Longay

Longay is a small, uninhabited island in the Inner Hebrides. It lies between the Crowlin Islands off the Applecross peninsula to the north-east and Scalpay to the south-west. The island covers about fifty hectares and rises to sixty-seven metres above sea level. In the 16th century Longay, together with its neighbour Pabay, served as a haven for pirates. Its name comes from the Old Norse Long-øy, meaning ‘ship island’. Longay belongs to the civil parish of Strath, whose main land lies on Skye, along with Pabay and the larger Scalpay further west. Visitors find a quiet, grassy island with no buildings or roads. The shoreline is rocky and the slopes gentle. Views stretch across the Inner Sound to the Applecross hills and down to Scalpay’s forested slopes. Seals often rest on the skerries at low tide. The island is reached only by small boat, so the only sounds are waves and seabirds.