Islands of Fleet

The Islands of Fleet lie in Galloway, off the Solway Firth coast of south-west Scotland. They form a small archipelago inside Fleet Bay, itself part of Wigtown Bay. Three islands stand out: Murray Isles, Ardwall Isle and Barlocco Island. Ardwall Isle is the largest at about 19 hectares, while Barlocco covers roughly 10 hectares. The islands sit within a Site of Special Scientific Interest managed by NatureScot. The islands are recognised as four of the 43 tidal islands in Britain that can be reached on foot from the mainland. Ardwall Isle carries a Bronze Age cairn and the ruins of a medieval chapel. Barlocco Island has a shingle beach that becomes accessible at low tide, when walkers, tractors or quad bikes can cross. The Murray Isles include a tiny rock called Horse Mark and are owned by the National Trust for Scotland. Visitors walk across the tidal sands to Ardwall Isle to see the old chapel foundations and the standing stones of the cairn. Barlocco Island’s beach offers a quiet landing place for small boats when the tide is out. The surrounding salt marsh and dunes form part of the protected Borgue Coast SSSI, where seabirds and wading birds feed. Views stretch across Fleet Bay to the hills of Galloway in clear weather.