My Scottish Islands Project

Introduction

Welcome to my Scottish Islands Project. This site tracks my journey to visit all the Scottish islands featured in two renowned guidebooks.

This project was inspired by my love of Scotland's beautiful islands and the challenge of visiting these often remote and unique places.

I began this journey in 2019, setting out to systematically visit islands from both guidebooks over the course of several years.

Project Statistics
Overall Progress
48%%
31 of 64 islands visited
Haswell-Smith
40%%
20 of 50 islands visited
Walk Highlands Major
45%%
13 of 29 islands visited
Walk Highlands Minor
31%%
5 of 16 islands visited

The Guidebooks

The Scottish Islands

by Hamish Haswell-Smith

First published in 1996, this comprehensive guide covers islands that are over 40 hectares in size or over 30m high. It provides detailed information about 162 Scottish islands, including history, geography, and points of interest.

Scottish Island Bagging

by Helen & Paul Webster

Published by Vertebrate Publishing, this guide focuses on the most notable Scottish islands for visitors and hikers. The guide splits islands into "Major" must-visit islands and "Minor" islands worth exploring.

Project Goals & Classification

Objectives

My goal is to visit all 162 islands in the Haswell-Smith guide and all islands classified as "Major" in the Walk Highlands guide, documenting each visit and sharing my experiences.

Island Classification

This site classifies islands based on their inclusion in the two guidebooks. Islands can be in both guides, in just one, or in neither (unlisted). The color-coding on maps indicates this classification system.

Map Legend
Visited Islands
WH Major + Haswell-Smith
WH Major Only
WH Minor + Haswell-Smith
WH Minor Only
Haswell-Smith Only
Unlisted Islands

Explore the Maps

All Islands

View all Scottish islands in the database with their classification and visit status.

View Map

Visited Islands

See which islands have been visited so far, with details on visit dates and transport.

View Map

Not Visited

Explore islands that are yet to be visited, organized by classification.

View Map

Haswell-Smith

Islands featured in Hamish Haswell-Smith's "The Scottish Islands" book.

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Walk Highlands

Islands featured in the Walk Highlands guide, including Major and Minor islands.

View Map

Unlisted Islands

Islands not featured in either guidebook but included in the database.

View Map