• Clockwise tour of Scottish coastline 
• See list on left

There are 95 inhabited islands in Scotland with a total population of just under 100,000. These are Shetland, Orkney, Western Isles and Highland, Argyll & Bute and North Ayrshire.

The Northern Isles (Orkney and Shetland) have cultural and historical ties with Scandinavia, whereas the west coast islands have more affinity with Ireland. The southernmost of the Atlantic islands, Islay, lies within sight of Rathlin island and the coast of Antrim. The Western Isles have the largest concentration of Gaelic speakers in Scotland.