Scotland’s most underrated islands – with the sunniest beaches, whale-watching, shipwrecks and Caribbean-quality sand
ARE you looking for an island escape, with beautiful beaches and stunning scenery, but don’t want to have to go abroad?
Then look no further than Scotland. It’s home to nearly 800 offshore islands. Yes, you read that right, EIGHT HUNDRED. And there’s even more if you count the dozen or so inland islands on the country’s lochs.
So how do you decide which to visit?
Well if you want to avoid the crowds and try something a little different from Mull or Arran, then my advice as part our new Best of British travel series (and as The Scottish Sun’s Travel Editor) is to head to Scotland’s lesser known and visited islands, .
You’ll find deserted beaches, rugged hillsides with more sheep and cows than people, a whole load of amazing wildlife and most of all a warm friendly welcome.
Here’s six of my must-sees….
THE ISLE OF ERRAID
The tiny, and stunningly beautiful, Inner Hebridean Isle of Erraid is tidal island, just a mile square located just off the tip of the Ross of Mull.
For an hour or two either side of low tide, it’s linked to the mainland by a broad expanse of sand which you can cross.
It’s been home to a small group of members of the Findhorn Foundation for over 40 years after they were given it by Dutch owners the Van der Sluis’ to look after, on condition that for one month during the summer, they would return to enjoy the freedom and adventure of the island.
A small group of intrepid members moved to the island, restored the cottages and started a spiritual community. But Erraid’s major claim to fame is its inspiration for the famous novel ‘Kidnapped’ by Robert Louis Stevenson.
His father Thomas was a construction engineer who helped build Dubh Artach lighthouse and Robert visited the island several times. He also used it as a backdrop for the book, whose hero David Balfour is shipwrecked on the Torran Rocks and washed ashore on Balfour’s Bay (Traigh Gheal).
Erraid is one of the driest and sunniest places in Scotland, with less than 1,000 millimetres of rain and 1,350 hours of sunshine annually, so you’re virtually guaranteed great days out on the beach.
It’s also a haven for birds including corncrake, lapwing, peregrine, hen harriers and sandpipers and you’ll also see plenty of deer, hedgehogs and Black Face sheep.
The foundation hosts retreat weeks from £300pp, including all meals (mostly vegetarian) which you can book on the erraid.com website, email erraid@live.co.uk or call 01681 700384.
Alternatively, stay on neighbouring Mull, which has hotels, B&Bs and camp sites, as well as hundreds of self-catering houses and cottages though www.isleofmullcottages.com. See isle-of-mull.net for more details.
DAVAAR ISLAND, Campbeltown
Davaar is another tidal island, located at the mouth of Campbeltown Loch and accessed by a long shingle causeway, known as The Dhorlin, at low tides from the remote Mull of Kintyre peninsula.
Try swimming from the jetty and take the kids raking for whelks and winkles on the beach at Killdalloig Bay, or cockles on the Dhorlin.
Sit down and take in the stunning views of Ailsa Criag and Arran, and spot the multitude of seabirds hunting for dinner in the waters. There’s a good chance you’ll see otters, dolphins, Minke whales and even golden eagles off shore too.
Inland, take a picnic and eat alongside the wild goats who clamber on the cliffs. For more animal encounters, there’s rare breed sheep and Highland cattle on the island’s farm.
Davaar also features a lighthouse built by Stevenson’s dad Thomas but one of its biggest draws is a collection of seven secret sea caves. The most popular contains a life size painting depicting the crucifixion, done in 1887 by local artist Archibald MacKinnon after he had a vision in a dream.
The island is privately owned and has two self-catering cottages, The Lookout (a WWII Observation Post) and The Principal Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage and two glamping cabins to rent, with stunning views out to the sea.
Prices from £145 a night for both cottages, with three night minimum stay and £135 a night in the cabins, with two night minimum stay. See davaarisland.co.uk
INCHMURRIN ISLAND, LOCH LOMOND
Despite being the largest freshwater island in the UK, not many people have heard of Inchmurrin island. It’s in the middle of Loch Lomond.
It was originally the site of a 7th-century monastery, with a chapel dedicated to Saint Mirin which gave it its name. You can still see the ruins of a castle today, thought to have been a hunting lodge for the deer park established by King Robert I of Scotland in the early 14th century.
And that’s not its only royal connection. In 1617, when King James made his only return visit to Scotland, he went hunting on Inchmurrin. Mary Queen of Scots also visited and the notorious outlaw Rob Roy once raided the island.
Later, Inchmurrin was also used as a mental asylum, and at one time unmarried pregnant women were sent there to give birth. Nowadays, there’s only 10 people living there, along with a horse, dog, cattle and lots of pheasants.
The island has been owned by the Scott family for over 70 years, who farm it and run self-catering apartments, a cottage, and a restaurant which is open seasonally. There’s also a hotel open from Easter until October.
The island offers lovely walks and quiet beaches for swimming as well as a number of archaeological sites including the ruins of the 7th century monastery and 14th century Lennox Castle.
You can access Inchmurrin Island by boat. The ferry takes 15 minutes to reach it from Arden. Self-catering prices from £1,890 for a week for the 3-bedroom Lodge sleeping six or from £660 for a week in a 2-bedroom apartment, sleeping four. See inchmurrin-lochlomond.com
FOULA
The island of Foula really is remote. Found 20 miles west of the Shetland and 100 miles from the mainland, it was known in Roman times as ‘Ultima Thule,’ which roughly translates as ‘the edge of the world.’ In 1936, the classic movie of the same name was made there.
So what do you get in return for making the effort to get to Foula? It’s not big, at just five square miles, but it is dramatic, with one of the highest sheer sea cliffs in Britain, Da Kame, standing at an impressive 1,233ft.
It’s home to around just 35 islanders, mostly crofters who make a living from farming the rare and colourful Foula sheep. Its old Norse name was Fugla-ey, meaning ‘bird island’’. It’s still a haven for sea and moorland birds, including Great Skua, which divebomb anyone walking too close to their nests, so be careful!
Guided walks are available from the Foula Ranger Service and Foula Heritage can also give you maps and information on self-guided walks.
If you are a keen diver, you’ll love Foula. It’s surrounded by shipwrecks including the RMS Oceanic, owned by the famous White Star Line, makers of the Titanic. Launched in 1899 as the ‘Queen of the Ocean’ it was drafted by the Navy during WW1 and ran aground three miles east of Foula, on its maiden Navy voyage.
Don’t miss seeing the Gaada Stack, a two-arched sea stack, supported on three legs, and the Sneck o da Smallie, a massive two-meter wide natural fissure in the rock that leads down to the sea.
You can get to Foula via a two-hour ferry crossing from Walls, on the mainland, which operates three times a week. It’s not a car ferry and booking is essential. Be prepared to stay as day trips are impossible by sea.
And here’s an interesting fact – Foula still uses the Julian calendar and celebrates Christmas Day on January 6 and New Year on January 13. Self-catering accommodation available from £55 a night see foulaheritage.com
THE ISLE OF SEIL
Most people will have heard of Seil for one reason and one reason only – Princess Diana. The island, near Oban, was home of her mum Frances Shand Kydd until her death in 2004, and where she is now buried.
Seil, located on the east side of the Firth of Lorn, is separated from mainland Scotland by the thinnest of sea channels, the Clachan Sound. At its narrowest point it’s just over 70 feet and is accessed by Clachan Bridge, popularly known as the ‘Bridge over the Atlantic’.
For centuries, slate from the island’s quarries was exported all over the world but today, like many UK islands, the economy is largely dependent on agriculture and tourism.
Head to the main village of Ellenabeich with its cute white workers’ cottages, sat at the foot of dramatic black cliffs on the westernmost tip of the island.
The village has featured in a number of TV and films and fans of the old Para Handy and hit movie Ring of Bright Water will see some very familiar sights.
Don’t miss a trip to the gardens of An Cala, with its glorious azaleas and Japanese flowering cherries in early summer. And make sure to pay a visit to the Scottish Slate Islands’ Heritage Centre, which is housed in one of the little white cottages.
The island’s main hub is Balvicar, which has a harbour with commercial fishing boats, the island’s only shop and a nine-hole golf course.
If you fancy staying on Seil, some of the white slate worker’s cottages have been converted into holiday homes.
COLL
Looking for wide open, empty spaces, peppered with glorious beaches, hugged by rugged hills covered in Machair and fabulous sea views? Then Coll is the island for you.
This small island, close to Mull in the Inner Hebrides, is a perfect little patch of paradise at just over 13 miles long and three miles at its widest. It’s the perfect holiday destination for many seeking peace and quiet and a little escapism.
There’s over 30 beaches, lapped by turquoise seas, many of which wouldn’t look out of place in the Caribbean. And you’ll get plenty of time to enjoy them, as Coll enjoys some of the longest sunshine hours recorded in the whole of the UK.
I’d recommend the golden sands of Struan beach but no matter which one you pick, more often than not you’ll have it to yourself. You can swim from many of them, thanks to the Gulf Stream making them warmer than those on many other west coast islands. Surfers will adore Crossapool and Hogh Bay as they’re quieter than the popular surfers paradise of next-door Tiree.
Youngsters will love exploring in the rock pools or spotting dolphins and basking sharks which visit the bay at Arinagour. There’s a good chance you’ll see whales, orca and otters too. Coll also has an RSPB reserve, with a huge variety of species to see including corncrake and hen harrier.
Even in winter the island is a fab place to visit, as it’s the first official Dark Sky island in Scotland and one of only two in the UK, offering some of the best sky and star viewing unspoiled by light pollution. The Northern Lights are often seen as is the Milky Way which can be seen as early as mid August.
The pretty village of Arinagour of Coll is a great base to stay and explore and enjoy some delicious seafood and fish. The Coll Hotel (collhotel.com), on the shore of Loch Eatharna, has a AA rosette restaurant and rooms from £95 a night. Or try the 4* Tigh na Mara Guest House (tnmcoll.com) winner of the 2022 Highlands & Islands Tourism Award for Best B&B/Guesthouse Experience. Rooms from £100 a night.
Get there by ferry from Oban, with daily sailings in summer and five a week in winter or from Tiree with five sailings a week again in summer.