Small Isles

The Small Isles are at the centre of this Hebrides map

Blaeu's 1654 Atlas of Scotland - The Small Isles. Rum is at centre, surrounded by "Kannay', 'Egg' and 'Muck'.

A distant view of Eigg, with the hills of Rùm behind

The Small Isles (Scottish Gaelic: Na h-Eileanan Tarsainn) are a small archipelago of islands in the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland. They lie south of Skye and north of Mull and Ardnamurchan – the most westerly point of mainland Scotland. The Small Isles is one of 40 National Scenic Areas in Scotland.

Main islands

Kilmuir

Snizort

Duirinish

Bracadale

Portree

Strath

Sleat

Small Isles Parish

The four main islands are Canna, Rùm, Eigg and Muck. The largest is Rùm with an area of 41 square miles (110 km²).

The islands now form part of Lochaber, in the Highland council area. Until 1891 Canna, Rùm and Muck were historically part of the counties of Argyll; Eigg was historically part of Inverness-shire, and all of the Small Isles were in Inverness-shire, from 1891 to 1975. The Gaelic name is literally "cross isles" referring to their position between the Morar and the Uists.

Smaller islands

Smaller islands surrounding the main four include:

• Sanday, separated from Canna by a narrow tidal channel;
• Eilean Chathastail, near Eigg and
• Eilean nan Each (Horse Island), near the north coast of Muck (NM3981)

Skerries

There are also a number of skerries:

• Hyskeir or Òigh-sgeir, (not to be confused with Heisker or the Monach Islands in the Outer Hebrides)
• Garbh Sgeir,
• Eagamol, near Eilean nan Each
• Humla, and
• two places called Dubh Sgeir

External links

Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Small Isles" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 25 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 246–247.