It’s not usually acknowledged, however Scotland is a part of an archipelago. The island it shares with England and Wales is just the start of a sprawl of 900 islands, skerries and stacks that unfold throughout the North Atlantic, reaching virtually so far as Norway.
From the Interior Hebrides, with their tradition of crofting, fishing and whisky-making, to the wild, windswept Outer Hebrides and the scattered, history-rich isles of Orkney and Shetland, the Scottish Islands are a world to themselves – tangibly Scottish, however unmistakably influenced by Viking raiders, time-steeped legends and the unforgiving sea.
Round these wave-battered isles, you’ll discover whisky distilleries, superior seashores, epic landscapes that depart walkers weak on the knees and tombs, stone circles and ruins that weave hypnotic tales of Scotland’s earliest inhabitants, alongside million-strong chook colonies that transport birders to feathered heaven.
No matter your tastes and temperament, you’ll make sure to discover a Scottish island that matches your temper, accessible by ferry from the Scottish mainland. Right here’s our choose of one of the best.
Surf wild seashores on the Isle of Lewis
Go away the pranksters taking selfies by the Butt of Lewis signal to their enjoyable; the true magic of the biggest island within the Western Isles might be discovered on its seashores.
Sprinkled alongside the Atlantic seaboard of Lewis are sands so blond and excellent they may have been plucked from Antigua. Traigh Scarista, Uig, Port of Ness, Dalbeg and Mangersta supply a few of Britain’s greatest browsing, significantly throughout wild winter swells. Contact Surf Lewis in the event you’re tempted to tackle the breakers.
Again on land, put aside a while to discover austere however proud Stornoway, with its imposing fortress; sit in on a sonorous Gaelic-language sermon at an area church (or the Hebridean Celtic Competition in the event you’re right here in July) and take a detour west to the ring of standing stones at Callanish (Calanais), Britain’s most spectacular stone circle.
Wander throughout the centuries in Mainland Shetland
From the second you arrive on Shetland’s largest island, historical past oozes out of the panorama. You’ll sense it as you cruise previous the historic harbor of Lerwick, or descend onto the ruler-sized runway at Sumburgh Airport, passing the low-lying hummocks of Jarlshof, the place 4000 years of historical past spills onto the shoreline – on this one spot, you’ll discover Neolithic stays, Bronze Age houses, Iron Age wheelhouses, Viking longhouses, even the ruined mansion of a medieval earl.
Over on the east coast of Mainland, boats tootle throughout to the RSPB chook reserve on the isle of Mousa, residence to 7000 breeding pairs of storm petrels and the spectacularly preserved stays of Mousa Broch, a chimney-like drystone tower erected by Shetland’s Iron Age inhabitants.
To pattern Mainland’s residing historical past, step into the Lounge Bar on Mounthooly St in Lerwick, the place regulars choose up devices and launch into spontaneous reels and shanties, as they’ve for generations.
Discover serene silence on St Kilda
It takes a little bit of effort to get to St Kilda, essentially the most distant of the Western Isles, however if you attain this wave-crashed assortment of sea cliffs and rocky stacks, you’ll have greater than 1,000,000 seabirds for firm. St Kilda’s hardy inhabitants eked out a residing by fishing, elevating sheep and scrambling up the cliffs to reap birds’ eggs till 1930, when the final 35 islanders had been relocated to the mainland.
From April to September, lengthy, stomach-testing day journeys cross the tough Atlantic waves from North Uist, Skye and Harris. For a deeper dive into the lonely isolation of St Kilda, make preparations by way of the Nationwide Belief for Scotland to remain within the fundamental campsite on Hirta, the principle island – you’ll have to deliver all of your meals with you and take all of your garbage out if you depart.
Develop into a part of legend on Mainland Orkney
Together with close by Shetland, Mainland Orkney was apparently created from the enamel of the Stoor Worm, a monstrous sea serpent that plagued the Scottish coast till it was dispatched by an Orcadian farmer’s son.
Legends nonetheless wash over the panorama on this timeless island – among the best is the Marie Celeste–fashion story of how the Neolithic village of Skara Brae was mysteriously deserted round 2500 BCE and reclaimed by the sands, solely to be uncovered by a storm in 1850. Even in the present day, the low stone huts look as if their Stone Age occupants simply walked out the door.
Over at Maeshowe, a Neolithic chambered tomb provides historic weight to legend. The final burials at Maeshowe passed off 5000 years in the past, however Viking marauders raided the tomb within the Twelfth century, leaving bawdy rune graffiti and etchings of dragons and serpents. In Kirkwall, Orkney’s pocket-sized capital, the native legend is Earl Magnus, the Twelfth-century ruler of Orkney, name-checked in three Norse sagas following his martyrdom by a Norwegian rival.
Sort out legendary hikes on the Isle of Skye
Because the building of the Skye Bridge in 1995, the Isle of Skye has been anchored to the Scottish mainland, however essentially the most northerly island within the Interior Hebrides nonetheless serves up a few of Scotland’s most uplifting hikes. Skye’s fame precedes it, nonetheless, and the paths to the Quiraing and the rocky spire of the Previous Man of Stor might be mobbed in season.
The excellent news is that Skye is giant and rugged sufficient that you could hike away from the plenty. Past strolling, Skye serves up a sampler of all issues Scottish. There are castles (together with well-known Dunvegan, seat of the MacLeods), timeless fishing harbors, scenic seashores, and – in fact – Scottish whisky, care of the Talisker Distillery, the place guided excursions include a complimentary dram.
Toast George Orwell on Jura
Darkish and moody, Jura broods off the west coast of Scotland, reached by a summertime ferry from Tayvallich on the mainland, or year-round boats from close by Islay. Amongst left-leaning people and literature buffs, the island is greatest often called the spot the place George Orwell got here in 1948 to put in writing the manuscript of 1984.
The truth of Jura, although, is much from dystopian, although the rainfall might be sporting. Heat your insides on a tasting journey to the Isle of Jura Distillery, which depends on the considerable water provide for its well-regarded single malt. If whisky isn’t your poison, head as a substitute to the Lussa Gin Distillery; when you’re right here, you possibly can stroll to the northern tip of Jura to view the “Scottish Maelstrom” – a surging whirlpool that turns into a boiling cauldron throughout flooding spring tides.
Commune with birdlife on Unst, Shetland
About as far north as you possibly can go in Scotland with out hitting Norway, the island of Unst is a sparsely inhabited bump of land perched on the fringe of the world. The panorama has been worn low and easy by infinite centuries of scouring winds, however the place people wrestle to outlive, seabirds thrive, and the place to come across them is the legendary Hermaness Nationwide Nature Reserve.
A 4.5-mile round-trip stroll takes you previous craggy sea cliffs the place skuas dive-bomb, puffins comically skitter about, and gannets, fulmars and guillemots squabble noisily for nesting area. If you’ve had your fill of birdlife, drop by Bobby’s Bus Shelter, transformed by locals into a comfy bower, with chairs, novels, chintzy decor and its personal guests’ ebook.
Discover a greener way of life on Eigg
Tiny Eigg shot to fame in 1997 after being bought by its inhabitants to flee the whims of the assorted outsiders who held the authorized title to the island. Over the centuries, Eigg has been the seat of a Pictish saint, a battleground within the Jacobite rebel, a hub for crofters, a sufferer of the Clearances and the location of an notorious bloodbath by the MacLeod Clan from Skye, however in the present day it’s greatest recognized for its inexperienced credentials.
After reclaiming their island from its final feudal proprietor, the inhabitants of Eigg transformed the “massive home” into the Earth Connections Eco-Centre, a hub for programs in environmentalism and yoga. The island additionally proudly generates 95% of its electrical energy from renewables and enthusiastically embraces natural farming. (See the island’s Inexperienced Eigg web site for extra on locals’ bold plans for the longer term.)
Maximize the island expertise on Mull & Iona
We’ve paired Mull and Iona as these two historic isles are really easy to go to collectively, mendacity side-by-side on the west coast close to Oban. From Iona, it’s simple to tack on a ship journey to Staffa, the place basalt-column-lined Fingal’s Cave was the inspiration for Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture – that’s three nice island adventures off the again of 1 car-ferry journey from the mainland.
Iona is legendary because the burial website of Scottish kings, together with a sure Macbeth, who spends the centuries within the graveyard at imposing Iona Abbey. This was additionally the spot the place the E-book of Kells – now delight of the library at Dublin’s Trinity School – was transcribed. Over on sprawling Mull, there’s a lot to see: rainbow-colored Tobermory; beautiful seashores; whales and eagles for nature-lovers; and one in every of Scotland’s greatest fortresses at Duart Fortress, ancestral seat of the MacLean clan.
