Towards the southern end lies Mingulay, a once bustling community it now lies uninhabited. Now home to a range of wildlife including puffins, guillemots and razorbills a diversity which continues into the surrounding waters with life, including Seals, Dolphins, Basking Sharks and Minke Whales, creating an idyllic spot for nature enthusiasts.
Nearby, a plethora of similarly diverse islands, including Sandray (rumoured to be the Queen’s favourite) and other islands including Pabbay, Vatersay and Barra.
Further north and on the west side of the island chain sit the Monach Isles, home to a huge number of nesting seabirds found in their rich machair, which is carpeted with wild flowers at certain times of the year.
The Uists are famed for their fine white sand beaches and wetland habitats. Divided into North and South regions. Rich with a variety of birds, including Golden Eagles and Black-Throated Divers, as well as Seals and Otters.
Just to the North of the Sound of Harris, around ‘Toe Head,’ lies Taransey. Made famous for the BBC reality TV series ‘Castaway.’ With its beautiful beaches and rugged terrain, it is a remote, beautiful island to visit with sheltered anchorage.
Still on the western side of Harris lies Scarp, a few hours steam north from Taransey, another abandoned isle, once thriving now uninhibited with a few collapsing crofts reminding you how it was once a thriving community. Mere tens of meters from Harris its surrounding beautiful blue waters and rugged Landscape make this a favourite for tranquillity hunters; so long as they have their own boat.
Through the Sound of Harris and out into the Minch Positioned southeast of the Isle of Lewis the ‘Enchanted islands,’ or ‘Shiant Islands’ in Gaelic, offering dramatic scenery combined with dense numbers of seabirds. Several colonies nest here, including… Razorbills, Guillemots, kittiwakes and around 60,000 Puffin pairs. On good days we can land and explore this bird enthusiasts haven. In the evening, the cacophony from the nests and flying birds can be prodigious loud. But as the sun sets and the birds quieten a new tranquillity settles in.
Please see our cruising areas to find out more about the islands we visit
