Scotland's Top 5 Islands

2nd July 2025

Planning a vacation to Scotland? Then you have a very important question to ask yourself… ‘Which islands should I visit?’

All of the Scottish islands have superb views; tranquil beaches or atmospheric cliffs (often both!), and you can spot rare birds, dolphins, and whales across many of the isles. So how will you choose?

Fortunately, we’ve done the hard work for you and selected 5 of Scotland’s top islands for first-time visitors. The islands listed below are fairly straightforward to access from the mainland, and each has a varied selection of historical sights and panoramic viewpoints.

Our journey will kick off on one of Scotland’s southern islands, Mull, then we’ll hop back onto the mainland and travel north to catch the ferry to Islay, part of the Inner Hebrides. After that, it's back to the mainland, where we’ll drive to Skye via the Skye Bridge. From Skye, it’s a short journey via the ferry from Uig, Skye, to Lewis and Harris. Finally, we’ll be back on the mainland to enjoy a stunning drive across the top of Scotland’s mainland to catch the ferry to our final destination, Orkney.

Mull

If you are seeking a relaxing escape from city life, then the Isle of Mull is the perfect destination. This is the perfect place to start your island-hopping trip, you’ll feel all your stresses melt away as soon as the ferry from Oban departs!

This little island is full of character and quaint charm. It is also the only island in Scotland other than Skye that has a Munro (a Scottish term for a mountain over 3,000 feet). It’s called Ben More, and while our mountains may be small in comparison to other countries, this hike should not be underestimated! There are plenty of low-level, shorter walks with lovely views all over the island for non-mountaineers.

Tobermory

With its colourful houses, curved harbour, cute gift shops, and views across to the Ardnamurchan Peninsula, Tobermory is one of our favourite Scottish fishing villages. Founded in 1788 by the British Fisheries Society, the name "Tobermory" is derived from the Gaelic "Tobar Mhoire," which means "Mary's Well" - a well dedicated to the Virgin Mary, whose water was said to possess medicinal properties. Sadly the well no longer stands, but if you are in need of something medicinal just head to the Tobermory Distillery instead!

Duart Castle

Duart Castle has been the seat of Clan Maclean for over 700 years. Situated on a high crag at the far end of the peninsula that stretches into the Sound of Mull, looking across the mainland, this wonderfully preserved castle keep is a joy to visit. The rooms inside the castle tell tales of the history of Clan Maclean, and there is a lovely tearoom where you can enjoy home-made cakes and local produce such as smoked fish and cheese that comes from the Reade family’s ‘whisky drinking’ cows.

Salen Shipwreck

On the road between Tobermory and Salen, you’ll find two shipwrecked boats that have rested there since the 1970s. Although old and deteriorating, they are strangely beautiful and have become one of the most photographed places on the Isle of Mull.

Calgary Bay

Like all the islands on this list, Mull has a collection of fantastic beaches, but if you only have time to visit one, make sure it’s Calgary Bay. The white sands stretch out alongside crystal clear blue waters framed by rolling green hills. The best way to get there is via the Calgary Art in Nature woodland walk - a short route with sculptures and carvings by local artists and high viewpoints giving you panoramic views of the bay.

Iona and Staffa

Mull is also a jumping-off point for day trips to the island of Iona, where you can visit Iona Abbey and the ethereal St Columba’s Bay, as well as Staffa, where rare birds including an adorable puffin colony gather for breeding season each May. We’d recommend you give yourself two days to enjoy the island, which gives you time to visit Iona too. A third day is advisable if you are visiting in May to see the puffins on Staffa.

After an uplifting couple of days exploring Mull, we will make our way back to Oban to drive north to Kennacraig. The drive takes less than two hours, but it’s a beautiful journey, so we recommend leaving some time to stop off and enjoy the views along the way.

Read more about Mull and its little sister, Iona, in our ‘2 day itinerary for Mull and Iona’ blog.

Islay

The next beautiful isle on our list is Islay (pronounced "Eye-la"), most famous for its impressive collection of whisky distilleries, which produce some of the world's finest malts. Islay may have earned a reputation as the "Whisky Capital of the World", but there is so much more to see on this tranquil, rustic island. We usually spend two days on Islay, interspersing distillery visits with historic sights.

Whisky

So why is Islay whisky so famous? The island's distilleries boast unique distillation traditions and distinctive flavour profiles, and many have rich histories which you can learn about on the distillery tours. The oldest, Bowmore, opened in 1779! For an island just 25 miles long, Islay is home to an impressive concentration of distilleries - as of 2025, there are 9 currently active:

Laphroaig
Lagavulin
Ardbeg
Bowmore
Bruichladdich
Caol Ila
Bunnahabhain
Kilchoman (a farm distillery producing whisky from grain grown on-site)
Ardnahoe (the newest, which opened in 2019)

If you’d like to delve further into Islay’s whisky-making, check out our 5-Day Whisky & Castles Tour blog.

Lighthouses and Beaches

Runner-up in Islay fame is the island’s lighthouses. White stone towers situated on remote, rugged coastlines where the winds are strong even on a calm day, visiting Rhinns Lighthouse and Carraig Fhada Lighthouse always feels like an adventure. Rhinns was built in 1825, and Carraig Fhada Lighthouse in 1832; the latter has an unusual square shape as opposed to being cylindrical.

Just south of Carraig Fhada, you’ll find one of Islay’s hidden gems - the Singing Sands. Islay is packed full of beautiful beaches - Lossit Bay, Machir Bay, and Claggan Beach are some of our top picks! Singing Sands is smaller than the others but stands out thanks to a little magic. Once you arrive at the beach, rub the soles of your shoes on the sands and listen out for the beach’s melody.

WWI Shipwrecks

While Islay is best known for its whisky and rugged beauty, it also holds a sombre place in World War I history. Just off its shores, two tragic maritime disasters claimed the lives of hundreds of American troops travelling to the frontlines in 1918.

In February, the HMS Tuscania was torpedoed by a German U-boat near Rathlin Island, killing around 210 men. Just months later, in October, the HMS Otranto collided with another ship during a storm and sank near the Mull of Oa - over 470 lives were lost. Local Islay residents bravely rushed to help, saving hundreds of men from both ships. One local man, John McNeill, tied a rope around himself and dove into the surf to help rescue survivors.

Today, memorials including the poignant American Monument on the Mull of Oa, as well as cemeteries and plaques across the island, honour those who died. These quiet corners of Islay tell a powerful story of sacrifice, tragedy, and compassion during one of history’s darkest chapters.

That’s a jam-packed few days! Next up it’s time to head back to the mainland and drive through breathtaking Glencoe and ‘the road to the isles’, leading to our next destination, the world-famous Isle of Skye.

Skye

You won’t be surprised to find the Isle of Skye on this list! Skye is Scotland’s busiest island; it features spectacular scenery, historic sights, delicious seafood and it is a mountaineers’ haven, so it attracts every type of tourist. It’s also accessible by road, making it easy to get to.

While we love Skye, we recommend that you avoid July and August if possible, so that you can enjoy the island during the quieter shoulder season. However, if you are visiting in summer, don’t worry, our Driver Guides are experts at navigating Skye’s busy roads. They’ll ensure you have a marvellous time despite the crowds.

We’ve given a list of our must-see attractions. You could easily spend 5 days in Skye visiting them all, but 2-3 days is plenty for most of our guests.

Castles & Gardens

Armadale Castle and Gardens and Dunvegan Castle and Gardens are both impressive examples of Tudor-Gothic and mixed-century architecture respectively, surrounded by lush and vibrant gardens.

Mountain Scenery

An epic view of the Cuillin mountains can be seen from many viewpoints across the islands.
Walk up to the iconic Old Man of Storr, which sticks out from the Trotternish Ridge.
The Quiraing is an unusual and beautiful geological feature, which you can hike across.
The cascading waters of Kilt Rock flow over red basalt columns that look like the pleats of a Scottish kilt.
Keep an eye out for mischievous fairies at the Glenbrittle Fairy Pools at the base of the Cuillin, or head to Uig in the north of the island to wander through the whimsical Fairy Glen.

Our next leg of the journey is fairly straightforward; a quick hop on the ferry from Uig to Tarbert, Harris’s largest town.

Lewis and Harris

Although Lewis and Harris are often talked about as if they are two islands, they are one land mass (the largest island in the Outer Hebrides) and can easily be combined into one trip. We’ve listed the ‘must-sees’ below, but if you’d like something a little different, check out Driver Terry’s favourite experience - The Callanish Alpacas!

Like Skye, there’s so much to see on Lewis and Harris! You could spend a very pleasant week here (if the weather is on your side), so allocate 2-3 days for this leg of your trip.

You can read about the island in more detail in our ‘A Magical Visit to Harris and Lewis’ blog.

Visit the Harris Tweed Factory Shop

Enjoy a shopping trip? Then you’ll love the Harris Tweed Factory - it’s the only fabric in the world that is guarded and protected by its own Act of Parliament and statutory body, the Harris Tweed Authority. This is one of the best places in Scotland to purchase a classy and authentic souvenir.

Beaches

You can’t mention Harris without talking about Luskentyre Beach - the photos are amazing, but trust us, this is a place you have to see with your own eyes to truly comprehend. Its vast, untouched beauty is like nothing you’ll see anywhere else in the UK, and it’s frequently cited as one of the top 10 most beautiful beaches in the world.

And it’s not the only breathtaking beach; you’ll find one around every corner on Lewis and Harris. We also love Sgarasta Mhor (Scarista) Beach, Garry Beach and Uig Bay.

Historic Homes & Ancient Sites

One of our favourite things to do on Lewis is to visit the ancient dwellings, the Arnol Black Houses, the Sheiling and Gearrannan Blackhouse Village all offer an immersive experience that gives you a glimpse into the lives of our 19th-century island ancestors.

If you want to go even further back in time, head to Dun Carloway - an Iron Age Broch built around 200 BC, which may have been occupied by a clan chief due to its favourable position overlooking the surrounding landscape.

For even more ancient history, visit Calanais Standing Stones, which date back to the Neolithic period and are thought to be around 5,000 years old. Experts remain uncertain as to what they were used for, but they were likely a religious ritual site or built for astronomical observation.

We’ll round off this part of the journey in Stornoway, the vibrant main town of Lewis, before catching the ferry back to Ullapool on the mainland. From there, the next leg takes you through the West Highlands, considered by many to be the most scenic route in all of Scotland as you make your way towards the ferry crossing to the Orkney Islands - a firm favourite among our Driver-Guides.

Orkney

If you didn’t get enough of ancient history on Harris and Lewis… then the Orkney Isles will fill your cup. Rich in both Neolithic sites dating back 5,000 years, and WWII history, the Orkney archipelago is as fascinating as it is stunning. Travel through centuries of island life, with some of the best coastal scenery Scotland has to offer.

You can read more about Orkney in our ‘Orkney Itinerary’ blog.

History on Orkney

Neolithic-Orkney top sights:

Skara Brae Prehistoric Village
Ring of Brodgar
Ness of Brodgar
Standing Stones of Stenness
Broch of Gurness
Maeshowe Chambered Cairn (or climb the short hill to the lesser-visited Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn)

(Comparatively) recent-history top sights:

The Italian Chapel (built for Italian POWs)
Saint Magnus Cathedral
Churchill Barriers at Scapa Flow

Breathtaking Coastal Views

All those historic sights can be heavy going! So we recommend taking some time to enjoy Orkney’s natural sights too.

Visit the Hoy and Yesnaby Cliffs to see Orkney’s iconic towering sea stacks; head to the Brough of Birsay - a tidal island; and visit the golden sands of Rackwick Bay.

And with that, we’ve come to the end of our island-hopping journey! What an adventure it has been.

See the islands with Best Scottish Tours

Lewis and Harris, Orkney, Mull, Skye, and Islay - our top 5 Scottish islands!

Have you got a favourite yet? Or are you still struggling to choose? Fortunately, several of our tours visit more than one of the wonderful islands on our list. Take a look at the tours listed below, and get in touch to let us know which itinerary gets you the most excited!

For Orkney, Lewis & Harris and Skye, check out our 12 Day Outer Hebrides, Neolithic Orkney & Highlands Tour.

For Mull and Skye, check out our ‘8 Day West Coast Islands & Wild Highlands Tour’ or if you plan to visit in May, you can also enjoy a visit to Staffa to see the puffins on our ‘9 Day West Coast Islands, Wild Highlands & Puffins’ tour.

For Islay and Skye, our 10 Day Whisky and Castle Tours are your go-to. We’ve got one itinerary that includes some scenic walking, and another that includes a Sheepdog Demo.

All of these itineraries are simply to give you a head start. When you book a custom tour, we can change things around to curate your perfect vacation. Get in touch with the team today and let’s start planning your Scottish islands adventure!