A Hebridean archipelago of four contrasting islands noted for seabird colonies, sea-eagle recovery, and community-owned land.
Small Isles
The Small Isles are a small archipelago in the Inner Hebrides, lying off the west coast of Scotland between the Isle of Skye to the north and the Ardnamurchan peninsula and the Isle of Mull to the south. The group is made up of four principal islands: Canna, Rùm, Eigg, and Muck, together with smaller surrounding islets and skerries such as Sanday, Eilean Chathastail, Hyskeir, and Garbh Sgeir. Although modest in number, the islands are ecologically and scenically significant, and have been recognised collectively as one of Scotland's national scenic areas.
The archipelago is characterised by striking contrasts in scale, ownership, and land use. Rùm is by far the largest island and is largely managed by NatureScot as a national nature reserve, while Canna and its tidal neighbour Sanday belong to the National Trust for Scotland, Eigg has been held by a community trust since 1997, and Muck remains in private hands. The surrounding waters hold marine conservation designations, and the islands together form a nationally protected landscape that integrates terrestrial and marine heritage.
The Small Isles are the focus of long-running conservation work, including pioneering white-tailed sea-eagle reintroductions on Rùm and major seabird colonies on several of the islands. A small resident population, served by a Caledonian MacBrayne ferry, lives in scattered settlements across the inhabited islands.
