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 seawater on a daily basis, but not necessarily at all stages of the tide, excluding human devices such as bridges and causeways".
Scotland has around 900 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 fresh water in Scotland including Loch Lomond and Loch Maree. The largest island is Lewis and Harris, which extends to, and there are a further 200 islands which are greater than in area. Of the remainder, several, such as Staffa and the Flannan Isles, are well-known, despite their small size. Some 101 Scottish islands are currently permanently inhabited, of which 96 are offshore islands. Between 2001 and 2011, Scottish island populations as a whole grew by 4% to 103,702 although by 2022 the total had fallen back to just under 103,000.
The geology and geomorphology of the islands is varied. Some, such as Skye and Mull, are mountainous, while others like Tiree and Sanday are relatively low-lying. Many have bedrock made from ancient Archaean Lewisian Gneiss which was formed 3 billion years ago; Shapinsay and other Orkney islands are formed from Old Red Sandstone, which is 400 million years old; and others, such as Rùm from more recent Tertiary volcanoes. Many of the 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 another example is the "Grey Dog" between Scarba and Lunga.
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. From the ninth to the thirteenth centuries, most of the Scottish islands were united under the Norse-Gaelic Lordship of the Isles. Many of the Hebrides have names with 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.
A feature of modern life in the islands is the low crime rate, and they are considered to be among the safest places to live in Britain. Orkney was rated as the best place to live in Scotland in both 2013 and 2014, according to the Halifax Quality of Life survey.
Rockall is a small rocky islet in the North Atlantic which was declared part of Scotland by the Island of Rockall Act 1972. However, despite no possession by any other state and other precedents, the legality of the claim is disputed by the Republic of Ireland, Denmark and Iceland, and some say it may be unenforceable in international law.
Image:Eilean Donan castle - 95mm.jpg|thumb|Eilean Donan castle

Demographics

The 2022 census records 101 Scottish islands as having a usually resident population, of which 96 are offshore islands. There are however various complications with both the definitions of an "island" and occasional habitation; and the National Records of Scotland have also listed a further 17 islands that were inhabited in 2001 but not in 2011, or are "included in the NRS statistical geography for inhabited islands but had no usual residents at the time of either the 2001 or 2011 censuses". There are a small number of other islands that are evidently inhabited but which are not recorded in this list.
in 2011 the local government council areas with the most inhabited islands were Argyll and Bute with 23, Orkney with 20, Shetland with 16 and Highland and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar with 14 each. There were also three in North Ayrshire and one each in Fife, Perth and Kinross, Stirling and West Dunbartonshire. The last three named plus two islands in Argyll and Bute are freshwater rather than offshore.
File:Portree.jpg|thumb|Portree on Skye, an island where the population has grown in recent decades
In the past many smaller islands that are uninhabited today had permanent populations. Losses were severe in many areas during the 19th century when islands such as Pabbay and Fuaigh Mòr were subject to forcible evictions during the Highland Clearances. Mass emigration from the Hebridean islands was at its height in the mid-19th century but it commenced as early as the 1770s in some areas. The crofting counties held 20% of Scotland's population in 1755 but by 1961 this figure had declined to 5%. Other examples are Mingulay, Noss and the St Kilda archipelago, which were abandoned during the course of the 20th century. Declines have been particularly significant in the more remote outlying islands, some of which remain vulnerable to ongoing losses.
The following table shows population trends for the ten most populous islands as of the 2011 census. The overall trends are typically growth in populations in the early part of the modern period, followed by declines from the mid 19th century onwards. In every case except Orkney the highest population was recorded prior to 1932 and the lowest post-Industrial Revolution figure after 1960. Subsequently, there has been modest growth overall, although some islands are continuing to show a decline. Between 1991 and 2001, the population of the islands as a whole fell by 3% to 99,739, although there were 35 islands whose population increased. By contrast, between 2001 and 2011 Scottish island populations as a whole grew by 4% to 103,702. The Scottish Community Alliance noted that "the largest rate of increase has been in the Western Isles where local people now own approximately 60% of the landmass. Where populations have fallen community ownership is virtually non-existent."

Largest Scottish islands by population

The following table compares the populations of the main Scottish archipelagos with that of the Faroe Islands for a similar time frame to the above.

Archipelago	1801	1851	1901	1931	1971	2011
Hebrides	64,690	88,615	76,780	60,390	45,480	46,632
Change		37%	13%	21%	25%	3%
Orkney	24,445	31,318	27,763	21,933	17,007	21,349
Change		28%	11%	21%	22%	26%
Shetland	22,000	31,000	28,000	21,000	17,500	23,167
Change		41%	10%	25%	17%	32%
Faroe Islands	5,265	8,000	15,230	24,500	38,612	48,515
Change		52%	90%	61%	58%	26%

Legislation

In July 2013, the Scottish Government made the Lerwick Declaration, indicating an intention to decentralise power to the three island council areas of Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles and later that year made a commitment to do so. In 2017 an Islands bill was introduced to make "island proofing" a statutory requirement for public bodies. The Bill completed Stage 1 on 8 February 2018. The Islands Act 2018 was then duly passed.

Larger islands

This is a list of Scottish islands that either have an area greater than 40 hectares and/or are inhabited. The main groups, from Haswell-Smith, in many cases provide a more useful guide to location than local authority areas. These 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 part of either a recognisable smaller group or an 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.
Scotland's islands include thirteen Munros, twelve of them found on Skye, and a total of 227 Marilyns.
Image:Orkney Islands.jpg|thumb|Orkney aerial photomap
Image:Wfm shetland map.svg|thumb|The Shetland archipelago
Image:Kirkabister Ness.jpg|thumb|Bressay Lighthouse at Kirkabister Ness, Shetland
Image:Old man of hoy2.jpg|thumb|The Old Man of Hoy, Orkney, a 137-metre sea stack of red sandstone
Image:Tobermory, Isle of Mull.jpg|thumb|Tobermory harbour, Isle of Mull
Image:Creag na Bruaich, Raasay - geograph.org.uk - 39970.jpg|thumb|upright|The cliffs of Creag na Bruaich, Raasay
Image:Dubh artach.jpg|thumb|Dhu Heartach Lighthouse, During Construction by Sam Bough
Image:Scotland-Staffa-Fingals-Cave-1900.jpg|thumb|Fingal's Cave, Staffa
Image:Kisimul Castle.jpg|thumb|Kisimul Castle, Barra
Image:Ailsa Craig2.jpg|right|thumb|Ailsa Craig from the South Ayrshire coast
Image:Iona Abbey.jpg|thumb|Iona Abbey
Image:Shiant Isles.jpg|thumb|Shiant Islands
Image:Muckle Flugga.jpg|thumb|Muckle Flugga lighthouse, Shetland
Image:papsofjura1.jpg|thumb|Two of the Paps of Jura. Photo by John Shaw.
Image:Earl's Palace - Birsay.jpg|thumb|The Earl's Palace, Birsay, Orkney
Image:Klippen bei Eshaness3 5845.JPG|thumb|The cliffs of Eshaness, North Mainland, Shetland
Image:Bass Rock from Tantallon Castle.jpg|thumb|upright|The Bass Rock from Tantallon Castle
Image:Mv isle of lewis summer isles.jpg|thumb|MV Isle of Lewis in The Minch
Image:Sula Sgeir from the South West.jpg|thumb|Sula Sgeir from the south west
Image:Panorama of Stornoway.jpg|thumb|Stornoway harbour, Lewis
Image:Fair Isle - West cliffs.jpg|thumb|upright|Fair Isle cliffs
Image:Callanish standing stones 1.jpg|thumb|Callanish Standing Stones, Lewis
Image:Tiree, Balephuil Bay.jpg|thumb|Machair at Balephuil Bay, Tiree
Image:Peeriebard.jpg|right|thumb|The east coast of Mousa towards the Peerie Bard
Image:Clisham.jpg|thumb|Clisham, Harris
Image:Eigg.AnSgurr.Canthusus.jpg|thumb|An Sgurr, Eigg
Image:Quiraing, Isle of Skye.jpg|thumb|The rock pinnacles of the Quiraing, Skye

Island	Group	Area	Population	Height
Ailsa Craig	Firth of Clyde	99	0	338
Arran	Firth of Clyde	43201	4,618	874
Auskerry	Orkney	85	2	18
Baleshare	Uists and Barra	910	53	12
Balta	Shetland	80	0	44
Barra	Uists and Barra	5875	1,209	383
Barra Head	Uists and Barra	204	0	193
Benbecula	Uists and Barra	8203	1,255	124
Berneray	Uists and Barra	1010	142	93
Bigga	Shetland	78	0	34
Boreray	St Kilda	86	0	384
Boreray	Uists and Barra	204	1	56
Bressay	Shetland	2805	345	226
Brother Isle	Shetland	40	0	25
Bruray	Out Skerries	55	16	53
Buchan Ness	Buchan coast	44 *	1	5
Burray	Orkney	903	445	80
Bute	Firth of Clyde	12217	6,047	278
Calf of Eday	Orkney	243	0	54
Calbha Mòr	Edrachillis Bay	70	0	67
Calve Island	Mull	72	0	20
Canna	Small Isles	1130	9	210
Cara	Islay	66	0	56
Càrna	Mull	213	0	169
Cava	Orkney	107	0	38
Ceallasaigh Mòr	Uists and Barra	55	0	10
Ceallasaigh Beag	Uists and Barra	46	0	10
Ceann Ear	Monach Islands	203	0	17
Ceann Iar	Monach Islands	154	0	19
Coll	Mull	7685	176	106
Colonsay	Islay	4074	117	143
Copinsay	Orkney	73	0	64
Danna	Islay	315 *	5	54
Davaar	Firth of Clyde	52 *	0 °	115
Dunglass Island	River Conon	40 *	0	8
Easdale	Slate Islands	20 <20 *	61	38
East Burra	Shetland	515	105	81
Eday	Orkney	2745	102	101
Egilsay	Orkney	650	17	35
Eigg	Small Isles	3049	95	393
Eilean a' Ghiorr	Uists and Barra	7	1	10
Eileach an Naoimh	Garvellachs	56	0	80
Eilean Bàn	Highland	10 <10 *	0 °	5
Eilean Buidhe	Craobh Haven	4 4 *	6	9
Eilean Chaluim Chille	Lewis and Harris	85	0	43
Eilean Chearstaidh	Lewis and Harris	77	0	37
Eilean dà Mhèinn	Islay	3 *	4	16
Eilean Donan	Highland	1 <1 *	0 °	3
Eilean Dubh Mòr	Slate Islands	65	0	53
Eilean Fladday	Inner Hebrides	120	0	39
Eilean Leathann	Uists and Barra	6.5	1	10
Eilean Liubhaird	Lewis and Harris	125	0	76
Eilean Loain	Inner Hebrides	15 15 *	1	28
Eilean Macaskin	Islay	50	0	65
Eilean Meadhonach	Crowlin Islands	77	0	54
Eilean Mhealasta	Lewis and Harris	124	0	77
Eilean Mhic Chrion	Islay	54 *	0	63
Eilean Mòr, Crowlin Islands	Crowlin Islands	170	0	114
Eilean Mòr, Loch Langavat	Lewis	59 *	0	64
Eilean nan Ròn	Highland	138	0	76
Eilean Righ	Islay	86	0	55
Eilean Shona	Small Isles	525	9	265
Eilean Sùbhainn	Loch Maree	118 *	0	36
Eilean Tigh	Skye	54	0	111
Eilean Tioram	Highland	2 *	5	10
Eilean Trodday	Skye	42	0	45
Eileanan Iasgaich	Uists and Barra	50	0	23
Ensay	Uists and Barra	186	0	49
Eorsa	Mull	122	0	98
Eriska	Loch Linnhe	310 *	21	47
Eriskay	Uists and Barra	703	158	185
Erraid	Mull	187	6	75
Eynhallow	Orkney	75	0	30
Fair Isle	Shetland	768	44	217
Fara	Orkney	295	0	43
Faray	Orkney	180	0	32
Fetlar	Shetland	4078	66	158
Fiaraidh	Uists and Barra	41	0	30
Flodaigh	Uists and Barra	145 *	4	20
Flodaigh Mòr	Uists and Barra	58	0	28
Flodday, Sound of Barra	Uists and Barra	40	0	41
Flotta	Orkney	876	77	58
Foula	Shetland	1265	17	418
Fuaigh Mòr	Lewis and Harris	84	0	67
Fuday	Uists and Barra	232	0	89
Fuiay	Uists and Barra	84	0	107
Gairsay	Orkney	240	6	102
Garbh Eileach	Garvellachs	142	0	110
Garbh Eilean, Shiant Islands	Shiant Islands	143	0	160
Garbh Eilean, Loch Maree	Loch Maree	65 *	0	25
Gigha	Islay	1395	187	100
Gighay	Uists and Barra	96	0	95
Glimps Holm	Orkney	55	0	32
Gometra	Mull	425	7	155
Graemsay	Orkney	409	21	62
Great Bernera	Lewis and Harris	2122	212	87
Great Cumbrae	Firth of Clyde	1168	1,293	127
Grimsay	Uists and Barra	833	149	22
Grimsay	Uists and Barra	117 *	27	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
Holm of Grimbister	Orkney	16	2	8
Holy Island	Firth of Clyde	253	17	314
Horse Island	Summer Isles	53	0	60
Housay	Out Skerries	163	21	53
Hoy	Orkney	13458	392	481
Hunda	Orkney	100	0	41
Inchcailloch	Loch Lomond	50	0	85
Inchcolm	Firth of Forth	9 *	0 °	34
Inchfad	Loch Lomond	40 c.40 *	1	24
Inch Kenneth	Mull	55	0	49
Inchlonaig	Loch Lomond	80	0	62
Inchmarnock	Firth of Clyde	266	0	60
Inchmurrin	Loch Lomond	120	10	89
Inchtavannach	Loch Lomond	70	3	84
Inner Holm	Orkney	2 *	1	7
Innis Chonain	Loch Awe	8 *	2	62
Iona	Mull	877	178	100
Isay	Skye	60	0	28
Islay	Islay	61956	3,180	491
Isle Martin	Summer Isles	157	0	120
Isle of Ewe	Highland	309	7	72
Isle of May	Firth of Forth	45	0	50
Isle Ristol	Summer Isles	225 *	0	71
Jura	Islay	36692	258	785
Kerrera	Firth of Lorne	1214	61	189
Killegray	Lewis and Harris	176	1	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	19,680	799
Linga, Muckle Roe	Shetland	70	0	69
Linga, Yell	Shetland	45	0	26
Linga Holm	Orkney	57	0	10
Lismore	Loch Linnhe	2351	190	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	178	94
Lunga	Slate Islands	254	2	98
Lunga	Treshnish Isles	81	0	103
Mainland, Orkney	Orkney	52325	17,779	271
Mainland, Shetland	Shetland	96879	18,763	450
Mingulay	Uists and Barra	640	0	273
Moncreiffe Island	River Tay	46 *	1	5
Mousa	Shetland	180	0	55
Muck	Small Isles	559	28	137
Muckle Roe	Shetland	1773	130	267
Muldoanich	Uists and Barra	78	0	153
Mull	Mull	87535	3,063	966
North Rona	Atlantic Outlier	109	0	108
North Ronaldsay	Orkney	690	59	20
North Uist	Uists and Barra	30305	1,254	347
Isle of Noss	Shetland	343	0	181
Oldany Island	Highland	200 *	0	104
Oronsay	Islay	543	7	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	7	87
Papa Stronsay	Orkney	74	9	13
Papa Westray	Orkney	918	95	48
Priest Island	Summer Isles	122	0	78
Raasay	Skye	6405	187	443
Ronay	Uists and Barra	563	0	115
Rousay	Orkney	4860	236	250
Rùm	Small Isles	10463	31	812
Samphrey	Shetland	66	0	29
Sanda Island	Firth of Clyde	151	0 °	123
Sanday	Orkney	5043	491	65
Sanday	Small Isles	184	4	59
Sandray	Uists and Barra	385	0	207
Scalpay	Skye	2483	0 °	392
Scalpay	Lewis and Harris	653	282	104
Scarba	Islay	1474	0	449
Scarp	Lewis and Harris	1045	0	308
Seaforth Island	Lewis and Harris	273	0	217
Seana Bhaile	Uists and Barra	55	15	11
Seil	Slate Islands	1329	580	146
Sgeotasaigh	Lewis and Harris	49	0	57
Shapinsay	Orkney	2948	299	64
Shillay	Lewis and Harris	47	0	79
Shuna	Slate Islands	451	2	90
Shuna	Loch Linnhe	155	0	71
Skye	Skye	165625	10,496	993
Soay	Skye	1036	3	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	984	118
South Uist	Uists and Barra	32026	1,650	620
South Walls	Orkney	1100	-	57
Stockinish Island	Lewis and Harris	49	0	44
Stroma	Highland	375	0	53
Stromay	Uists and Barra	66	0	16
Stronsay	Orkney	3275	321	44
Stuley	Uists and Barra	45	0	40
Switha	Orkney	41	0	29
Swona	Orkney	92	0	41
Tahay	Uists and Barra	53	0	65
Tanera Beag	Summer Isles	66	0	83
Tanera Mòr	Summer Isles	310	0 °	124
Taransay	Lewis and Harris	1475	0	267
Texa	Islay	48	0	48
Tiree	Mull	7834	700	141
Torsa	Slate Islands	113	0	62
Trondra	Shetland	275	152	60
Ulva	Mull	1990	6	313
Unst	Shetland	12068	644	284
Uyea, Unst	Shetland	205	0	50
Vaila	Shetland	327	3	95
Vacsay	Lewis and Harris	41	0	34
Vallay	Uists and Barra	260	0	38
Vatersay	Uists and Barra	960	83	185
Vementry	Shetland	370	0	90
West Burra	Shetland	743	772	217
West Linga	Shetland	125	0	52
Westray	Orkney	4713	566	169
Whalsay	Shetland	1970	1,005	119
Wiay	Skye	148	0	60
Wiay	Uists and Barra	375	0	102
Wyre	Orkney	311	8	32
Yell	Shetland	21211	904	205

Four islands were recorded as inhabited in 2011 that were not mentioned in the 2001 census: Eilean dà Mhèinn, Eilean Tioram, Holm of Grimbister and Inner Holm.
These following are listed by the National Records of Scotland as "included in the NRS statistical geography for inhabited islands but had no usual residents at the time of either the 2001 or 2011 censuses." None except Lamb Holm are greater than 40 ha in area.

Island	Location
Castle Stalker	Firth of Lorn
Eilean Horrisdale	Gair Loch
Eilean Loain	Loch Sween
Eilean na Cille	Uists and Barra
Ensay	Lewis and Harris
Inch Kenneth	Mull
Inchlonaig	Loch Lomond
Inchcruin	Loch Lomond
Kisimul Castle	Uists and Barra
Lamb Holm	Orkney