12 Best Islands in Scotland

• Isle of Mull.
• Islay Island.
• Isle of Arran.
• Isle of Iona.
• Staffa.
• Tiree Island.
• Isle of Lewis.
• Isle of Jura.

The best Scottish islands revealed: Orkney is No1 followed by Shetland and Harris in a ranking by Which?

• Visitors awarded top-ranked Orkney an overall customer experience score of 88 per cent.
• After second-place Shetland, Harris, Islay and Mull came joint third with customer scores of 85 per cent.

The Western Isles became part of the Norse kingdom of the Suðreyjar, which lasted for over 400 years, until sovereignty over the Outer Hebrides was transferred to Scotland by the Treaty of Perth in 1266….Outer Hebrides.

Around 60 per cent live in the Outer Hebrides with most others living on the Scottish mainland. A small number live overseas.

Considered one of the most picturesque and majestic islands in Scotland, Skye is world famous for its beautiful scenery and breathtaking landscapes. From the crystal clear waters of the famous ‘Fairy Pools’, to the peaks of the Cuillin Munros, Skye is an adventure enthusiast’s playground.

Tiree
Thanks to the mild influence of the Gulf Stream, Tiree is the Sunshine Isle, basking in more hours of annual sunlight than just about any other location in the British Isles.

The 15 most beautiful Scottish islands to visit

• Mull. munro1Getty Images.
• Islay. Westend61Getty Images.
• Eigg. CoatesyGetty Images.
• Arran. Swen_StroopGetty Images.
• Lewis and Harris. JupiterShineGetty Images.
• Jura. Alanach_dGetty Images.
• Fair Isle. Sally HintonGetty Images.
• Orkney. Ashley CooperGetty Images.

On a remote peninsula in the north-west Highlands of Scotland is the small off-grid community of Scoraig. Accessible only by boat or a five-mile walk, the residents of Scoraig live in relative isolation, partly powering their homes and school with wind power.

Gaelic is the first language of the Outer Hebrides. Today the islands are the main stronghold of this lyrical language in Scotland, and one of the few places you’ll hear it spoken as you travel around – on the croft, in church, in a café or on the ferry.

Their main legacy in the islands has been their placenames – and perhaps a love of the sea. Successive generations became less Norse, and when the Hebrides became part of Scotland after the Treaty of Perth in 1266, the islanders became known as the Gall-Gaidheil – the foreign Gaels.

An Island-Hopping Adventure in Scotland’s Western Isles Journey over to the joint islands of Harris and Lewis, both with stunning landscapes, before crossing back to the mainland. This wonderful island-hopping self-drive tour explores the majestic islands of the Outer Hebrides by sea and by road.

There’s no such place as a midge-free location on Skye! Between May and September, midges come and go with the time of day and the weather. They are most prevalent in the early morning and the evening. They are also around when there is cloud cover and no wind.

Islay is an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, famed for its collection of big name whisky distilleries – nine at the latest count and more coming.

Photo: AlasdairW, CC BY-SA 3.0. Skye is the largest and most northerly of the Inner Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland, linked to the mainland by a toll-free bridge. Photo: Ritchyblack, CC BY-SA 3.0. Mull is a large island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland.

Today the Outer Hebrides is the last stronghold of the Gaelic language and lifestyle. Lewis, Harris, and North Uist are Protestant, belonging in the main to the free Presbyterian Church. Here, the Sabbath is strictly observed with bars, shops and restaurants closed on Sundays.