The United Kingdom has over 6,000 islands. Most are uninhabited. Of the inhabited ones, a handful have become well-known tourist destinations — the Isle of Wight, the Isle of Man, Skye — while many more remain genuinely off the beaten track despite being some of the most beautiful places in Britain. Here are twelve worth considering, from the easily accessible to the properly remote.
Isle of Arran, Scotland
Arran is known as “Scotland in miniature” for the way it compresses Highland and Lowland landscapes into a single island. The north is dominated by Goat Fell (874 metres), a serious hill walk with views to the Mull of Kintyre and Northern Ireland on clear days. The south is gentler, with the village of Lamlash and the extraordinary standing stones at Machrie Moor. The island has its own whisky distillery, a growing food scene and a string of coastal villages. Reached by CalMac ferry from Ardrossan (55 minutes to Brodick) or from Claonaig to the smaller port of Lochranza. An ideal long weekend from Glasgow.
Isle of Mull, Scotland
Mull is the second largest of the Inner Hebrides and one of the best for wildlife. White-tailed eagles, golden eagles, otters, red deer and bottle-nosed dolphins are all regularly seen. The island’s main town, Tobermory, with its colourful painted harbour front, is one of the most photographed scenes in Scotland. The narrow-gauge Mull Railway and the ferry connection to Iona (the tiny island where Christianity was introduced to Scotland in the 6th century) add interest. Reached by CalMac ferry from Oban to Craignure (45 minutes).
Isle of Skye, Scotland
Skye is now the most visited island in Scotland and significantly more crowded than it was a decade ago. It is also genuinely extraordinary. The Cuillin ridge is the most dramatic mountain landscape in the UK outside Snowdon, with peaks requiring scrambling or climbing to reach. The Trotternish peninsula in the north has the surreal rock formations of the Old Man of Storr and the Quiraing. The Fairy Pools at Glenbrittle are overphotographed but genuinely beautiful. If you visit in July or August, book everything months in advance and manage expectations about parking. September and October are better.
Isle of Wight, England
The UK’s most visited island is reached by ferry from Portsmouth, Southampton or Lymington in as little as 22 minutes. The island has 500 miles of footpath, the chalk stacks of the Needles, a famous music festival site (Ryde), Victorian seaside elegance (Ventnor) and some of the best cycling in southern England. Osborne House, Queen Victoria’s private retreat, is among the finest Victorian royal residences open to the public. Best visited in May/June or September when the summer crowds have thinned.
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man is a Crown Dependency rather than part of the United Kingdom, but it is firmly in the British cultural orbit. The island has its own parliament (Tynwald, the oldest continuous parliament in the world), its own currency, its own unique wildlife (the Manx shearwater) and the extraordinary TT motorcycle race circuit which dominates the island’s calendar in late May and early June. Outside TT, it is a quiet, conservative island with excellent walking, a steam railway, a mountain railway to Snaefell’s summit and the extraordinarily well-preserved medieval Castle Rushen.
Island of Tiree, Scotland
The sunniest place in Scotland, with white sand beaches, turquoise water and a flat landscape (the highest point is 141 metres) that makes it ideal for cycling. A genuine working crofting community. Reached by CalMac from Oban or Loganair flight from Glasgow.
Island of Tiree visitor guide →
Orkney, Scotland
Orkney is a revelation for anyone who hasn’t been. The landscape is more Norse than Scottish — flat, treeless, wide-skied — and the Neolithic remains (Skara Brae, the Ring of Brodgar, Maeshowe) are among the most significant prehistoric sites in Europe. The Churchill Barriers and the Italian Chapel from World War Two add a different layer of history. Kirkwall, the capital, is a functioning small city with an extraordinary 12th-century cathedral. Reached by ferry from Scrabster (near Thurso) or direct ferry from Aberdeen; also by flights from Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness.
Shetland, Scotland
Shetland is the most remote part of the United Kingdom — closer to Bergen in Norway than to Edinburgh. It is extraordinary for birdwatching (Hermaness in the north is one of the UK’s most important seabird colonies, with puffins, gannets and great skuas), for its Norse heritage and for the Shetland pony. The islands are largely treeless and subject to ferocious Atlantic weather, but in good conditions the sea cliffs, the isolated crofting landscape and the quality of light are incomparable. Reached by overnight ferry from Aberdeen (12-14 hours) or by flights from Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Inverness and Glasgow.
Shetland Islands visitor guide →
Skomer Island, Pembrokeshire
A nature reserve off the Pembrokeshire coast, famous for puffins (April-July), Manx shearwaters and Atlantic grey seals. Day trips run from Martin’s Haven; overnight stays are available in limited numbers through the Wildlife Trust.
Lundy Island, Devon
A granite island in the Bristol Channel, owned by the National Trust, managed by the Landmark Trust, with no cars, extraordinary wildlife and a handful of self-catering properties. The ferry from Bideford takes two hours. The island rewards an overnight stay.
Brownsea Island, Dorset
Brownsea Island sits in the middle of Poole Harbour, accessible by ferry from Poole Quay or Sandbanks. Owned by the National Trust, it is one of the few remaining habitats of the red squirrel in southern England, and the lagoon and heathland are important for wading birds. The island is also where Robert Baden-Powell held the first Scout camp in 1907. It makes an excellent half-day from Bournemouth or Poole and is particularly good for families.
Brownsea Island visitor guide →
Holy Island (Lindisfarne), Northumberland
Lindisfarne is a tidal island connected to the Northumberland coast by a causeway that is passable only at low tide. This rhythmic isolation gives it an atmosphere unique in England. The priory ruins (cradle of Christianity in northern England, sacked by the Vikings in 793 AD), the castle, the famous mead produced by the local monastery and the dramatic views across the North Sea combine to make it one of the most extraordinary short-trip destinations in the north of England. Always check the tide tables before crossing.