List of outlying islands of Scotland

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. Only one of these islands is currently inhabited - Buchan Ness - 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.Fleming (2005) "Men of Stone" pp. 37–59.Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 336. 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.Keay & Keay (1994) p. 507.

Main islands

There are several small groupings of outlying islands involved. The most significant of these is the St Kilda archipelago which lies 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."Dual World Heritage Status For Unique Scottish Islands" (14 July 2005) National Trust for Scotland. Retrieved 6 January 2007. At Stac an Armin is the highest sea stack in the British IslesThe National Trust for Scotland has 191 m. and in July 1840, the last great auk seen in the British Isles was captured there.Rackwitz p. 347.

East of St Kilda are the Flannan Isles, where all three lighthouse keepers mysteriously vanished without trace in December 1900.See for example, Nicholson (1995) pp. 168–79. 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 north north east of Butt of Lewis and 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."Stroma, Castle Mestag" RCAHMS. Retrieved 7 September 2009. 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 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"Fisher (1956) pp. 12–13. 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. IslandGroupArea (ha)Haswell-Smith (2004) for islands >40 ha (100 acres) and Ordnance Survey maps for islands <40 ha unless otherwise stated.Height (m)Ordnance Survey maps. LightLast inhabitedSurrounding isletsArdwall IsleIslands of Fleet NoOld Man of FleetBarlocco IsleIslands of Fleet NoThe Three BrethrenBig ScareSolway FirthA remote rock located at . <1 "St Bees Head to Mull of Galloway – pilot info" ukriversguidebook.co.uk. Retrieved 19 July 2010. NoLittle Scares (3) Boreray St Kilda NoAn t-Sail, Sgarbhstac Bròna Cleit Flannan Islesc. 20 No Buchan Ness Buchan coastc. 8 Yes2022Inch Biggle Dùn St Kilda "St Kilda" (pdf) United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Retrieved 4 August 2009. NoHamalan, Giasgeir, Sgeir Cul an Rubha, Sgeir Mhòr Eilean a' Ghobha Flannan Isles No Eilean Choraidh Loch EribollRick Livingstone’s Tables of the Islands of Scotland (pdf) Argyll Yacht Charters. Retrieved 12 Dec 2011.NoA' chlèit Eilean Hoan Loch EribollNo"Place Names in Durness" countysutherland.co.uk. Retrieved 29 November 2009.A' Ghoil-sgeir, An Cruachan, An Dubh-sgeir, Eilean Clùimhrig, Pocan Smoo Eilean Mòr Flannan IslesHaswell-Smith (2004) p. 330.YesHaswell-Smith (2004) p. 331.Deirc na Sgeir, Làmh à Sgeir Beag, Làmh an Sgeir Mòire Eilean nan Ròn Tongue BayNoAn Innis, Eilean Iosal, Meall Thailm Eilean Taighe Flannan Isles NoGealtaire Beag, Gealtaire Mòr, HamasgeirHestan IslandSolway Firth c.11 Yes Hirta St Kilda No An Torc, Bradastac, Mina Stac, Sgeir Domhnuill, Sgeir Mhòr, Sgeir nan SgarbhInchcapeAngus coast Nicholson (1995) p. 86. Yes Innis MhòrEaster Ross <5 No Little RossSolway Firth YesSugarloafMugdrumFirth of Tay NoMurray's IslesIslands of Fleet c.5 No Horse Mark Neave Island Tongue BayNoStac an Fhamhair North Rona North west No Gealldraig Mhòr, Lòba SgeirRabbit Islands Tongue BayNoDubh Sgeir-Mhòr, Eilean á Chaoil, Eilean Creagach, Sgeir an Òir, Talmine Island Roaireim Flannan Isles NoRockallNorth Atlantic Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 314. NoHasselwood Rock, Helen's ReefRough IslandSolway Firth"Rough Island" Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 31 August 2009. NoCraig Roan, Spring Stones Sgeir TomanFlannan Isles No Sgeir Righinn Soay St Kilda No Am Plastair, Sgeir Mac Righ Lochlainn, Stac Biorach, Stac Dona, Stac Soay. Soraigh Flannan Isles No Stac an Armin St Kilda No Stac LeeSt Kilda No Stac LevenishSt Kilda No Na BodhanStromaCaithness YesCastle MestagSula Sgeir North west Yes See "Lighthouses" Geograph. Retrieved 4 September 2009.Bogha Córr, GrallsgeirSule Skerry Orkney "SPA description" JNCC. Retrieved 8 September 2009. "Sailing Directions (Enroute), Pub. 141, Scotland" (pdf) National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. p. 109. Retrieved 8 September 2009. Yes Sule Stack Orkney No

Smaller islets off the mainland

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,Located at in the inner Dornoch Firth by Carbisdale Castle. Three Kings.The Three Kings are skerries located at and named on the 1992 revision of the Admiralty Chart "Dunrobin Point to Buckie". 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.Ordnance Survey (2009) "Get-a-map". Retrieved 6–10 February 2010.

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.Watson (1976) p. 54.

List of outlying islands of Scotland

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