Wiay

Wiay is a small, uninhabited island in Loch Bracadale off the Minginish Peninsula of Skye. It measures about 1.3 kilometres by 2.1 kilometres and is the largest island in the loch. The coastline is mostly steep cliffs up to 60 metres high, with one southern bluff overhanging at 59 metres. The highest point rises to 61 metres. The island is known for its dramatic sea arches and echoing caves, one said to be haunted by an English ghost.

Wiay has a long history of brief occupation. The 1841 census recorded six people living there, but by 1891 it was empty after a tragedy. Samuel Johnson and James Boswell visited in September 1773 and described an immense cave 55 metres long with no echo they could detect. In 1869 the ship Harmonia was wrecked on the west coast after drifting for two months, and its remains still lie near Rubha Garbh.

Visitors reach Wiay at Camas na Cille, the main bay with the remains of three houses including a traditional blackhouse. A man-made cut in the rocks lets small boats land even at low tide. From the island, views extend to Uist to the west and the Cuillin mountains to the south, with MacLeod’s Tables rising to the north. The shore has named inlets such as Periwinkle Cove and Cattle Cove, each showing the island’s rugged character.