Where Next? There are few things in life that beat a journey linking several of Scotland’s magical west coast islands. A trip to just one island can be a memorable adventure – but by combining different islands, the landscapes, culture and experience shift with each ferry ride. From the whisky distilleries of Islay to the machair-backed beaches of Uist, island-hopping reveals the amazing diversity that the Hebrides can offer. In this article, sponsored by Scotland’s Hebridean and Clyde ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac), we pick 10 of our own favourite walks from the islands off Scotland’s west coast. CalMac is the…

We’ve previously posted our pick of the most beautiful beaches in the West Highlands. Now we board the ferries to visit Scotland’s stunning islands on a journey through the Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland – blessed with some of the very finest beaches in the world. Check out also our guide to the best of Scotland’s east coast beaches. Bagh na Doirlinnhe, Gigha Set off the Kintyre peninsula, Gigha is an island that really deserves to be better known. It has several excellent beaches, but the pick of them has to be Bagh na Doirlinnhe in the north, where twin beaches…

Islands. For many people, there’s a special feeling when you leave the mainland behind. Usually this means taking a boat – but there are also many islands to which you can walk across the sands, a causeway, or stony shores at low tide. Look at the map and spot all those Isle Ornsays and Oronsays – the name comes from the old Norse Örfirisey meaning “tidal” or “ebb island”. The walks below require a little more planning than most – so make sure you check those tide tables carefully if you want to avoid becoming stranded. Vallay, North Uist, Outer…

Every Journey Starts a Story There’s little that can match the magic of visiting an island. Places are transformed by the feeling you get when you have to board a ferry and cross the water to reach them. Nowhere is this more true than with the Scottish islands, which have some of the finest mountain and maritime landscapes in Europe, teeming with wildlife including whales, dolphins, otters and spectacular seabird colonies. There are endless layers of human history to uncover too, from the prehistoric remains such as the standing stones at Callanish, evidence of the long era of Norse rule,…

Do you ever have the feeling that you really want to get away from it all? Here’s our pick of some of Scotland’s furthest flung island locations… Foula The incredibly remote outpost of Foula is particularly chancy to reach. The ferry (passenger only) from the west of Shetland Mainland taking many hours is often cancelled by poor weather, so many visitors fly in a tiny nine-seater plane from Tingwall. The sea cliffs here vertically for 370m at Da Kame – second only to St Kilda as the highest in Scotland. Isle of May Much easier to visit is the Isle…