This is a list of inhabited islands in Scotland. The National Records of Scotland lists 93 inhabited islands in the 2011 census. They list a further 17 islands that are occasionally inhabited and "are included in the NRS statistical geography for inhabited islands but had no usual residents at the time of either the 2001 or 2011 censuses". There are an additional 5 islands that are either occasionally or permanently inhabited but are not listed by the NRS. It is not explicit why this should be the case - all are 'bridged' islands although some larger bridged islands are included. There are therefore a total of 115 Scottish islands that are occasionally or permanently inhabited.

Inhabited islands[edit]

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Rank Island Local Authority Population
(2011 census) 		2001
Rank 		Population
(2001 census) 		Area (square miles)
1 Lewis and Harris Western Isles 21,031 1 19,918 841
2 Mainland, Shetland Shetland 18,765 2 17,550 374
3 Mainland, Orkney Orkney 17,162 3 15,315 202
4 Skye Highland 10,008 4 9,232 639
5 Bute Argyll and Bute 6,498 5 7,228 47.125
6 Arran North Ayrshire 4,629 6 5,045 167
7 Islay Argyll and Bute 3,228 7 3,457 239.25
8 Mull Argyll and Bute 2,800 8 2,667 337.97
9 South Uist Western Isles 1,754 9 1,818 124
10 Great Cumbrae North Ayrshire 1,376 10 1,434 4.5
11 Benbecula Western Isles 1,303 12 1,219 31.625
12 North Uist Western Isles 1,254 11 1,271 117
13 Barra Western Isles 1,174 13 1,078 22.625
14 Whalsay Shetland 1,061 14 1,034 7.6
15 Yell Shetland 966 15 957 81.9
16 South Ronaldsay Orkney 909 16 854 19.2
17 West Burra Shetland 776 18 753 2.875
18 Tiree Argyll and Bute 653 17 770 30.25
19 Unst Shetland 632 19 720 46.6
20 Westray Orkney 588 20 563 18.2
21 Seil Argyll and Bute 551 21 560 5.125
22 Sanday Orkney 494 22 478 19.5
23 Hoy Orkney 419 28 272 55.31
24 Burray Orkney 409 24 357 3.5
25 Bressay Shetland 368 23 384 10.875
26 Stronsay Orkney 349 25 343 13
27 Shapinsay Orkney 307 27 300 11.4
28 Scalpay Western Isles 291 26 322 2.5
29 Great Bernera Western Isles 252 29 233 8.19
30 Rousay Orkney 216 31 212 18.8
31 Jura Argyll and Bute 196 34 188 142
32= Luing Argyll and Bute 195 30 212 5.5
32= Coll Argyll and Bute 195 35 164 29.625
34 Lismore Argyll and Bute 192 36 146 9.08
35 Iona Argyll and Bute 177 40 125 3.375
36 Grimsay Western Isles 169 32 201 3.25
37 Gigha Argyll and Bute 163 43 110 5.39
38 Raasay Highland 161 33 192 24
39 Eday Orkney 160 41 121 10.59
40 Eriskay Western Isles 143 38 133 2.75
41 Berneray Western Isles 138 37 136 3.9
42 Trondra Shetland 135 39 133 1.06
43 Muckle Roe Shetland 130 45 104 6.8
44 Colonsay Argyll and Bute 124 44 108 15.75
45= Papa Westray Orkney 90 53 65 3.5
45= Vatersay Western Isles 90 46 94 3.75
47 Eigg Highland 83 51 67 11.8
48 Flotta Orkney 80 48 81 3.4
49 East Burra Shetland 76 52 66 1.99
50 North Ronaldsay Orkney 72 49 70 2.7
51 Fair Isle Shetland 68 50 69 2.97
52 Fetlar Shetland 61 47 86 15.75
53 Easdale Argyll and Bute 59 54 58 0.097
54 Baleshare Western Isles 58 56 49 3.5
55 Housay Shetland 50 55 50 0.63
56 Foula Shetland 38 59 31 4.88
57 Kerrera Argyll and Bute 34 57 42 4.625
58 Holy Isle North Ayrshire 31 68 13 1
59 Wyre Orkney 29 66 18 1.20
60 Graemsay Orkney 28 64 21 1.58
61 Muck Highland 27 60 30 2.125
62 Egilsay Orkney 26 58 37 2.5
63 Bruray Shetland 24 61 26 0.21
64 Rùm Highland 22 63 22 40.375
65 Grimsay, South East Benbecula Western Isles 20 65 19 0.45
66 Papa Stour Shetland 15 62 23 3.20
67 Canna Highland 12 78 6 4.4
68 Ulva Argyll and Bute 11 67 16 7.625
69 Sanday Highland 9 79 6 0.71
70= Oronsay Argyll and Bute 8 83 5 2.09
70= Inchmurrin (F) West Dunbartonshire 8 69 13 0.46
72= Isle of Ewe Highland 7 70 12 1.19
72= Flodaigh, Benbecula Western Isles 7 71 11 0.56
74= Erraid Argyll and Bute 6 75 8 0.75
74= Eilean Tioram Highland 6 na 0 0.0077
76 Innis Chonan (F) Argyll and Bute 5 97 1 0.031
77= Scalpay Highland 4 73 10 9.625
77= Tanera Mòr Highland 4 84 5 1.25
77= Auskerry Orkney 4 80 5 0.33
80= Inchtavannach (F) Argyll and Bute 3 86 3 0.27
80= Shuna, Slate Islands Argyll and Bute 3 96 1 1.74
80= South Rona Highland 3 92 2 3.6
80= Gairsay Orkney 3 85 3 0.93
80= Holm of Grimbister Orkney 3 na N[Note 1] 0.0625
80= Moncreiffe Island (F) Perth and Kinross 3 87 3 0.17
86= Gometra Argyll and Bute 2 82 5 1.625
86= Eilean Shona Highland 2 74 9 2.03
86= Vaila Shetland 2 90 2 1.26
89= Danna, Scotland Argyll and Bute 1 81 5 1.25
89= Eilean dà Mhèinn Argyll and Bute 1 na 0 0.011
89= Soay, Skye Highland 1 77 7 4
89= Inner Holm Orkney 1 na 0 0.00766
89= Inchfad (F) Stirling 1 93 2 0.135

Occasionally inhabited islands[edit]

The following are classified by the National Records of Scotland as "inhabited islands but had no usual residents at the time of either the 2001 or 2011 censuses."

Number Island Location Local Authority
1 Kisimul Castle/Caisteal Chiosmuil Castlebay, Barra Western Isles
2 Castle Stalker/Eilean an Stalcaire Near Port Appin Argyll and Bute
3 Eilean Horrisdale Loch Gairloch Highland
4 Eilean Loain Knapdale Argyll and Bute
5 Eilean na Cille Near Benbecula Western Isles
6 Ensay Sound of Harris Western Isles
7 Inch Kenneth Near Mull Argyll and Bute
8 Inchlonaig (F) Loch Lomond Argyll and Bute
9 Inchcruin (F)[Note 2] Loch Lomond Stirling
10 Lamb Holm Churchill Barriers Orkney

The following islands were classified as inhabited in the 2001 census but not in 2011. By implication they are occasionally inhabited.

Number Island Local Authority 2001 Rank Population
(2001 census) 		Comment
11 Papa Stronsay Orkney 72 10 The home of a religious order.
12 Lunga Argyll and Bute 76 7 Has an outward bound centre.
13 Davaar Island Argyll and Bute 88 2 Has a holiday home.
14 Eilean Bàn, Lochalsh Highland 89 2 Has a wildlife centre.
15 Inchcolm Fife 91 2 There is a visitor centre and probably summer habitation.
16 Eilean Donan Highland 94 1 The castle is in regular use.
17 Sanda Argyll and Bute 95 1 The island is for sale and has an occasional caretaker.

The following islands are not referred to by the National Records of Scotland, although it is clear that they all contain residential buildings in occasional or permanent use. The NRS do not provide a definition of an island, and it may be that some are excluded as they are bridged (although larger bridged islands are included in their listings).

Number Island Local
Authority 		Comment
18 South Walls Orkney Was a tidal island until a narrow causeway was constructed over the sandbank connecting it to Hoy.
19 Eriska Argyll and Bute A bridged tidal island with a hotel.
20 Fraoch-eilean Western Isles A bridged tidal island adjoining Grimsay, it has numerous dwellings.
21 Contin Island (F) Highland A bridged river island with a church and a manse.
22 Eilean Aigas (F) Highland A bridged river island with a substantial mansion.
23 Rubh'a Chruidh (off Kerrera) Argyll and Bute A tidal island with a large house.[Note 3]
Unnamed islet arguably part of or just off Fraoch-eilean

A University of Notts PhD thesis by Robert Lenfert entitled "Long-Term Continuity and Change within Hebridean and Mainland Scottish Island Dwellings" (downloadable pdf here) has, on page 70, an aerial photo in which the author contrasts "a modern intertidal island dwelling on Grimsay" with two nearby crannogs. He describes it as NE of Loch Hornary, although the image shows a small cluster of buildings NW of there at NF859577 and the causeway is off Fraoch-eilean, not Grimsay itself. This and the image at right suggest it is occasionally inhabited, at the very least. The aerial photo is much more suggestive of the place's original insularity than either this photograph or the Ordnance Survey map, which does not indicate MHWS reaching the causeway.

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Press reports in March 2010 confirm that at that time the population of the island was at least 2.[1]
  2. ^ Referred to by the National Records of Scotland (2013) as "Inchruin", which is presumably a typo.
  3. ^ Offered for sale by Savills at £950,000 in April 2016, the island is described as being 4 acres (1.6 hectares) in extent and the property is called 'Rudh-a-Chruidh'.[2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ (Ross, Calum 3 Mar 2010 "Tory candidate pulls out of race for city seat at general election". Press and Journal. Aberdeen. Retrieved 26 Feb 2012.)
  2. ^ Rudh-a-Chruidh Savills. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
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