Scottish Islands Typology: overview 2024

Appendix 1 – Islands included in the Scottish Government Scottish Islands Typology by island type

All 160 islands included in the Scottish Island Regions (2023) geography have been included in the Scottish Government Scottish Islands Typology (2024). However, the island of Walls, which is connected to the island of Hoy by a bridge, was not listed within the Scottish Island Regions (2023) geography, with the landmass of Walls instead incorporated within Hoy. This is inconsistent with the way other islands with fixed links to each other are treated, for example Canna and Sanday or Housay and Bruray. For consistency, Hoy and Walls are therefore listed as separate islands within the Scottish Government Scottish Islands Typology (2024) meaning that the typology covers 161 islands.

The final list of 161 islands includes previously inhabited islands but does not include islands located in freshwater (for example Loch Lomond). Neither uninhabited islands or freshwater islands are covered by the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018. However, previously inhabited islands have been included both within the Scottish Island Regions Geography and this typology to allow their use to be extended to both historical and future records.

It should be noted that islands which are connected to each other with permanent fixed links (i.e., bridges or causeways) or via tidal access points are grouped together for the purpose of the Scottish Government Scottish Islands Typology but are listed separately within the Scottish Island Regions geography. The islands within each grouping are either explicitly stated in the name of the grouping (e.g., Barra & Vatersay) or are listed in brackets following the name of the island grouping.

Table 2: Islands included within the Scottish Government Scottish Islands Typology (2024) by island type

Island Type

Connected Independent Islands (8 islands)

Islands / Island Groupings

• Arran
• Bute
• Great Cumbrae
• Mainland Orkney & connected isles (Burray, Lamb Holm, Mainland Orkney, South Ronaldsay)
• Mull

Island Type

Independent Hub Islands (18 islands)

Islands / Island Groupings

• Islay
• Lewis, Harris & connected isles (Great Bernera, Lewis and Harris, Scalpay)
• Mainland Shetland & connected isles (East Burra, Mainland Shetland, Muckle Roe, Trondra, West Burra)
• Uist & connected isles (Baleshare, Benbecula, Berneray, Eriskay, Flodaigh, Grimsay (N), Grimsay (S), North Uist, South Uist)

Island Type

Independent Outer Isles (8 islands)

Islands / Island Groupings

• Barra & Vatersay
• Bressay
• Jura
• Tiree
• Unst
• Whalsay
• Yell

Island Type

Reliant Inner Isles (8 islands)

Islands / Island Groupings

• Easdale
• Iona
• Kerrera
• Lismore
• Luing
• Raasay
• Ulva & Gometra

Island Type

Semi-Reliant Isles (9 islands)

Islands / Island Groupings

• Gigha
• Hoy & Walls
• Papa Westray
• Rousay
• Sanday (Orkney)
• Shapinsay
• Stronsay
• Westray

Island Type

Reliant Outer Isles (12 islands)

Islands / Island Groupings

• Coll
• Colonsay & Oronsay
• Eday
• Egilsay
• Eigg
• Flotta
• Graemsay
• Muck
• North Ronaldsay
• Rúm
• Wyre

Island Type

Outpost Islands (8 islands)

Islands / Island Groupings

• Canna & Sanday
• Fair Isle
• Fetlar
• Foula
• Papa Stour
• Skerries (Housay, Bruray)

Island Type

Mainland-Connected Islands (2 islands)

Islands / Island Groupings

• Seil
• Skye

Island Type

Unserviced Islands (17 islands)

Islands / Island Groupings

• Auskerry
• Eilean dà Mhèinn
• Eilean Shona
• Eilean Tioram / Dry Island
• Erraid
• Gairsay
• Holm of Grimbister
• Holy Island
• Inner Holm
• Isle of Danna
• Isle of Ewe
• Rona / Ronaigh (Skye)
• Scalpay (Skye)
• Shuna (Luing)
• Soay
• Tanera More / Tannara Mòr
• Vaila

Island Type

Previously Inhabited Islands (71 islands)

Islands / Island Groupings

• Berneray (Vatersay)
• Boreray
• Boreray (St Kilda)
• Calve Island
• Cara Island
• Carna
• Cava
• Cnoc na h-Airigh
• Cnoc nan Uibhean
• Copinsay
• Dubh Artach
• Eilean a’ Ghiorr
• Eilean an Stalcaire
• Eilean Ban
• Eilean Buidhe
• Eilean Donnan
• Eilean Dubh
• Eilean Fladday
• Eilean Horrisdale
• Eilean Leathann
• Eilean Leireabhagh
• Eilean Loain
• Eilean Mhidhinis
• Eilean Mór (Flannan Isles)
• Eilean Musdale
• Eilean na Cille
• Eilean na h-Airigh
• Ensay
• Eriska
• Fara
• Fraoch-eilean
• Goat Island
• Grunay
• Helliar Holm
• Inch Kenneth
• Inchmarnock
• Island Davaar
• Island of Stroma
• Isle Martin
• Isle of Noss
• Kisimul Castle
• Lingeigh
• Little Colonsay
• Little Cumbrae Island
• Lunga (Luing)
• Mingulay
• Muckle Flugga
• Muckle Skerry (Pentland Skerries)
• Orasaigh
• Ornsay
• Orsay
• Pabay
• Pabbay
• Papa Stronsay
• Pladda
• Ronay
• Rubha Fiola
• Rubha nan Gall
• Sanda Island
• Scarba
• Scarp
• Shivinish
• Shuna Island (Lismore)
• Skerryvore
• St Kilda or Hirta
• Sule Skerry
• Sunamul
• Swona
• Taransay
• Texa
• Torsa

Island Type

Total islands included in Scottish Government Scottish Islands Typology (2024)

Islands / Island Groupings

161