Australia
* Clyde, New South Wales
* Clyde, Victoria
* Clyde River, New South Wales
Canada
* Clyde, Alberta
* Clyde, Ontario, a tow ...
estuaries. None of these islands are currently inhabited and few of them ever were, although
Hirta
Hirta ( gd, Hiort) is the largest island in the St Kilda archipelago, on the western edge of Scotland. The names (in Scottish Gaelic) and ''Hirta'' (historically in English) have also been applied to the entire archipelago. Now without a perman ...
was occupied from the
Neolithic
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several p ...
age until 1930 and
Stroma was permanently occupied until the 1970s and thereafter by lighthouse keepers and their families until 1996. Several other outlying islands have lighthouses, none of which is still staffed.
In this list, an island is defined as "land that is surrounded by seawater on a daily basis, but not necessarily at all stages of the tide, excluding human devices such as bridges and causeways".
A complication relating to membership of this list is that there are various descriptions of the scope of the Hebrides, the large group of islands that lie off Scotland's west coast. The ''
Collins Encyclopedia of Scotland'' describes the
Inner Hebrides as lying "east of
The Minch
The Minch ( gd, An Cuan Sgitheanach, ', ', '), also called North Minch, is a strait in north-west Scotland, separating the north-west Highlands and the northern Inner Hebrides from Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides. It was known as ("Sco ...
", which would include any and all offshore islands. There are various islands that lie in the sea
lochs such as
Eilean Bàn and
Eilean Donan
Eilean Donan ( gd, Eilean Donnain) is a small tidal island situated at the confluence of three sea lochs ( Loch Duich, Loch Long and Loch Alsh) in the western Highlands of Scotland, about from the village of Dornie. It is connected to the ma ...
that might not ordinarily be described as "Hebridean" but no formal definitions exist and for simplicity they are included in the
List of Inner Hebrides
This list of Inner Hebrides summarises a chain of islands and skerries located off the west coast of mainland Scotland. There are 36 inhabited islands in this archipelago, of which Islay, Mull and Skye are the largest and most populous.
The ...
rather than here.
Main islands
![Sound of Soay](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Sound_of_Soay.jpg)
There are several small groupings of outlying islands involved. The most significant of these is the
St Kilda archipelago which lies west-northwest of North Uist and is now a
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
. It is one of the few to hold joint status for its natural and cultural qualities. At
Stac an Armin
Stac an Armin ( gd, Stac an Àrmainn), based on the proper Scottish Gaelic spelling (formerly ''àrmuinn''), is a sea stack in the St Kilda archipelago. It is 196 metres (643 ft.) tall, qualifying it as a Marilyn. It is the highest sea ...
is the highest
sea stack
A stack or sea stack is a geology, geological landform consisting of a steep and often vertical column or columns of rock in the sea near a coast, formed by Coastal_erosion#Wave_action, wave erosion. Stacks are formed over time by wind and wate ...
in the British Isles and in July 1840, the last
great auk seen in the British Isles was captured there.
East of St Kilda are the
Flannan Isles
The Flannan Isles ( gd, Na h-Eileanan Flannach) or alternatively, the Seven Hunters are a small island group in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, approximately west of the Isle of Lewis. They may take their name from Saint Flannan, the 7th centu ...
, where all three lighthouse keepers mysteriously vanished without trace in December 1900. Further north and east are the two outliers of
Sula Sgeir
Sula Sgeir is a small, uninhabited Scottish island in the North Atlantic, west of Rona. One of the most remote islands of the British Isles, it lies approximately north of Lewis and is best known for its population of gannets. It has a narr ...
and
North Rona
Rona ( gd, Rònaigh) is a remote, uninhabited Scottish island in the North Atlantic. Rona is often referred to as North Rona to distinguish it from South Rona (another small island, in the Inner Hebrides). It has an area of and a maximum elevat ...
, which have strong cultural links to the
Outer Hebrides. North Rona is north north east of
Butt of Lewis
The Butt of Lewis ( gd, Rubha Robhanais) is the most northerly point of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. The headland, which lies in the North Atlantic, is frequently battered by heavy swells and storms and is marked by the Butt of Lewis Lighthouse. ...
and east of Sula Sgeir. It is the remotest island in the
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...
ever to have been inhabited on a long-term basis. It is also closer than any other part of Scotland to the
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands ( ), or simply the Faroes ( fo, Føroyar ; da, Færøerne ), are a North Atlantic island group and an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.
They are located north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway bet ...
.
Sule Skerry
Sule Skerry is a remote skerry in the North Atlantic off the north coast of Scotland.
Geography
Sule Skerry lies west of the Orkney Mainland at . Sule Skerry's sole neighbour, Sule Stack, lies to the southwest; the remote islands of Rona a ...
and
Sule Stack
Sule Stack or Stack Skerry is an extremely remote island or stack in the North Atlantic off the north coast of Scotland. It is formed of Lewisian gneiss.
Sule Stack lies north of the Scottish mainland, and west of the Orkney mainland, at ...
lie further east and are administratively part of
Orkney.
The islands of the north coast are remote from the main centres of population, although they mostly lie close to the mainland. There is a small group of larger islands near
Tongue Bay, but the largest on this coast is Stroma in the
Pentland Firth
The Pentland Firth ( gd, An Caol Arcach, meaning the Orcadian Strait) is a strait which separates the Orkney Islands from Caithness in the north of Scotland. Despite the name, it is not a firth.
Etymology
The name is presumed to be a corrup ...
, between
Caithness and Orkney.
Innis Mhòr in the
Dornoch Firth
The Dornoch Firth ( gd, Caolas Dhòrnaich, ) is a firth on the east coast of Highland, in northern Scotland. It forms part of the boundary between Ross and Cromarty, to the south, and Sutherland, to the north. The firth is designated as a nat ...
is the largest of a handful of small islets off the coast of
Easter Ross
Easter Ross ( gd, Ros an Ear) is a loosely defined area in the east of Ross, Highland, Scotland.
The name is used in the constituency name Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, which is the name of both a British House of Commons constitue ...
. Further south are
Inchcape
Inchcape or the Bell Rock is a reef about off the east coast of Angus, Scotland, near Dundee and Fife, occupied by the Bell Rock Lighthouse. The name ''Inchcape'' comes from the Scottish Gaelic ''Innis Sgeap'', meaning "Beehive isle", proba ...
off the coast of
Angus
Angus may refer to:
Media
* ''Angus'' (film), a 1995 film
* ''Angus Og'' (comics), in the ''Daily Record''
Places Australia
* Angus, New South Wales
Canada
* Angus, Ontario, a community in Essa, Ontario
* East Angus, Quebec
Scotland
* An ...
, and
Mugdrum, the only substantial island in the
Firth of Tay
The Firth of Tay (; gd, Linne Tatha) is a firth on the east coast of Scotland, into which the River Tay (Scotland's largest river in terms of flow) empties. The firth is surrounded by four council areas: Fife, Perth and Kinross, City of Dun ...
. There is a cluster of islands in the
Solway Firth
The Solway Firth ( gd, Tràchd Romhra) is a firth that forms part of the border between England and Scotland, between Cumbria (including the Solway Plain) and Dumfries and Galloway. It stretches from St Bees Head, just south of Whitehaven ...
that marks the south western border of Scotland, including the Islands of Fleet, in
Wigtown Bay
Wigtown Bay is a large inlet of the Irish Sea on the coast of Galloway in southwest Scotland. Its coastline falls entirely within the modern administrative area of Dumfries and Galloway and shared between the historical counties of Wigtownshire an ...
.
Most of the smaller islets that surround those in the main list are obscure and none have been permanently inhabited in modern times. Nonetheless, some have a degree of historical significance. Castle Mestag off Stroma is the ruins of a once fortified stack accessible only via a drawbridge. Some islets are identified as "storm washed", meaning that although they are partly above
mean sea level
There are several kinds of mean in mathematics, especially in statistics. Each mean serves to summarize a given group of data, often to better understand the overall value (magnitude and sign) of a given data set.
For a data set, the '' ari ...
, large waves wash over the top of them during storms, rendering them uninhabitable.
Finally, there is remote
Rockall
Rockall () is an uninhabitable granite islet situated in the North Atlantic Ocean. The United Kingdom claims that Rockall lies within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and is part of its territory, but this claim is not recognised by Ireland. ...
, which is to the west of
North Uist
North Uist ( gd, Uibhist a Tuath; sco, North Uise) is an island and community in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.
Etymology
In Donald Munro's ''A Description of the Western Isles of Scotland Called Hybrides'' of 1549, North Uist, Benbecula and ...
. It is a small rocky islet in the North Atlantic which could be, in
James Fisher's words, "the most isolated small rock in the oceans of the world" and which was declared part of Scotland by the
Island of Rockall Act 1972
The Island of Rockall Act 1972 (c. 2) is a British Act of Parliament formally incorporating the island of Rockall into the United Kingdom to protect it from Irish and Icelandic claims. The Act as originally passed declared that the Island of Roc ...
. However, the legality of the claim is disputed by the Republic of Ireland, Denmark and Iceland and it is probably unenforceable in international law.
Smaller islets off the mainland
![Bo Fiddle Rock 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/Bo_Fiddle_Rock_2.jpg)
*Solway Firth:
Inch
*North coast (from west to east): Stac an Dunain, Duslic, Stack Clò Kearvaig, An Garbh-eilean, Na Glas Leacan, Eilean Dubh, Clach Bheag na Faraid, Clach Mhòr na Faraid, Àigeach, Eilean Polsain, Boursa Island, Glas-eilean Mòr, Garbh-eilean, Wester Clett, Middle Clett, Easter Clett, Little Clett,
Clett
Clett is a name used for many uninhabited Scottish islets and one to the south, though also in the area inhabited by Vikings. They include -
* One at 58.623644°N 3.5424908°W, near the north coast of Caithness, just to the west Holborn Head nor ...
.
*East coast:
** North
Moray Firth (from north to south): The Knee, Stacks of Duncansby, Stack o' Brough, South Stack, The Stacks, Eilean na h-Aibhne, Three Kings.
** South Moray Firth (from west to east):
Covesea Skerries, Halliman Skerries, Boar's Head Rock, West Muck, East Muck, Craigenroan,
Bow Fiddle Rock, Collie Rocks, Craigandargity.
** Kinnaird Head to the
Bullers of Buchan: The Ron, The Skerry, Miekle Mackie, Miekle Donnon, Little Donnon, Craig Snow, Meikle Dumeath, Little Dumeath.
** Bullers of Buchan to Girdle Ness: Dunbuy, The Donnons, Skellyis of Harrol.
** Girdle Ness to Buddon Ness:
Craiglethy
Craiglethy (Scottish Gaelic: ''Creag Liathach'' - meaning grey rock) is a small island/skerry off Fowlsheugh on the east coast of Aberdeenshire, Scotland in the North Sea. As it is part of Fowlsheugh, it is an SSSI, with many seabirds and sea ...
,
Craigmaroinn,
May Craig.
Other than Mugdrum in the Firth of Tay and the
Islands of the Forth there are no genuine islands on the east coast of Scotland south of Buddon Ness.
Tidally exposed islets and skerries
There are various smaller islets and
skerries in the seas surrounding the mainland of Scotland that are only exposed at lower stages of the tide. Craiglethy is part of the
Fowlsheugh
Fowlsheugh is a coastal nature reserve in Kincardineshire, northeast Scotland, known for its cliff formations and habitat supporting prolific seabird nesting colonies. Designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) by Scottish Natura ...
nature reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...
. The Three Kings, off the coast of Easter Ross near
Balintore, is also known as ''Creag Harail'' or Harold's Rock and called The King's Sons in the
New Statistical Account of Scotland
The ''Statistical Accounts of Scotland'' are a series of documentary publications, related in subject matter though published at different times, covering life in Scotland in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.
The ''Old (or First) Statistical Ac ...
. According to legend, three sons of a Danish prince, sailing to avenge their sister's wrongs, were wrecked here and gave these rocks their collective name. Their graves were marked by the sculptured stones of
Nigg, Shandwick and
Hilton of Cadboll
Hilton of Cadboll, or simply Hilton, ( gd, Baile a' Chnuic) is a village about southeast of Tain in Easter Ross, in the Scottish council area of Highland
Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated ...
. Another story has their burial at Nigg Rocks below the North Sutor.
[Watson (1976) p. 54.]
See also
*
List of Outer Hebrides
*
Inner Hebrides
*
List of Orkney islands
This is a list of Orkney islands in Scotland. The Orkney archipelago is located north of mainland Scotland and comprises over 70 islands and skerries, of which 20 are permanently inhabited. In addition to the Orkney Mainland there are three gr ...
*
List of Shetland islands
This is a list of Shetland islands in Scotland. The Shetland archipelago is located north of mainland Scotland and the capital Lerwick is almost equidistant from Bergen in Norway and Aberdeen in Scotland. The Shetland archipelago comprises ab ...
*
Islands of the Clyde
The Islands of the Firth of Clyde are the fifth largest of the major Scottish island groups after the Inner and Outer Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland. They are situated in the Firth of Clyde between Ayrshire and Argyll and Bute. There are a ...
*
Islands of the Forth
*
List of islands of Scotland
This is a list of 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 "land that is surrounded by ...
*
Scottish island names
The modern names of Scottish islands stem from two main influences. There are many names that derive from the Scottish Gaelic language in the Hebrides and Firth of Clyde. In the Northern Isles most place names have a Norse origin. There are also ...
*
List of islands of the British Isles
This article is a list of some of the islands that form the British Isles that have an area of one kilometre squared (247 acres) or larger, listing area and population data. The total area of the islands is 314,965 km2 (121,608 sq. mi.).
*
Fair Isle
Fair Isle (; sco, Fair Isle; non, Friðarey; gd, Fara) is an island in Shetland, in northern Scotland. It lies about halfway between mainland Shetland and Orkney. It is known for its bird observatory and a traditional style of knitting. Th ...
in Shetland, the most remote inhabited island in the United Kingdom, which lies south-west of the
Mainland
Mainland is defined as "relating to or forming the main part of a country or continent, not including the islands around it egardless of status under territorial jurisdiction by an entity" The term is often politically, economically and/or dem ...
.
*
Foula
Foula (; sco, also Foola; nrn, Fuglø), located in the Shetland archipelago of Scotland, is one of the United Kingdom’s most remote permanently inhabited islands. Owned since the turn of the 20th century by the Holbourn family, the island wa ...
in Shetland, which lies west of the Mainland.
References and footnotes
;General references
*
* Fisher, James (1956) ''Rockall''. London. Geoffrey Bles.
* Fleming, Andrew (2005) ''St Kilda and the Wider World: Tales of an Iconic Island.'' Windgather Press.
* Haswell-Smith, Hamish. (2004) ''The Scottish Islands''. Edinburgh. Canongate.
* Keay, J. & Keay, J. (1994) ''
Collins Encyclopaedia of Scotland
''Collins Encyclopaedia of Scotland'' is a reference work published by HarperCollins, edited by the husband and wife team, John and Julia Keay.
History
Scots had provided the impetus for a number of well-known references works, ''Chambers Dic ...
''. London. HarperCollins.
*
* Maclean, Charles (1977) ''Island on the Edge of the World: the Story of St. Kilda''. Edinburgh. Canongate.
* Nicholson, Christopher. (1995) ''Rock Lighthouses of Britain: The End of an Era?'' Caithness. Whittles.
*
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey (OS) is the national mapping agency for Great Britain. The agency's name indicates its original military purpose (see ordnance and surveying), which was to map Scotland in the wake of the Jacobite rising of 1745. There was a ...
(2009
"Get-a-map" Retrieved 6–10 February 2010.
* Quine, David (2000) ''St Kilda''. Grantown-on-Spey. Colin Baxter Island Guides.
* Rackwitz, Martin (2007) ''Travels to Terra Incognita: The Scottish Highlands and Hebrides in Early Modern Travellers' Accounts C. 1600 to 1800''. Waxmann Verlag.
* Watson, William John (1976
"Place Names of Ross and Cromarty"Ross & Cromarty Heritage Society.
;Notes
;Citations
{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Outlying Islands Of Scotland
Outlying
*Outlying