British Isles
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Discussion

DickyC

Original Poster:

56,260 posts

219 months

Tuesday 7th January 2025
quotequote all
More than 6,000 islands make up the British Isles. Roughly 250 of them are permanently inhabited.

In 70 years I've managed to visit eight of them.

Isle of Wight
Portsea Island
Hayling Island
Brownsea Island
Holy Island
Skye
Sheppey
Barry

It's pathetic. I may have missed one or two but it's still pathetic for an island dweller. I haven't even been to Ireland.

Please tell me you've done better.



Silvanus

6,904 posts

44 months

Tuesday 7th January 2025
quotequote all
I've done a bit better, most of the habited ones in England/Wales. I lived on one of England's islands. Most of the habited ones are in Scotland, I still haven't done those.

sjabrown

2,053 posts

181 months

Tuesday 7th January 2025
quotequote all
Good thought. Not sure I've done much better despite living most of my life in the Highlands.

Here's my list:

Ireland
Isle of Man
Barra
Anglesey
Rum
Mull
Skye
Lismore
Seil
Luing
Lewis/Harris
Isle of Man

edit, add Vatersay

Edited by sjabrown on Tuesday 7th January 14:33

alangla

6,126 posts

202 months

Tuesday 7th January 2025
quotequote all
Here’s some ideas for you

https://www.calmac.co.uk/en-gb/explore/island-hopp...

Personal list:
Bute
Arran
Cumbrae
Mull (not Iona, idiot, would only have cost me an hour!)
Skye
Barra
Vatersay
Man
Wight
Inchcolm (one of the ones in the Forth)
Lindesfarne
Jersey
Guernsey
Herm
Ireland

Edited by alangla on Thursday 9th January 22:20

skeeterm5

4,404 posts

209 months

Tuesday 7th January 2025
quotequote all
Earlier this year we drove to the far end of Yell which is the most northerly place you can drive in the uk. We were the only people there and it was truly beautiful.




Other than that, we have done a lot of the Scottish islands (inner and outer Hebrides), IoW, Holy Island, Lundi Island, Hayling (does this count?) The Scilly Islands, Anglesey, IoM, Orkneys, Shetlands, Channel Islands


Mammasaid

5,175 posts

118 months

Tuesday 7th January 2025
quotequote all
Only done a few,

Isle of Wight
Portsea
Brownsea Island
Holy Island
Arran
Sheppey
Anglesey
Ireland
Canvey
Mersea
&
Walney!

Nico Adie

676 posts

64 months

Wednesday 8th January 2025
quotequote all
Gigha
Cara
Gigalum
Islay
Jura
Colonsay
Muck
Tiree
Rum
Barra
Benbecula
Skye
Harris
Lewis
Scalpay
Mull
Arran
Holy Isle
Cramond
Inchcolm
Ireland
Cumbrae
Orkney (Mainland)
Shetland (Mainland)

J6542

3,061 posts

65 months

Wednesday 8th January 2025
quotequote all
I live in Scotland , but visiting any of the west coast islands always seam like to much hassle to be worth it. I have visited

Ireland
Holy Isle
Isle of Wight
Skye
Jersey
Guernsey
Harris
Lewis

All of them apart from Holy Isle was for work.

Bill

56,846 posts

276 months

Wednesday 8th January 2025
quotequote all
Are we counting Portland?? Or Worm's Head off the Gower? Tide was out so we walked...

Other than that: Lundy, Skye, IoW, Anglesey, Jersey, Guernsey, Herm, Brownsea. ETA Ireland

Also kayaked round Looe island and been on a boat trip to Mull but didn't set foot on either.

Live on the Isle of Purbeck! biggrin

Edited by Bill on Wednesday 8th January 18:36

Silvanus

6,904 posts

44 months

Wednesday 8th January 2025
quotequote all
Bill said:
Are we counting Portland?? Or Worm's Head off the Gower? Tide was out so we walked...

Other than that: Lundy, Skye, IoW, Anglesey, Jersey, Guernsey, Herm, Brownsea.

Also kayaked round Looe island and been on a boat trip to Mull but didn't set foot on either.

Live on the Isle of Purbeck! biggrin
I guess it depends on which definition of islands is being use, Worms head is a tidal island and Portland is a tied island, there are also non coastal island in non tidal lakes lochs and rivers. Purbeck isn't any of these hehe

Bill

56,846 posts

276 months

Wednesday 8th January 2025
quotequote all
Surely the inbreeding counts for something?? eek

Silvanus

6,904 posts

44 months

Wednesday 8th January 2025
quotequote all
Bill said:
Surely the inbreeding counts for something?? eek
Haha, I'm a big Purbeck fan, down that way a lot. I hadn't noticed any extra fingers or webbed feet hehe

ATG

22,776 posts

293 months

Wednesday 8th January 2025
quotequote all
DickyC said:
More than 6,000 islands make up the British Isles. Roughly 250 of them are permanently inhabited.

In 70 years I've managed to visit eight of them.

Isle of Wight
Portsea Island
Hayling Island
Brownsea Island
Holy Island
Skye
Sheppey
Barry

It's pathetic. I may have missed one or two but it's still pathetic for an island dweller. I haven't even been to Ireland.

Please tell me you've done better.
In your defence, once you've met the people on Sheppey or the Isle if Wight, you're going to be terrified of visiting any of the other islands in case they're the same or worse.

magpie215

4,868 posts

210 months

Wednesday 8th January 2025
quotequote all
Not many for me

IOM
Walney
Mersea
Hayling
N. Ireland

Oberheim

448 posts

12 months

Wednesday 8th January 2025
quotequote all
My list is equally pathetic - in my 54 years I don’t think I’ve visited any more than the following:

Isle of Wight
Brownsea Island
Lundy
Calder
Skomer
Anglesey
Mull
Jura
Shetland Isles (for work, back in late nineties)

The fact that I haven’t made it to Ireland or the Isle of Man is shameful. Must address that before I get too old.

BlueJazz

741 posts

193 months

Wednesday 8th January 2025
quotequote all
Have done most of the above and also St. Kinda. If you've never been seasick, your first time will be memorable!

Planet Claire

3,405 posts

230 months

Wednesday 8th January 2025
quotequote all
Not too many for me

Jersey
Hayling Island
Isle of Wight
St Mary's
Tresco
Inner Farne
Holy Island
Arran
Seil
Easdale
Skye

anonymous-user

75 months

Thursday 9th January 2025
quotequote all
Ireland
Skye
Lewis/Harris
Scalpay
Arran
Great Cumbrae
Orkney (a few of the Islands)
Cramond
Holy Island
Great Bernera
And if I cheat a little, lots of little Scottish islands courtesy of small boat trips - Inchcailloch, Inchmurrin, various in the Outer Hebrides

Would live to visit Shetland when they have the annual Up Helly Aa Viking festival, and will work my way through the rest of the Outer and Inner Hebrides in future years

Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 9th January 18:46

theplayingmantis

5,439 posts

103 months

Thursday 9th January 2025
quotequote all
Angelsey
Holy Island
Mersea
Foulness
Wallasea
Horsey
Cobmarsh
Skippers
Osea
Northey
Ray
Pewit
Havergate
Lindisfarne
Isle of May
Inchkeith
Flat Holm
Steep Holm
Hayling
Portsea
Brownsea
Purbeck?!
St Georges (Looe Island)
St Marys
Caldey
Bardsey
IoW
Portland

edit Walney too

edit sheppey
grain & thanet (?!)

Edited by theplayingmantis on Thursday 9th January 23:56


edit st michaels mount
burgh island

Edited by theplayingmantis on Friday 10th January 16:13


Edit

Roa
Canvey
Two tree
The island
Godrevy

Edited by theplayingmantis on Saturday 11th January 00:06

Davetheraver

1,421 posts

223 months

Thursday 9th January 2025
quotequote all
My list is pretty pathetic.

Jersey
Isle of Man

It becomes even more pathetic when I tell you I live on the Isle of Man.