Treshnish Isles

The Treshnish Isles form a small archipelago of volcanic islands and skerries lying west of the Isle of Mull in Scotland’s Inner Hebrides. The group stretches about seven kilometres from Bac Beag in the south to Cairn na Burgh Beag in the north-east. Lunga is the largest island, situated roughly six kilometres south-west of Mull’s Rubha’ a’ Chaoil. Other notable islands include Cairn na Burgh Mòr, Fladda and Bac Mòr, with many smaller skerries scattered to the north of Lunga. The islands hold traces of Iron Age duns and later Norse settlements, marking them as important waypoints in the Kingdom of the Isles from the 9th to 13th centuries. Remains of a blackhouse village on Lunga were abandoned in 1857, and Cairn na Burgh Mòr preserves the ruins of a fort linked to Clan MacDougall. The Hebridean Trust has managed the islands since 2000 to protect their wildlife and archaeology, with National Trust for Scotland taking over guardianship in 2023. Visitors arrive by boat from Ulva Ferry, Tobermory, Ardnamurchan or Tiree, usually landing on Lunga for day trips. The islands lie within the Loch na Keal National Scenic Area and are recognised as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Protection Area. They support large colonies of breeding seabirds, Atlantic grey seals and ruined castles, offering dramatic coastal views framed by the Ross of Mull.