Our favourite Scottish island holidays

There are 130 inhabited islands off the coast of Scotland, and if you include uninhabited ones that makes a grand total of approximately 790! That’s a jaw-dropping figure, and it would certainly take a long time to visit every single one. So we’ve narrowed the choice down for you with our pick of the best Scottish island holidays.

Best for wildlife

By holidaying in Scotland you can spend many days exploring some of the fantastic nature and wildlife. The Inner Hebrides are possibly the best place to spot coastal wildlife. This chain of islands off the west coast is home to many species of seabird and animals. A good option is the Isle of Mull. Several species of rarer bird nest here – such as White-tailed Eagles. You can see otter and red deer - and by taking a boat trip you may spot a Minke Whale or even a Basking Shark! You can take a special whale-watching boat trip from Tobermory from around £80 per person.

Those fond of a relaxing day watching deer might like to take a trip southwards to the island of Jura near Islay. It feels remote here and the deer hugely outnumber the island residents! This island is easy to incorporate by ferry into an island-hopping holiday, plus this area is easily accessible from Argyll and Glasgow.

Best for beaches

Wherever you go on the Shetland Islands you are never more than three miles away from the coast! This means there are many stunning sandy beaches to visit along the rugged and sometimes rocky coastline. The island of Yell has some of the best white sand beaches, including the award-winning Sands of Breckon and West Sandwick. South Mainland, too, features many sandy beaches such as West Voe, Levenwick and Scousburgh Sands. You can fly to the remote islands of Shetland from one of the mainland Scotland airports, or take a ferry from Aberdeen to Lerwick.

Best for families

Families will, of course, enjoy nature watching in the Inner Hebrides or building sandcastles in the Shetlands, but they can find yet more fun stuff to do on the Orkney Islands. A real highlight is the Heart of Neolithic Orkney, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Older than Stonehenge and the pyramids, do not miss these 4 fascinating ancient sites - Skara Brae, the Ring of Brodgar, Maeshowe and the Stones of Stenness. You can also visit some fascinating Viking sites. The island has lots of wildlife and beautiful scenery to see. In the Stormness area of Orkney you can find some thrilling outdoor activities, including watersports and scuba diving.

You can get to Orkney by air from one of Scotland’s airports, or you can take the ferry from Aberdeen. You may enjoy driving through the Scottish highland scenery on your way to the ferry port – there are some stunning landscapes en route.

Best for Whiskey

Whiskey lovers should hop over to Islay in the Inner Hebrides for a tour of a whisky distillery. Islay has eight distilleries to choose from! Those in the southern half of the island produce the stronger single malts, distilled with a strong use of peat. Tours of the Laphroaig distillery, for example, cost £5 and run 4 times a day from March to October and twice a day from November to February.

There are many activities and adventures on the islands of Scotland. From whale-spotting, to scuba-diving and, of course, whisky-tasting, there is the perfect island for every member of the family. Happy island-hopping!