Canna is the most remote and secluded on the Small Isles, hidden from mainland view by the great mountains of Rum. It is an island of great beauty and variety, with green pastures and pockets of woodland, backed by wild moorland and guarded on its northern and western sides by dramatic coastal cliffs. There is human interest too - with two fascinating churches, an ancient carved cross, souterrains, an unfeasibly inaccessible 'castle' atop a great crag and Canna House - the former home of folklorist and Gaelic scholar John Lorne Campbell.
This is a great island to explore on foot, worthy of more than a fleeting visit. The walk around the coastline gives incredible views to the Outer Hebrides, Rum and the Cuillin of Skye, and there are a couple of fine sandy beaches. The neighbouring island of Sanday is linked by a bridge and has some impressive cliffs of its own, with two great rock stacks making an ideal home to a colony of puffins.
Walk | Grade | Length | Time |
---|---|---|---|
Canna Explorer |
![]() | 4.5km | 1 - 2 hours |
The Canna Souterrains |
![]() ![]() | 9.5km | 3 - 3.5 hours |
Isle of Sanday and the Puffins |
![]() ![]() | 12.25km | 3.5 - 4 hours |
Canna Coastal circuit |
![]() ![]() ![]() | 19.5km | 8 - 9 hours |