Oronsay ( gd, Orasaigh) is an uninhabited

tidal island A tidal island is a piece of land that is connected to the mainland by a natural or man-made causeway that is exposed at low tide and submerged at high tide. Because of the mystique surrounding tidal islands, many of them have been sites of ...

Loch Bracadale Loch Bracadale (Scottish Gaelic: ''Loch Bhràcadail'') is a sea loch on the west coast of Skye in Scotland. It separates the Minginish Peninsula in the south from the Duirinish Peninsula in the north. Loch Bracadale and its associated inner loc ...

on the west coast of

Skye The Isle of Skye, or simply Skye (; gd, An t-Eilean Sgitheanach or ; sco, Isle o Skye), is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous hub dominated b ...

, Scotland. It is c.1,000 metres (0.7miles) long by 220m wide running approximately north-east to south west. At low tide (approx. below 4 metres) the island is connected to

Ullinish Ullinish (Gaelic: Uilfhinis) is a crofting township on Loch Bracadale, on the southwest coast of Skye, Scotland. The only promontory fort on Skye is located at Ullinish. It is situated to the west of Struan and just south of the hamlet of Ebos ...

Point on Skye via a narrow rocky causeway, some 200m long. The name Oronsay is believed to derive from the Old Norse for 'tidal island'. The eastern part of the island, which faces Skye, is low-lying grass land, while the western part rises until it reaches several cliffs, up to in height. Views from the westward side are to the Atlantic, Idrigill Point, Macleod's Maidens, with the much larger island of Wiay c.0.8 miles north-west, behind which the flat tops of

Healabhal Bheag Healabhal Bheag is a hill located on the Duirinish peninsula of the Isle of Skye in the Inner Hebrides, Scotland. It is also known as MacLeod's Table South and is part of the prominent pair of peaks known as MacLeod's Tables that dominate the ...

and

Healabhal Mhòr Healabhal Mhòr (471 m), is a hill in the north of the Isle of Skye, Scotland. It is also known as MacLeod's Table North, as it lies close the fellow flat-topped hill of Healabhal Bheag, or MacLeod's Table South. Despite its lower height, it ...

(Macleod's Tables) dominate from the Duirinish Peninsula. Behind Wiay some 2.7miles north-west is

Harlosh Island Harlosh Island is one of four islands to be found in Isle of Skye, Skye's Loch Bracadale. Harlosh Island is from the coast of the Duirinish, Skye, Duirinish Peninsula and from the coast of the Minginish peninsula. At low tide it is only about ...

(narrowly separated from Harlosh on Skye) and to the east of this, 1.7miles north-west (and directly north of Wiay) is Tarner Island. Below the westernmost cliff of Oronsay sit several small sea stacks and the coast of the island contains several caves, however these are largely accessible except from the sea. Oronsay is a well known hiking destination.

Images of the cliffs of Oronsay

Image:Oronsay_Loch_Bracadale_Cliffs_01.jpg, The most westerly point of the island, as viewed from the most southwesterly point, looking north Image:Oronsay_Loch_Bracadale_Cliffs_02.jpg, The most southwesterly point of Oronsay, as viewed from the most westerly point, looking south Image:Oronsay_Loch_Bracadale_Cliffs_03.jpg, The cliffs along the northwestern side of the island, looking northeast

Footnotes

Landforms of the Isle of Skye Tidal islands of Scotland Uninhabited islands of Highland (council area) {{Highland-geo-stub