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 [Scottish Scottish Gaelic language|Gaelic language|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.
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.
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 (Scotland) 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.
Freshwater islands
There are numerous other freshwater islands, of which the more notable include Lochindorb Castle Island, Loch Leven Castle Island, St Serf's Inch, and Inchmahome, each of which have played an important part in Scottish history.Inchmurrin is the largest freshwater island in the British Isles. It is in Loch Lomond, which contains over sixty other islands. Loch Maree also contains several islands, the largest of which are Eilean Sùbhainn, Garbh Eilean and Eilean Ruairidh Mòr but aren't as big as others.
Smaller offshore islands
This is a continuing list of uninhabited Scottish islands smaller than 40 hectares in size.Small archipelagos
There are various small archipelagos which may be better known than the larger islands they contain. These include:Former islands
The following is a list of places which were formerly islands, but which are no longer so due to silting up, harbour building etc.- Ardeer Peninsula, North Ayrshire
- Bodinbo Island near to Erskine on the River Clyde is now partly joined to the river bank.
- Broch of Clickimin is a former island in Loch of Clickimin, Lerwick, in Shetland. Originally an offshore island, the loch became cut off from the sea around 200 BC and the island is now connected to dry land by a permanent causeway.
- Bunglan was once a separate island, but is now connected to Samphrey by two tombolos.
- Eilean-a-beithich was once one of the Slate Islands and located in Easdale Sound. However, it was quarried to a depth of below sea level leaving only the outer rim of the island. This was eventually breached by the sea and little visible sign of the island now remains.
- Eilean Chaluim Chille is a former island near Kilmuir on Skye in a now drained loch that was associated with the 13th century Hebridean lord Páll, son of Bálki.
- Inchbroach, also known as Rossie Island, is now part of Montrose harbour.
- Inch of Culter is a former island in the River Dee near Maryculter.
- Innis Bheag or Paterson Island near Portmahomack in Easter Ross is now permanently attached to the Morrich More due to shifting sands.
- Keith Inch, is now part of Peterhead Harbour, and is the easternmost point of mainland Scotland.
- King's Inch on which stood Inch Castle.
- Milton Island or Green Inch was an island in the Clyde's estuarine waters close to the old ford across the river at Dumbuck near Dumbarton.
- Newshot Island or Newshot Isle was an island of circa 50 acres or 20 hectares lying in the River Clyde close to Park Quay, Renfrewshire, Scotland. It is now partly joined to the river bank.
- North Inch, one of the "Inches" in Perth, formerly an island in the River Tay.
- Preston Island, an artificial construction south of Low Valleyfield, has now been fully reclaimed, using ash slurry from Longannet power station.
- Rosyth Castle also stands on what was once a tidal island in the Firth of Forth, now surrounded by reclaimed land.
- Sand Inch was a small island in the River Clyde next to King's Inch
- Scalp na Caoraich, Cridhe An Uisge, Rònach and Scalp Phàdraig Mhòir - four small islands at the delta of the River Ness in Inverness which were removed in the 19th century.
- Scottle Holm was an islet north of Lerwick, Shetland. It has since become part of an industrial estate.
- White Inch, now an area of Glasgow.
Bridged islands
Many of Scotland's islands are connected to the mainland and/or other islands by bridge or causeway. Although some people consider them no longer to be islands, they are 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, which is connected to Barra, by the Vatersay Causeway.
Inner Hebrides
- Skye is connected to the mainland by the Skye Bridge which now incorporates Eilean Bàn.
- Eilean Donan by causeway to the mainland
- Eriska by causeway to the mainland
- Seil via John Stevenson's 1792 "Bridge over The Atlantic".
- Danna by causeway to the mainland
Similarly, four Orkney islands are joined to the Orkney Mainland by a series of causeways known as the Churchill Barriers. They are:
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 by the UK census.
An undersea tunnel between the archipelago and Caithness, at a length of about and a tunnel connecting Orkney Mainland to Shapinsay have been discussed, although little has come of it.
Shetland Islands
Several Shetland islands are joined to the Shetland Mainland:
- West Burra and East Burra
- Muckle Roe
- Trondra
- Broch of Clickimin is a freshwater islet joined to the mainland by a stone causeway.
- Holm of Mel was a tidal island linked to the west coast of Bressay at low tide but it is now linked permanently to its larger neighbour by a 75m stone causeway.
Others
Various other islands are also connected by bridges or causeways, to the mainland or other islands, including:
- Inchgarvie, 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.
- Innis Chonan, an inhabited island in Loch Awe is connected to the mainland by a small road bridge.
- Moncreiffe Island connected to the mainland by the Tay Viaduct
- Buchan Ness is a tidal island joined to mainland Buchan by road.
Tidal islands and tombolos
There are a large number of small tidal islands in Scotland. The more notable ones include:- Baleshare
- Bernera
- Calve Island
- Castle Island
- Corn Holm
- Cramond Island
- Island Davaar
- Dunnicaer
- Eilean Mhic Chrion
- Eilean Shona
- Eriska
- Erraid
- Helliar Holm
- Kili Holm
- Isle Ristol
- Sanday
- Torsa
The three main islands of the Monach Islands, Ceann Iar, Ceann Ear and Shivinish are connected at low tides. It is said that at one time it was also possible to walk all the way to Baleshare, and on to North Uist, away at low tide. In the 16th century, a large tidal wave was said to have washed the route 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 is only surrounded by water during occasional spring tides and storms.
Dùn in St Kilda is separated from Hirta by a shallow strait about wide. This is normally impassable but is reputed to dry out on rare occasions.
Complex islands
There are a number of offshore islands that defy easy classification.- Ceallasaigh Mòr and Ceallasaigh Beag are islands in Loch Maddy, North Uist which are both c. in extent at high tide. At low tide they are connected to one another and several other small tidal islets in the shallow lagoon that surrounds them.
- Eileanan Iasgaich in Loch Boisdale, South Uist comprises five small islands and several other islets at high tide but forms a single large one of at low tide.
- Eileanan Chearabhaigh. At low tide these islands form a peninsula with a total area of, which is connected to Benbecula by drying sands. At high tide the connection to Benbecula is lost and a number of small islets stretching for over from east to west appear, the largest of which is about in extent.
- The Crowlin Islands, located in the Inner Sound off Raasay are three separate islands at high tide and a single one of at low tide.
- Similarly, Lunga in the Firth of Lorn is six or more separate islets at high tide but a single one of at low tide.
Castle islands
There are several small Scottish islands that are dominated by a castle or other fortification. The castle is often better known than the island, and the islands are often tidal or bridged. Due to their picturesque nature some of them are well known from postcards and films. Examples are:- Bass Rock
- Broch of West Burrafirth
- Castle Island
- Calvay
- Castle Stalker
- Castle Tioram
- Eilean Aigas
- Eilean Dearg, Loch Riddon
- Eilean Donan
- Inchtalla
- Inveruglas Isle
- Kilchurn Castle
- Kisimul Castle
- Lochindorb Castle
- Loch Leven Castle
- Mousa
- Threave Castle
- Wyre
Holy islands
A large number of the islands of Scotland have some kind of culdee/church connection, and/or are dominated by a church. The more notable include:- Island Davaar
- Egilsay
- Eynhallow
- Holy Island
- Inchcolm
- Inch Kenneth
- Inchmahome
- Iona
- Isle Maree
- North Rona
- Oronsay
- Papa Stronsay
- St Ninian's Isle
- St Serf's Inch
- Tiree
Islands named after people
This is a list of islands, which are known to be named after someone. In some cases such as North Ronaldsay this status may not be obvious. This list omits names such as Hildasay, where the person in question is mythological, or Ailsa Craig, where the individual in question is not known, and also Colonsay & Egilsay where the derivation is disputed.- Eilean Chaluim Chille - Saint Columba
- Island Davaar - Saint Barr
- Eilean Donan - Saint Donan
- Flannan Isles - Saint Flannan
- Frank Lockwood's Island
- Inchcolm - Saint Columba
- Inch Kenneth - Saint Kenneth
- Inchmarnock - Saint Mearnag
- Inchmahome - Saint Colmag
- Inchmurrin - Saint Meadhran/Mirin
- Innis Chonan - Saint Conan
- Isle Maree - Maelrubha
- Isle Martin - Saint Martin
- North Rona - Saint Ronan
- St Serf's Inch - Saint Serf
- Sweyn Holm – Sweyn Asleifsson
- Taransay - Saint Taran
Places called "island" etc. that are not islands
Some places in Scotland with names including "isle" or "island" are not islands. They include:| Name | Island group / location | It actually is |
| Barmore Island | Knapdale | part of mainland |
| Black Isle | Ross and Cromarty | peninsula |
| Burntisland | Fife | part of mainland |
| Eilean na h-Eaglaise | Torsa | peninsula |
| Eilean Garbh | Gigha | a peninsula of Gigha |
| Isle of Fethaland | Shetland | place on mainland of Shetland |
| Gluss Isle | Shetland | joined to mainland of Shetland |
| Isle of Harris | Outer Hebrides | part of an island |
| Isle of Lewis | Outer Hebrides | part of an island |
| Isleornsay | Skye | place on Skye |
| Islesteps | Dumfries and Galloway | inland place in Scotland |
| Isle of Whithorn | Dumfries and Galloway | place on coast of Scotland |
Lewis and Harris are separated by a range of hills but form one island, and are sometimes referred to as "Lewis and Harris". Isle of Whithorn and the Black Isle are peninsulas, and Isleornsay is a village which looks out onto the island of Ornsay. There is no commonly accepted derivation for "Burntisland" which had numerous other forms in the past, such as "Brintilun" and "Ye Brint Eland".
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" can mean island, but is also used for terra firma surrounded by marsh e.g. 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 common as a suffix in various landlocked placenames, especially in the far south of mainland Scotland e.g. Langholm, Kirk Yetholm, Holmhead, Holmhill. 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 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 ; and Eilean Mhealasta in the Outer Hebrides, which is named after Mealista on Lewis.The name Easdale appears to be the combination of eas, which is Gaelic for "waterfall" and dal, the Norse for "valley". However, it is not clear why either description should apply to this tiny island which is low-lying and has no waterfalls and the name may have come from the nearby village of the same name on Seil.
Stacks
It has been estimated that there are about 275 sea stacks in Scotland, of which around 110 are located around the coasts of Shetland. The highest are Stac an Armin and Stac Lee, St Kilda. In July 1967, 15 million people watched the climbing of the Old Man of Hoy live on BBC television. However, for many of the remoter stacks, especially in Shetland, there is no record of there having been any attempt by rock climbers to ascend them.Crannogs
Crannogs are prehistoric artificial islands created in lochs. There are several hundred sites in Scotland. Today, crannogs typically appear as small, circular islands, between 10 and 30 metres in diameter. Scottish crannogs include:- Breachacha on Coll
- Cherry Island in Loch Ness
- Dùn Anlaimh on Coll
- Eilean Dòmhnuill on North Uist
- Keppinch in Loch Lomond