Wildlife reserves · Scottish Highlands
Handa Island
Handa Island — island off the west coast of Sutherland, Scotland.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 2 h–4 h
- Best time of year
- Autumn & winter (migration & wildfowl)
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Dog-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
About
Handa Island is a wildlife reserve in the United Kingdom. It covers approximately 309 km². Managed by Scottish Wildlife Trust. Part of Inner Hebrides. Wikidata describes it as: "island off the west coast of Sutherland, Scotland". Coordinates: 58.3808°, -5.1864°.
Photo gallery
From the Wikipedia article
Handa Island (Scottish Gaelic: Eilean Shannda) or usually Handa, is an island in Eddrachillis Bay off the west coast of Sutherland, Scotland. It is 309 hectares (760 acres) and 123 metres (404 ft) at its highest point. The island is of national importance for its birdlife and maritime vegetation, and is a Scottish Wildlife Trust nature reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and a Special Protection Area (SPA). Notable seabirds include guillemots, great skuas, puffins and razorbills. Handa also forms part of the North-West Sutherland national scenic area, one of 40 such areas in Scotland. A small ferry sails to Handa from Tarbet on the mainland and boat trips operate to it from Fanagmore. The island receives five thousand visitors per annum.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
In the past the island was used as a burial place, and there are still the remains of a chapel in the south east, commemorated in the name Tràigh an Teampaill (Beach of the Temple). The use of Handa as burial place is thought to be due to the fact that wolves would dig up graves on the mainland so frequently that the inhabitants of Eddrachillis resorted to burying their dead on the island: It had a population of 65 in 1841 but following the 1847 Highland Potato Famine the inhabitants emigrated to Nova Scotia. In some ways this is surprising, since it is recorded that the islanders had a fairly varied diet including oats, fish and seabirds, rather than depending heavily on a potato crop. The…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 58.3808, -5.1864
Sources
- wikidata: Q1574348 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Handa Island (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Handastack.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Handa Island?
- Handa Island is in the Scottish Highlands, United Kingdom.
- Who runs Handa Island?
- Handa Island is operated by Scottish Wildlife Trust.
- Is Handa Island free to visit?
- Yes, Handa Island is free to enter.
- Are dogs allowed at Handa Island?
- Most wildlife reserves allow dogs on lead only, with restrictions during ground-nesting bird season (March-July). Check signage at the reserve.