List of outlying islands of Scotland facts for kids

Map of Scotland showing its land and water

Boreray and other islands from the top of Conachair

The outlying islands of Scotland are special islands that are not part of the main island groups like the Hebrides or the Northern Isles. Most of these islands are not lived on today, and few people ever lived there. However, Hirta was home to people from the Neolithic age (Stone Age) until 1930. Also, Stroma had people living on it until the 1970s, and then lighthouse keepers until 1996. Many other outlying islands have lighthouses, but none of them have people working there anymore.

An island is defined here as "land surrounded by seawater every day." This means even if it's connected at low tide, it counts as an island. Some islands inside sea lochs, like Eilean Bàn, are usually listed with the List of Inner Hebrides to keep things simple.

Scotland's Main Outlying Islands

Mugdrum island seen from Newburgh

Soay, St Kilda, one of Scotland's westernmost islands

Waves crashing over Rockall in 1943

Sula Sgeir

The westernmost of the Flannan Isles: Eilean a' Ghobha and Roareim

The Rabbit Islands

Stac an Armin with Boreray and Stac Lee

Stac Levenish cliff's face silhouette

Castle Mestag, Stroma

Stac Biorach and Stac Soay between Hirta and Soay

Several small groups of outlying islands exist. The most famous is the St Kilda group. It lies about 64 kilometres (40 miles) west-northwest of North Uist. St Kilda is a World Heritage Site because of its amazing nature and history.

St Kilda and Its Tall Stacks

One of the islands in St Kilda is Stac an Armin. It is 196 metres (643 feet) tall, making it the highest sea stack (a tall rock column in the sea) in the British Isles. In 1840, the last great auk (a large, flightless bird) seen in the British Isles was caught here.

Mysteries of the Flannan Isles

East of St Kilda are the Flannan Isles. Here, all three lighthouse keepers mysteriously disappeared in December 1900. No one ever found out what happened to them.

Remote Northern Outliers

Further north and east are Sula Sgeir and North Rona. These islands have strong connections to the Outer Hebrides. North Rona is about 71 kilometres (44 miles) north-northeast of the Butt of Lewis. It is the most remote island in the British Isles that people have lived on for a long time. It is also the closest part of Scotland to the Faroe Islands. Sule Skerry and Sule Stack are even further east and are part of Orkney.

Islands Near the Mainland

The islands along Scotland's north coast are far from big towns. However, most of them are quite close to the mainland. There is a small group of larger islands near Tongue Bay. The biggest island on this coast is Stroma, located in the Pentland Firth between Caithness and Orkney.

Innis Mhòr in the Dornoch Firth is the largest of a few small islands off the coast of Easter Ross. Further south, you'll find Inchcape off the coast of Angus. Mugdrum is the only important island in the Firth of Tay. In the Solway Firth, which is Scotland's southwestern border, there are islands like the Islands of Fleet in Wigtown Bay.

Tiny Uninhabited Islets

Most of the smaller islands around the main ones are not well-known. No one has lived on them permanently in modern times. Still, some have interesting histories. For example, Castle Mestag off Stroma is the ruin of an old fort. You could only reach it by a drawbridge! Some islets are called "storm washed." This means that even though they are partly above the sea, big waves wash over them during storms, making them impossible to live on.

Rockall: A Disputed Rock

Finally, there is the very remote Rockall. It is about 367 kilometres (228 miles) west of North Uist. Rockall is a tiny rocky island in the North Atlantic Ocean. Some people call it "the most isolated small rock in the oceans of the world." In 1972, it was declared part of Scotland. However, other countries like Ireland, Denmark, and Iceland disagree. Its legal status is still debated.

Smaller Islets Off the Mainland

An Garbh-eilean off the north coast near Durness

Bow Fiddle Rock

The skerry of Craiglethy – one of the few east coast islands

Here are some other smaller islands and rocks found along Scotland's coasts:

• 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 true islands on the east coast of Scotland south of Buddon Ness.

Islands Exposed at Low Tide

There are many smaller islands and skerries (rocky islets) around mainland Scotland that only appear when the tide is low. Craiglethy is part of the Fowlsheugh nature reserve, which is a protected area for wildlife.

The Three Kings, off the coast of Easter Ross near Balintore, are also known as Creag Harail or Harold's Rock. A legend says that three sons of a Danish prince were shipwrecked here while trying to get revenge for their sister. They gave these rocks their name. Their graves were supposedly marked by carved stones in places like Nigg and Shandwick.

See also