Towards the southern end lies Mingulay, a once bustling community it now lies uninhabited. Now home to a range of wildlife including puffins, guillemots and razorbills a diversity which continues into the surrounding waters with life, including Seals, Dolphins, Basking Sharks and Minke Whales, creating an idyllic spot for nature enthusiasts.
Nearby, a plethora of similarly diverse islands, including Sandray (rumoured to be the Queen’s favourite) and other islands including Pabbay, Vatersay and Barra.
Further north and on the west side of the island chain sit the Monach Isles, home to a huge number of nesting seabirds found in their rich machair, which is carpeted with wild flowers at certain times of the year.
The Uists are famed for their fine white sand beaches and wetland habitats. Divided into North and South regions. Rich with a variety of birds, including Golden Eagles and Black-Throated Divers, as well as Seals and Otters.
The Uists are also home to a unique cultural heritage, with traditional Gaelic music and language still a prominent part of island life.
Positioned southeast of the Isle of Lewis in ‘The Minch,’ the ‘Enchanted islands,’ or ‘Shiant Islands’ in Gaelic, offer dramatic scenery combined with dense numbers of seabirds. Several colonies nest here, including… Razorbills, Guillemots, kittiwakes and around 60,000 Puffin pairs.
Please see our cruising areas to find out more about the islands we visit
