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List of outlying islands of Scotland facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Scotland topographic map-en
Topographic map of Scotland
Boreray from Conachair
Boreray and the stacks from the heights of Conachair, Hirta

The outlying islands of Scotland are not part of the larger archipelagos and island groups of Scotland—the Hebrides, the Northern Isles or the Islands of the Forth and Clyde estuaries. None of these islands are currently inhabited and few of them ever were, although Hirta was occupied from the Neolithic age until 1930 and Stroma was permanently occupied until the 1970s and thereafter by lighthouse keepers and their families until 1996. Several other outlying islands have lighthouses, none of which is still staffed.

In this list, an island is defined as "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". A complication relating to membership of this list is that there are various descriptions of the scope of the Hebrides, the large group of islands that lie off Scotland's west coast. The Collins Encyclopedia of Scotland describes the Inner Hebrides as lying "east of The Minch", which would include any and all offshore islands. There are various islands that lie in the sea lochs such as Eilean Bàn and Eilean Donan that might not ordinarily be described as "Hebridean" but no formal definitions exist and for simplicity they are included in the List of Inner Hebrides rather than here.

Main islands

Mugdrum
Mugdrum seen from Newburgh
Inselsoay
Soay, St Kilda, the westernmost island of Scotland (excluding Rockall, the status of which is a matter of dispute)
Rockall wave March 1943
Winter waves breaking over Rockall in 1943
Eilean a' Ghobha and Roareim
The westernmost of the Flannan Isles: Eilean a' Ghobha and Roareim with Brona Cleit in the distance
Stac an Armin and Boreray
Stac an Armin with Boreray to the left and Stac Lee beyond at right
Staclevenish
Stac Levenish cliff's face silhouette
CastleMestag
Castle Mestag, Stroma
Sound of Soay
Stac Biorach (at left) and Stac Soay between Hirta and Soay

There are several small groupings of outlying islands involved. The most significant of these is the St Kilda archipelago which lies 64 kilometres (40 mi) west-northwest of North Uist and is now a World Heritage Site. It is one of the few to hold joint status for its natural and cultural qualities. At 196 metres (643 ft) Stac an Armin is the highest sea stack in the British Isles and in July 1840, the last great auk seen in the British Isles was captured there.

East of St Kilda are the Flannan Isles, where all three lighthouse keepers mysteriously vanished without trace in December 1900. Further north and east are the two outliers of Sula Sgeir and North Rona, which have strong cultural links to the Outer Hebrides. North Rona is 71 kilometres (44 mi) north north east of Butt of Lewis and 18 kilometres (11 mi) east of Sula Sgeir. It is the remotest island in the British Isles ever to have been inhabited on a long-term basis. It is also closer than any other part of Scotland to the Faroe Islands. Sule Skerry and Sule Stack lie further east and are administratively part of Orkney.

The islands of the north coast are remote from the main centres of population, although they mostly lie close to the mainland. There is a small group of larger islands near Tongue Bay, but the largest on this coast is Stroma in the Pentland Firth, between Caithness and Orkney. Innis Mhòr in the Dornoch Firth is the largest of a handful of small islets off the coast of Easter Ross. Further south are Inchcape off the coast of Angus, and Mugdrum, the only substantial island in the Firth of Tay. There is a cluster of islands in the Solway Firth that marks the south western border of Scotland, including the Islands of Fleet, in Wigtown Bay.

Most of the smaller islets that surround those in the main list are obscure and none have been permanently inhabited in modern times. Nonetheless, some have a degree of historical significance. Castle Mestag off Stroma is the ruins of a once fortified stack accessible only via a drawbridge. Some islets are identified as "storm washed", meaning that although they are partly above mean sea level, large waves wash over the top of them during storms, rendering them uninhabitable.

Finally, there is remote Rockall, which is 367 kilometres (228 mi) to the west of North Uist. It is a small rocky islet in the North Atlantic which could be, in James Fisher's words, "the most isolated small rock in the oceans of the world" and which was declared part of Scotland by the Island of Rockall Act 1972. However, the legality of the claim is disputed by the Republic of Ireland, Denmark and Iceland and it is probably unenforceable in international law.

Island Group Area (ha) Height (m)
Light
Last inhabited Surrounding islets
Ardwall Isle Islands of Fleet &&&&&&&&&&&&&022.&&&&&022 &&&&&&&&&&&&&034.&&&&&034 No 18th century? Old Man of Fleet
Barlocco Isle Islands of Fleet &&&&&&&&&&&&&010.&&&&&010 &&&&&&&&&&&&&010.&&&&&010 No Inhabitation unlikely The Three Brethren
Big Scare Solway Firth &10000000000000000900000<1 &&&&&&&&&&&&&021.&&&&&021 No Inhabitation very unlikely Little Scares (3)
Boreray St Kilda &&&&&&&&&&&&&077.&&&&&077 &&&&&&&&&&&&0384.&&&&&0384 No Iron Age? An t-Sail, Sgarbhstac
Bròna Cleit Flannan Isles &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &10000000000000020000000c. 20 No Inhabitation very unlikely None
Dùn St Kilda &&&&&&&&&&&&&032.&&&&&032 &&&&&&&&&&&&0178.&&&&&0178 No Unknown Hamalan, Giasgeir, Sgeir Cul an Rubha, Sgeir Mhòr
Eilean a' Ghobha Flannan Isles &&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08 &&&&&&&&&&&&&057.&&&&&057 No Inhabitation very unlikely None
Eilean Choraidh Loch Eriboll &&&&&&&&&&&&&026.&&&&&026 &&&&&&&&&&&&&026.&&&&&026 No 1930s A' chlèit
Eilean Hoan Loch Eriboll &&&&&&&&&&&&&028.&&&&&028 &&&&&&&&&&&&&025.&&&&&025 No Early 1800s A' Ghoil-sgeir, An Cruachan, An Dubh-sgeir, Eilean Clùimhrig, Pocan Smoo
Eilean Mòr Flannan Isles &&&&&&&&&&&&&017.50000017.5 &&&&&&&&&&&&&088.&&&&&088 Yes 1971 Deirc na Sgeir, Làmh à Sgeir Beag, Làmh an Sgeir Mòire
Eilean nan Ròn Tongue Bay &&&&&&&&&&&&0138.&&&&&0138 &&&&&&&&&&&&&076.&&&&&076 No 1930s or 40s An Innis, Eilean Iosal, Meall Thailm
Eilean Taighe Flannan Isles &&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011 &&&&&&&&&&&&&059.&&&&&059 No Unknown Gealtaire Beag, Gealtaire Mòr, Hamasgeir
Hestan Island Solway Firth &10000000000000011000000c.11 &&&&&&&&&&&&&054.&&&&&054 Yes Unknown None
Hirta St Kilda &&&&&&&&&&&&0670.&&&&&0670 &&&&&&&&&&&&0430.&&&&&0430 No 1930 An Torc, Bradastac, Mina Stac, Sgeir Domhnuill, Sgeir Mhòr, Sgeir nan Sgarbh
Inchcape Angus coast &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.6100000.61 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 Yes 1988 None
Innis Mhòr Easter Ross &&&&&&&&&&&&&026.&&&&&026 &10000000000000004900000<5 No Shifting sands None
Little Ross Solway Firth &&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07 &&&&&&&&&&&&&035.&&&&&035 Yes Inhabitation unlikely Sugarloaf
Mugdrum Firth of Tay &&&&&&&&&&&&&032.&&&&&032 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04 No Inhabitation unlikely None
Murray's Isles Islands of Fleet &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &10000000000000005000000c.5 No Inhabitation unlikely Horse Mark
Neave Island Tongue Bay &&&&&&&&&&&&&030.&&&&&030 &&&&&&&&&&&&&070.&&&&&070 No Unknown Stac an Fhamhair
North Rona North west &&&&&&&&&&&&0109.&&&&&0109 &&&&&&&&&&&&0108.&&&&&0108 No 1885 Gealldraig Mhòr, Lòba Sgeir
Rabbit Islands Tongue Bay &&&&&&&&&&&&&032.&&&&&032 &&&&&&&&&&&&&045.&&&&&045 No Unknown Dubh Sgeir-Mhòr, Eilean á Chaoil, Eilean Creagach, Sgeir an Òir, Talmine Island
Roaireim Flannan Isles &&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05 &&&&&&&&&&&&&052.&&&&&052 No Inhabitation very unlikely None
Rockall North Atlantic &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&624000.0624 &&&&&&&&&&&&&021.40000021.4 No Storm washed Hasselwood Rock, Helen's Reef
Rough Island Solway Firth &&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08 &&&&&&&&&&&&&024.&&&&&024 No Inhabitation unlikely Craig Roan, Spring Stones
Sgeir Toman Flannan Isles &&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04 &&&&&&&&&&&&&043.&&&&&043 No Inhabitation very unlikely Sgeir Righinn
Soay St Kilda &&&&&&&&&&&&&099.&&&&&099 &&&&&&&&&&&&0378.&&&&&0378 No Inhabitation unlikely Am Plastair, Sgeir Mac Righ Lochlainn, Stac Biorach, Stac Dona, Stac Soay.
Soraigh Flannan Isles &&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06 &&&&&&&&&&&&&041.&&&&&041 No Inhabitation very unlikely None
Stac an Armin St Kilda &&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.&&&&&09 &&&&&&&&&&&&0196.&&&&&0196 No Never inhabited None
Stac Lee St Kilda &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.3000002.3 &&&&&&&&&&&&0172.&&&&&0172 No Never inhabited None
Stac Levenish St Kilda &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.4200002.42 &&&&&&&&&&&&&062.&&&&&062 No Never inhabited Na Bodhan
Stroma Caithness &&&&&&&&&&&&0375.&&&&&0375 &&&&&&&&&&&&&053.&&&&&053 Yes 1996 Castle Mestag
Sula Sgeir North west &&&&&&&&&&&&&015.&&&&&015 &&&&&&&&&&&&&070.&&&&&070 Yes Storm washed Bogha Córr, Grallsgeir
Sule Skerry Orkney &&&&&&&&&&&&&016.&&&&&016 &&&&&&&&&&&&&012.&&&&&012 Yes 1982 None
Sule Stack Orkney &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.9000002.9 &&&&&&&&&&&&&036.&&&&&036 No Storm washed None

Smaller islets off the mainland

An Garbh-eilean - Garvie Island - geograph.org.uk - 886298
An Garbh-eilean off the north coast near Durness
Bo Fiddle Rock 2
Bow Fiddle Rock
Craiglethyskerry
The skerry of Craiglethy – one of the few east coast islands
  • Solway Firth: Inch
  • North coast (from west to east): Stac an Dunain, Duslic, Stack Clò Kearvaig, An Garbh-eilean, Na Glas Leacan, Eilean Dubh, Clach Bheag na Faraid, Clach Mhòr na Faraid, Àigeach, Eilean Polsain, Boursa Island, Glas-eilean Mòr, Garbh-eilean, Wester Clett, Middle Clett, Easter Clett, Little Clett, Clett.
  • East coast:
    • North Moray Firth (from north to south): The Knee, Stacks of Duncansby, Stack o' Brough, South Stack, The Stacks, Eilean na h-Aibhne, Three Kings.
    • South Moray Firth (from west to east): Covesea Skerries, Halliman Skerries, Boar's Head Rock, West Muck, East Muck, Craigenroan, Bow Fiddle Rock, Collie Rocks, Craigandargity.
    • Kinnaird Head to the Bullers of Buchan: The Ron, The Skerry, Miekle Mackie, Miekle Donnon, Little Donnon, Craig Snow, Meikle Dumeath, Little Dumeath.
    • Bullers of Buchan to Girdle Ness: Dunbuy, The Donnons, Skellyis of Harrol.
    • Girdle Ness to Buddon Ness: Craiglethy, Craigmaroinn, May Craig.

Other than Mugdrum in the Firth of Tay and the Islands of the Forth there are no genuine islands on the east coast of Scotland south of Buddon Ness.

Tidally exposed islets and skerries

There are various smaller islets and skerries in the seas surrounding the mainland of Scotland that are only exposed at lower stages of the tide. Craiglethy is part of the Fowlsheugh nature reserve. The Three Kings, off the coast of Easter Ross near Balintore, is also known as Creag Harail or Harold's Rock and called The King's Sons in the New Statistical Account of Scotland. According to legend, three sons of a Danish prince, sailing to avenge their sister's wrongs, were wrecked here and gave these rocks their collective name. Their graves were marked by the sculptured stones of Nigg, Shandwick and Hilton of Cadboll. Another story has their burial at Nigg Rocks below the North Sutor.

See also

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List of outlying islands of Scotland Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.