Handa Island, near Tarbet

Handa Island is a magical place for a walk. This unmissable and very popular excursion runs from the fine sandy beaches at its southern end to the mighty cliffs and Great Stack at the northern. The island has a fascinating history and is now a nature reserve run by the Scottish Wildlife Trust, protecting its important seabird colonies.

Terrain

Good footpath, usually dry

Public Transport

None to Tarbet.

Start

The ferry to Handa runs from Tarbet and is well signed. Open start point in Google Maps for directions.

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Walk Description

Stage 1

There is parking and public toilets near the jetty in Tarbet. The ferry to Handa runs only in the summer months, the cost was £10 for an adult in 2009, which includes a donation to the Scottish Wildlife Trust. The tiny speedboat makes a rapid crossing, landing on a stunning small sandy beach at the southern end of Handa. From here a SWT volunteer usually takes visitors up the path to the southwest, passing above another beach and the island's old burial ground, to reach the stone shelter which houses information about the island. You are then free to make your own way round the walk, though keeping to the paths prevents erosion and helps to maintain Handa as such a special place.

Stage 2

From the shelter the excellent path heads inland to the northwest, soon passing through a gate. A short distance further on the path forks amidst the remains of Handa's village. The island was inhabited by around 60 people until 1847 when their crops failed during the potato famine. The islanders grew crops around this region but also were climbers - they harvested eggs and seabirds from the great cliffs seen later in the walk. Take the right path at the fork, signposted for the Great Stack.

Stage 3

The path climbs gently across the central part of the island, using boardwalks to avoid boggy ground; look out for both Arctic and Great Skuas. These large brown seabirds with white bars on the wings and forked tails are infamous for dive-bombing walkers passing through their territory. The path emerges suddenly and very dramatically on the edge of the awesome 85 metre high cliffs at Puffin Bay - take great care on this section. The path turns left here and runs just back from the cliff edge. The direct route is soon blocked by a deep sea-inlet - or geo - cut into the cliffs, with the east face of the Great Stack directly ahead (though it isn't obvious from here that it is a detached stack).

Stage 4

The path heads round the back of the geo, giving superb views of the Great Stack of Handa which guards the entrance to the inlet. Unlike most sea-stacks the Stack is a huge square block rather than a thin column, and its massive walls house vast numbers of nesting sea-birds in season. 9,000 guillemots breed on its east face, whilst the stack also has large populations of kittiwakes, razorbills and puffins. The puffins - which head back out to sea in mid-July - nest on the top of the stack. It is thought they retreated here due to the arrival of rats on the island. Handa's rats have now been eradicated so it will be interesting to see if the puffins start to breed on the main island once more.

Stage 5

At the back of the geo the main path continues directly west, but if it is early summer then it is worth detouring downhill to the right - keeping well away from the edge - to get a closer look at the puffins on top of the Great Stack. After doing so, return up to the path; it soon reaches the vertical cliffs on the west side of the island. Follow it as it returns close to the coast. Soon the Poll Glup is seen on the right; this great hole was formed when a sea-cave collapsed. The cliffs start to lose height as you continue south from here, but there is compensation in the views of Ben Stack, Quinag and Suilven. The headland on the right is Meall a'Bhodha and can be visited by a detour. It is as good a place as any here to look out for dolphins or minke whales out to sea.

Stage 6

Otherwise the path continues and has boardwalks as it passes above some lower but attractive geos. It then slopes down to the pebble beach of Tràigh an h'Airigh. From here the path heads back inland and rejoins the outward route amongst the ruins of the old village. Turn right to head back down to the SWT shelter, and then left to return to the beach. Hopefully you will have timed it right for a ferry for the return journey to Tarbet.

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