The 'magical' Scottish islands that were named best for summer getaway
When it comes to staycation destinations in Scotland, many of the most picturesque locations in the country are found off the mainland. The country's many islands offer magnificent vistas, far removed from the hustle and bustle of modern living.
Two Scottish islands in particular have been named as the "best small island trips" in the country by VisitScotland. The tourist board described the pair of isles as "magical".
In a roundup of Scotland's best islands for a holiday, Tiree and Coll placed at number one. Both situated in the Inner Hebrides, Tiree has a population of around 650 while Coll is home to approximately 160 people.
VisitScotland wrote: "The isles of Tiree and Coll are magical spots on the map just off the west coast of Scotland. While Tiree is known for its surfing haven, flat landscapes and white sand beaches, Coll is known for its wide-open spaces, untouched nature and as a 'dark-sky community'."
Tiree is the westernmost of the Inner Hebrides, and is just over 30 square miles in size. It is one of the sunniest destinations in Scotland, while temperatures are generally warmer than on the mainland, giving the island the nickname of 'Hawaii of the north'.
Tiree is also a top water sports destinations, being particularly popular amongst windsurfers. Each year, the world-renowned Tiree Wave Classic windsurfing competition is held on the waters off the island.
Another popular event on the island is the Tiree Music Festival, which takes place every summer and draws music fans from around the world. The most recent festival, which was held on the weekend of July 11, saw acts such as Skerryvore, Skipinnish, Julie Fowlis, and The Laurette take the stage.
Meanwhile, Tiree features idyllic beaches including Balephuil Bay and Gott Bay. Visitors can also find fascinating historic spots such as the Skerryvore Lighthouse Museum and the Dun Mor Vaul Iron Age broch around the island.
VisitScotland stated: "Across Tiree you can explore historic landmarks and attractions, try your hand at a range of watersports such as windsurfing, kitesurfing, standup paddleboarding and kayaking, or stay on dry land and head on the hunt to spot some wildlife, including basking sharks, grey seals, and a variety of birdlife."
Meanwhile, Coll is situated northeast of Tiree. The island is slightly smaller than its neighbour, with an area of around 29 square miles.
Coll is perhaps best known for its picturesque sandy beaches. There are more than 20 bays dotted around its coastline, each being worth a visit.
One of the island's top beaches is the crescent-shaped Feall Bay, where visitors can often see seals lounging on its rocks and a number of different seabird species. Elsewhere, Hogh Bay looks out towards the Outer Hebrides and is a popular surfing spot.
Coll is also a Dark Sky Community, which refers to places that are especially good for stargazing. The island features dark skies free from light pollution, making it an ideal destination for astronomy enthusiasts.
VisitScotland added: "Coll is the perfect location for relaxing and getting away from it all. This serene island is peppered with pristine beaches that are ideal for an afternoon of reading your favourite book surrounded by immense scenery and views.
"At night, watch the skies come to life as the island boasts the perfect conditions for stargazing and even catching a glimpse of the elusive Aurora Borealis."
For those looking to visit either Tiree or Coll, both islands can be reached via ferry. According to VisitScotland, holidaymakers can travel from Oban via CalMac ferries to Tiree and Coll.
The full list of Scotland's 12 best small islands trips can be found on the VisitScotland website.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
4 hours ago
- Daily Record
Scots beauty spot compared to 'Skid Row' as rowdy tourists drink and party
The site has been branded 'Skid Row' by furious locals as it has been invaded by tourists who camp beside the water and party through the night A picturesque Scottish site, Loch of Clunie in Perthshire, has been dubbed "Skid Row" as it's been overrun by unruly tourists indulging in alcohol-fuelled parties and criminal activities. The once tranquil spot has suffered from over-tourism in recent years, with party-goers flocking to camp by the water. Local residents have voiced their concerns about antisocial behaviour, including violence and littering. Some visitors have even brought along generators, gazebos and a flatbed truck equipped with its own fresh water supply for camping and outdoor enjoyment. However, the constant blaring of loud music throughout the night and drunken misbehaviour has resulted in locals being subjected to physical and verbal abuse, reports the Scottish Daily Express. Perth and Kinross Council have been accused of not doing enough to discourage troublemakers from wreaking havoc in the scenic area. Reports of nudity and drug use have also surfaced, with campers neglecting to clean up their rubbish after overnight stays. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Local resident Emma Crichton told the BBC: "Earlier this month there was a flatbed truck with a fresh water supply on it for three generations of campers who were there for 10 days with a generator with loud music. "I have people wandering into my garden asking if they can park there, people coming in and asking if they can use my loo. We have people having raves, it's like a music festival. I'm not a shrinking violet. I like a drink and I like loud music, but it's intolerable and I don't feel safe." Rangers have increased patrols in the area, collecting discarded items such as soiled nappies and a hypodermic needle. The locale typically teems with visitors between October or whenever the sun makes an appearance. Ms Crichton criticised the council and police response, stating: "Some of the rangers have been doing the job since before I got there so they know the area well and they're very invested in it. Every time I make a complaint, I'm told there's no law being broken. I cannot accept that." Negative feedback has also appeared on the Loch Clunie Facebook page, including a recent post from a man who visited the loch with his 10 year old daughter. He penned: "It was like Skid Row. Drunks everywhere - one or two being quite aggressive. Rubbish everywhere. Maybe half a dozen cars abandoned with parking tickets on them. Stayed for five minutes and left." Strathtay Councillor Ian James described the situation as an "absolute nightmare" for local residents. He commented that they were "putting up with loud music and drunken behaviour. Although it's a beautiful area, it's just not a nice place to be when it's like that." He alleged that a friend of his had been stabbed after requesting people not to camp in his garden. He added: "If this was Perth city centre, we'd have the police turning up and everybody would be trying their best to stop it, but this is in the countryside so it's unseen by most." A spokesperson for Perth and Kinross Council has stated that the local authority is keen for both visitors and residents to enjoy areas such as Loch of Clunie in a "safe, responsible and courteous manner". The spokesperson further added: "Parking attendants patrol the clearways, issuing guidance and penalty notices as appropriate. "We fully recognise the community's ongoing concerns about repeated incidents of irresponsible camping near residential properties. Given the understandable feelings of vulnerability and anxiety this has caused, we have advised residents not to engage directly with visitors and to report any threatening behaviour to Police Scotland." A representative from Police Scotland said: "We understand the impact anti-social behaviour and disorder has on the local community, and we would like to thank locals who continue to bring these incidents to our attention. Officers continue to work with local partners to address any concerns in the area, and where criminality is established, those responsible will be dealt with appropriately."
ITV News
5 hours ago
- ITV News
What do locals in Scotland think of Donald Trump?
Donald Trump is on a trip to Scotland, but what do people make of his visit? ITV News' Ben Chapman reports from Turnberry The US President Donald Trump is now halfway through his private visit to Scotland. He is here primarily to play golf and to open his newest course, but he is fitting in meetings with the prime minister, first minister and president of the European Commission. He is famously proud of his Scottish heritage, but what do people here make of this unusual presidential visit? Locals in Girvan, the closest town to Trump's luxury golf resort, had mixed views ahead of his arrival on Friday. One man said: 'There's enough trouble going on in the world at the moment without Donald Trump coming to Scotland to play golf. He's flying thousands of miles for a game of golf. I think his focus should be elsewhere. If anything good comes of it, then great, but I have my doubts.' While a woman said: 'I think it's great that he visits Scotland because his mother is from Scotland and he has invested a lot in Scotland. "He employs a lot of people in the region, and he looks after the places where he is running his business, which is great for this local economy.' "He's just such a controversial figure, and I just don't understand what he's up to. He's just causing chaos and confusion around the whole world," another man said. 'The US government won't be paying for it because it's a private trip, so I think the bill will land at the doorstep of the Scottish people. He should take some of his profits and pay for the expenses.' This mother and daughter had different views on whether Trump's visit was welcome or not. The mother said: 'I don't think it's worth it. Not for a private visit. There will be local disruption, and there is a cost implication as well. I mean, the Americans will obviously pick up some of the security, but there will also be an obligation on Police Scotland. I mean not just to police the visit but also the protests that are going to obviously result over the weekend.' Meanwhile, her daughter said Trump "brings a lot of good things to the community here". "I don't agree with everything that he does politics wise, but I think he's done a lot for the area, and I think, well, good luck to him," she added. On Friday night at Prestwick airport, more than 1,000 people camped out with deck chairs and picnic blankets to catch a glimpse of Air Force One touching down on Scottish soil. Many waited for hours to claim their spot. Surprisingly, there were no obvious protesters. Instead, the crowd was made up of dedicated plane spotters and locals who were excited to have the President of the United States and his plane land in their town. Some wore Make America Great Again caps and carried pro-Trump flags to welcome him. Samuel Ackroyd and James Swan were among those who waited more than eight hours to catch a glimpse of Air Force One. They told ITV News: 'I like Trump, but it's mainly about seeing Air Force One. 'This is a big bucket list item for aviation enthusiasts. Many of us want to see the Boeing 747-200. 'It's a great privilege to see the President of the United States land here.' A mother and her son, who came down from Fife, said: 'We've come down from Fife today to see President coming for the first time. We've never plane spotted in Ayr before but we wanted to be here today for this.' On Saturday morning, Trump was out on the golf course bright and early, but unlike his last visit as president, there were no protesters on the beach next to the Turnberry course. There was just the odd Trump supporter hanging around to try and see him in person. This couple travelled to Ayrshire from Liverpool to show their support. The man said: 'We support MAGA (Make America Great Again) and Trump and what he's doing. We've just made our way down to the golf course to try and catch a glimpse of him. Mainly because it might be the only chance we ever get to see him here. I know he's doing a state visit in London, but that will be all private escorts and everything, so we thought we'd try to see him while we can.' In the afternoon, planned anti-Trump protests took place in Aberdeen and Edinburgh, far from the president's eyes. Many there said they were frustrated and angry that he is being welcomed by our prime minister and first minister, and that he is coming on a private golfing trip that is costing taxpayers here. 'Trump's not welcome in Scotland. He has done too much damage globally. He's a global leader, but he doesn't like one or think like one. And we didn't vote for him here, yet he's here in Scotland today, and we're not happy about it. "He claims Scottish heritage, but he is not from Scotland. He doesn't share our values. We care about people. We care about diversity. Scotland has people in every single country in the world. He's just focusing on making America great. What does that even mean? It doesn't mean anything.' 'He wants to come and see his businesses, then let him pay for the security. Let him pay for the police. He's always bragging about how rich is, even though he didn't release his tax returns. So let him use some of all that money that he's had from all that winning and all those fantastic trade deals. 'He keeps telling everyone he's really wealthy and he's got all this money. Let him pay for it. I see, absolutely no reason why we should pay one penny for that orange walloper.' 'I am an American living here now, and he is just an embarrassment. I don't even want to go back to America right now. This is just a little part I can do because I'm not there. I can still vote, but I can't go to any protest there, so I just want to come out here and support everyone. I feel good that there are other people sharing my sentiment. 'He's like an evil genius. I don't know what it is, but he's Teflon Don. That's his nickname. These people are just kissing the ring because they feel they need to. "And I think once he is gone, whether it's a cheeseburger too many or whatever, I think it'll all go away because I don't think anybody has his level of depravity.' On Monday, Trump is set to meet the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer. On Tuesday, he will open his new golf course in Aberdeenshire, which is named after his Scottish mother, Mary Anne MacLeod. He is due to leave Scotland on Tuesday afternoon.
Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
MIKEY SMITH: 7 unhinged Donald Trump Scotland moments as he moans nobody thanked him for Gaza aid
Donald Trump is still in Scotland, for some reason using it as a base to agree trade deals between the US and other countries Donald Trump is still in Scotland, for some reason using it as a base to agree trade deals between the US and other countries. But at least we're all paying millions of pounds to ensure he can do that - and play some golf - without any pesky protesters bothering him. He welcomed Ursula Von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, to his Scottish White House - and very rapidly agreed a trade deal with her. Like, in less than an hour. And he, obviously, had another rant about wind farms. Here's everything you need to know about the happenings in Trump World: Scotland. Buckle up. 1. He went golfing with a motorcade of 27 vehicles - including one very special one back out on the course this morning for a chilly second morning of his golf holiday in Scotland. He was seen on his Turnberry golf course in South Ayrshire, being transported between transported between holes in a motorcade of 26 golf carts plus one curious vehicle. This thing appears to be an articulated, secret service golf buggy. Sort of a golf equivalent of the Beast. It has reportedly been dubbed "Golf Force One". His adult sons Eric and Don Jr were both with him on the course. 2. Some British fans came to see him at the golf course. And by some we mean three There was no sign of anti-Trump protesters outside the golf course this morning - three British Trump fans were out on the hill next to Turnberry. They wore Make America Great Again hats, waved small US flags and held a sign that read "Don't trust Starmer". Trump waved and blew a kiss towards the fans before he took his shot. Tom English, one of the group who had travelled from Blackburn, said: "I can't believe we're the only ones, to be fair. I thought there'd be more people." Asked why he'd travelled so far to support the leader of another country, Mr English said: "I've just loved him from day one when he ran. I like the way he speaks, his personality, the comedy gold he comes out with. "He had me at Rosie O'Donnell to be honest with you." Ms O'Donnell has been the target of a long running campaign of abuse by Trump, who earlier this month threatened to revoke her citizenship. "I've supported him all the way through. It's just because he'a not one of them, basically. He came in, said he's going to drain the swamp, end the deep state and that's what he's trying to do." 3. One Brit said he'd totally sussed out Trump's plan for the Epstein files "I can see what's happening," said Tom English, who travelled from Blackburn to see Trump in the flesh. He said he was not bothered by the scandal - here's why. "If you follow Trump from day one, and you know how he works, and you've read his book, The Art of the Deal, and you know he's studied the art of war, then you can see the tactics he's using." Asked what the tactics he's using are, Tom said: "The Dems don't want it releasing. You've got judges and people in congress who don't want the Epstein files releasing for years on end now. "So he says, it's all fake. It's fake news. The Democrats are making it up. "All of a sudden it's the Republicans that are blocking it and the Democrats are voting for it to be released." Still with us? Good. He went on: "Now what will happen is he'll order the MAGA lot to reverse the vote, and they'll be Trump won't be in there. "But his adversaries will. That's my prediction." So, to recap, the whole of the last few weeks, where Trump has been pulling out all the stops to divert attention away from discussions about the Epstein files, has been a massive red herring. It's a sneaky ruse to trick the Democrats into releasing the files - because it's only them who will actually be damaged by them. This seems like a high risk strategy to us, especially considering the weight of evidence and reporting that contradicts every element of it. 4. He threatened to have Beyonce prosecuted Trump posted a massively unhinged rant on Truth Social, during which he threatened to have Beyonce and Oprah Winfrey prosecuted over things that never happened. It comes down to a baseless, evidence-free nonsense conspiracy theory posted online by people who made it up out of thin air, which claims Beyonce charged Kamala Harris $11m for her endorsement, and Oprah claimed £3m for expenses. Trump wrote: "I'm looking at the large amount of money owed by the Democrats, after the Presidential Election, and the fact that they admit to paying, probably illegally, Eleven Million Dollars to singer Beyoncé for an ENDORSEMENT (she never sang, not one note, and left the stage to a booing and angry audience!), Three Million Dollars for "expenses," to Oprah, Six Hundred Thousand Dollars to very low rated TV "anchor," Al Sharpton (a total lightweight!), and others to be named for doing, absolutely NOTHING! These ridiculous fees were incorrectly stated in the books and records." Not a word of the above sentence (and yes, it is one sentence) is true. He went on: "YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PAY FOR AN ENDORSEMENT. IT IS TOTALLY ILLEGAL TO DO SO. Can you imagine what would happen if politicians started paying for people to endorse them. All hell would break out! Kamala, and all of those that received Endorsement money, BROKE THE LAW. They should all be prosecuted! Thank you for your attention to this matter." Nobody did any of this. It was made up. 5. He moaned that he didn't get enough thanks for sending food to Gaza Speaking ahead of his negotiations with Ursula Von der Leyen, Trump admitted he was "not in a good mood." He fumed about America not getting more credit for sending humanitarian aid to Gaza. "We gave $60 million two weeks ago and nobody even acknowledged it, for food," he said. "And it's terrible. You know, you really at least want to have somebody say thankyou. No other country gave anything. We gave $60 million two weeks ago for food for Gaza and nobody acknowledged it." He went on: "And nobody said 'Gee, thankyou very much'. And that would be nice, to have at least a thankyou." Get Donald Trump updates straight to your WhatsApp! As the world attempts to keep up with Trump's antics, the Mirror has launched its very own US Politics WhatsApp community where you'll get all the latest news from across the pond. We'll send you the latest breaking updates and exclusives all directly to your phone. Users must download or already have WhatsApp on their phones to join in. All you have to do to join is click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! We may also send you stories from other titles across the Reach group. We will also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose Exit group. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. 6. In case anyone didn't know already, he explicitly gave away why he hates wind turbines so much In his extended disco remix rant ahead of a relatively brief negotiation with Von der Leyon, Trump somehow managed to weave onto talking about wind farms. At length. Again. But in case you were wondering why the subject was on his mind, he gave the game away: "Today, I'm playing the best course I think in the world. Turnberry. "Even though I own it, it's probably the best course in the world. "And I look over the horizon and I see 9 windmills at the end of the 18th. I say, isn't that a shame?" 7. He insists he didn't rush through the EU trade deal to distract from the Epstein scandal We actually kind of believe him on this one. This seems to be a fairly natural reaction.
