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The Great Britain Guide

Islands · Scottish Highlands

Scalpay

Free admission

Scalpay — island off Harris, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, UK.

Scalpay, islands in Scottish Highlands

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
4 h–12 h
  • Free entry
  • Dog-friendly

About

Scalpay is a island in the United Kingdom. It covers approximately 653 km². Recent population estimates put it at around 291 people. Part of Outer Hebrides. Wikidata describes it as: "island off Harris, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, UK". Coordinates: 57.8650°, -6.6775°.

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From the Wikipedia article

Scalpay (; Scottish Gaelic: Sgalpaigh or Sgalpaigh na Hearadh; i.e. "Scalpay of Harris" to distinguish it from Scalpay off Skye) is an island in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

In 1746, Charles Edward Stuart fled to Scalpay after his forces were defeated at the Battle of Culloden. Scalpay is home to many Gaelic singers and psalm precentors. The island used to have more than 10 shops over 30 years ago but due to lack of people and work, the last shop closed in 2007. There also used to be a salmon factory, which was a major local employer from 2001 until its closure in 2005. In the spring of 2009, local newspapers reported that the factory was to reopen as a net washing facility to support the local fish farming industry. In 2012, the Scalpay community bought and opened a community shop/café, Buth Scalpaigh. Photographer Marco Secchi lived on Scalpay for few years…

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
57.8650, -6.6775
Postcode
HS4 3YG
Parliamentary constituency
Na h-Eileanan an Iar
Population
291

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Scalpay?
Scalpay is in the Scottish Highlands, United Kingdom (postcode HS4 3YG).
Is Scalpay free to visit?
Yes, Scalpay is free to enter.
How do I get to Scalpay?
Drivers can navigate to postcode HS4 3YG. It sits within the Na h-Eileanan an Iar parliamentary constituency.