The Inner Hebrides are a chain of islands and skerries located off the west coast of mainland Scotland. There are over 30 inhabited islands in this archipelago, of which Islay, Mull and Skye are the largest and most populous.
The islands of Scotland's west coast are known collectively as the Hebrides; the Inner Hebrides are separated from the Outer Hebrides by The Minch to the north and the Sea of the Hebrides to the south. The Inner Hebrides that lie respectively north and south of Ardnamurchan are administered by two separate local authorities as part of larger territories. The northern Inner Hebrides, including Skye, the Small Isles and the Summer Isles, are part of the Highland unitary council region. The southern group, including Islay, Jura, the Slate Islands and Gigha are part of the Argyll and Bute council region.
In the past, the Hebrides as a whole were a strong Scottish Gaelic-speaking area, and in 1921 more than 50% of the populations of most of these islands, including Skye, Mull and Islay, were proficient in the language. However, although the Outer Hebrides have retained many Gaelic speakers, in the 2001 census only Skye (31%) and Tiree (48%) had more than 25% of the resident population able to speak Gaelic; Mull, Jura, Gigha and Coll each recorded figures of less than 15%.Mac an Tàilleir, Iain 1901–2001 Gaelic in the Census, PowerPoint Presentation made available via . Retrieved 1 June 2008.
The modern economy centres on tourism, crofting, farming, fishing, and whisky distilling. The archipelago is exposed to wind and tide. There are numerous lighthouses as an aid to navigation."Lighthouse Library" Northern Lighthouse Board. Retrieved 14 July 2007.
There are various descriptions of the scope of the Hebrides. 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 definition exists and for simplicity they are included in this list rather than elsewhere.Keay & Keay (1994) p. 507Encyclopædia Britannica (1978) states: "Hebrides – group of islands of the west coast of Scotland extending in an arc between 55.35 and 58.30 N and 5.26 and 8.40 W." This includes Gigha, St Kilda and everything up to Cape Wrath – although not North Rona.The definition of an island used in this list is that it is "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". Other definitions are used in the Scottish context. For example, the General Register Office for Scotland define an island as "a mass of land surrounded by water, separate from the Scottish mainland" but although they include islands linked by bridges etc. this is not clear from this definition. Haswell-Smith (2004) uses "an Island is a piece of land or group of pieces of land which is entirely surrounded by water at Lowest Astronomical Tide and to which there is no permanent means of dry access". This is widely agreed to be unhelpful as it intentionally excludes bridged islands.
Etymology Various Gaelic names are used repeatedly. The suffix ay or aigh or aidh is generally from the Norse øy meaning "island". Eilean (plural: eileanan) also means "island". Beag and mòr (also bheag and mhòr) mean "little" and "big" and are often found together. Sgeir is "skerry" and often refers to a rock or rocks that lie submerged at high tide. Dubh is "black", dearg is "red" and glas means "grey" or "green". Orasaigh is from the Norse Örfirirsey meaning "tidal" or "ebb island".Mac an Tàilleir (2003) various pages.
Inhabited islands
The inhabited islands of the Inner Hebrides had a population of 18,257 in 2001, and 18,948 at the time of the 2011 census. By the time of the 2022 census the population had increased by 1.4% to 19,211. The highest peaks of the islands have names deriving from both Gaelic and Old Norse, indicating the historical importance of these two cultures.
In the Outer Hebrides all of the inhabited islands are now connected to at least one other island by a land transport route, but only four Inner Hebridean islands are connected by road, all to the mainland. The Clachan Bridge from Argyll to Seil was designed by Thomas Telford and dates from 1792. Skye has been connected to Kyle of Lochalsh by the Skye Bridge since 1995."Skye Bridge" . Undiscovered Scotland. Retrieved 4 November 2009. Danna is also connected to the Tayvallich peninsula in Argyll by a stone causeway.
+IslandGaelic nameGroupGeographically, the inhabited islands can easily be separated into those that are or surround Islay, Gigha, Mull, and Skye or are in the Small Isles, Slate Islands, Firth of Lorn, Crowlin Islands, Summer Isles, one of the major sea lochs or the North Highland group.Area (ha)Haswell-Smith (2004) pp. 30, 79, 130, 148 and 182 except estimates from Ordnance Survey maps as indicated.PopulationThe RESAS 2022 data is provided for individual islands but not archipelagoes. The National Records of Scotland data for the same period is provided for 'Island Groups' but not individual islands. There are discrepancies between the two sets and in the case of the Inner Hebrides the aggregated island totals exceed that of the Island Group.Highest pointHaswell-Smith (2004) and Ordnance Survey maps. Blanks indicate that no name is recorded for this eminence.Height (m)Ordnance Survey maps mark the height above sea level of a high point on most islands, but in a small number of cases, this may not be the highest point. Canna Canaigh Small Isles Càrn a' Ghaill Coll Cola Mull Ben Hogh Colonsay Colbhasa Islay Carnan Eoin Danna Danna Islay Cruiadh Bharr Easdale Eilean Èisdeal Slate Islands – Eigg Eige Small Isles An Sgurr Eilean Buidhe Eilean Buidhe Craobh Haven Eilean dà Mhèinn Eilean dà Mhèinn Knapdale – Eilean Loain Eilean Loain Loch Sween – Eilean Shona Eilean Seona Loch Moidart Beinn a' Bhàillidh Eilean Tioram Eilean Tioram North Highland – Eriska Loch Linnhe Although obviously inhabited at the time (there is a hotel on the island) the General Registers Office did not provide a population total for this tidal island in either the 2001 or 2011 censuses. Ceann Garbh Erraid Eilean Earraid Mull Cnoc Mòr Gigha Giogha Islay Creag Bhàn Gometra Gòmastra Mull – Isle of Ewe Eilean Iùbh North Highland Creag Streap Iona Mull Dùn Ì Islay Islay Beinn Bheigeir Jura Diùra Islay Beinn an Òir Kerrera Cearrara Firth of Lorn Carn Breugach Lismore Lios Mòr Firth of Lorn Barr Mòr Luing Luinn Slate Islands Binneinn Furachail Lunga Lunga Slate Islands Bidean na h-Iolaire Muck Eilean nam Muc Small Isles Beinn Airein Mull Muile Mull Ben More Oronsay Orasaigh Islay Beinn Orasaigh Raasay Ratharsair Skye Dùn Caan Rona RònaighSkye Meall Acairseidh Rùm RùmSmall Isles Askival Sanday SandaighSmall Isles Tallabric Seil Saoil Slate Islands Meall Chaise Shuna Siuna Slate Islands Druim na Dubh Ghlaic Skye An t-Eilean Sgitheanach Skye Sgurr Alasdair Soay Sòdhaigh Skye Beinn Bhreac Tiree Tiriodh Mull Ben Hynish Ulva Ulbha Mull Beinn Chreagach
Eilean Bàn had a population of 2 and Eilean Donan a single resident in 2001 but none recorded a usually resident population in 2011 or 2022. Eilean Donan is dominated by its castle and has had a connection to the mainland perhaps from as early as the 13th century. The arched bridge in use today was constructed in the early 20th century."History" eileandonancastle.com. Retrieved 14 July 2009. Scalpay and Tanera Mòr both had a population of 4 in 2011 but no permanent residents in 2022.
Castle Stalker, Eilean Horrisdale, Eilean Loain and Inch Kenneth were "included in the NRS statistical geography for inhabited islands but had no usual residents at the time of either the 2001 or 2011 censuses".
Uninhabited islands
There are 43 uninhabited Inner Hebrides with an area greater than 30 hectares (approximately 74 acres). Records for the last date of settlement for the smaller uninhabited islands are incomplete, but most of the islands listed here would have been inhabited at some point during the Neolithic, Iron Age, Early Historic or Norse periods.
In common with the other main island chains of Scotland many of the more remote islands were abandoned during the 19th and 20th centuries, in some cases after continuous habitation since prehistoric times. These places had been perceived as relatively self-sufficient agricultural economies,See for example Hunter (2000) pp. 152–158 but both island residents and outsiders later came to consider that the more remote islands lacked the essential services of a modern industrial economy.See for example Maclean (1977) Chapter 10: "Arcady Despoiled" pp. 125–35
Some of the islands continue to contribute to modern culture. Staffa came to prominence in the late 18th century after a visit by Sir Joseph Banks. He and his fellow travellers extolled the natural beauty of the basalt columns in general, and in particular of the island's main sea cavern, which Banks renamed "Fingal's Cave". Many other prominent personalities visited Staffa over the next two centuries, including Felix Mendelssohn, whose Hebrides Overture brought further fame to the island.Keay & Keay (1994) p. 894 During the Second World War, Gruinard was the site of a biological warfare test by British military scientists."Britain's 'Anthrax Island' " BBC News. Retrieved 5 November 2009. At that time there was an investigation by the British government to test both the vulnerability of Britain to attack and the possibility of attacking Germany using anthrax."Living with anthrax island" BBC News. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
The difficulties of definition are considerable in some cases. For example, Haswell-Smith (2004) treats LungaLunga is at . as a single island, although during high tides it becomes one inhabited island and numerous uninhabited tidal islets. Another example is the smaller island of Eilean Mòr in Loch Dunvegan, which joins with nearby Eilean Dubh and Garay Island at low tides.Eilean Mòr is at .