Shuna

Shuna is a small island among the Slate Islands off the west coast of Scotland. It lies east of Luing in the Firth of Lorn, north of the Sound of Jura, and can be reached by boat from Arduaine on the mainland. The island has little slate and is mostly covered in woodland today. Several cairns mark spots in the south and west of Shuna. In the 19th century up to 69 people lived here, but by 2001 only one person remained. The island has a history tied to Glasgow. In 1815 James Yates bought Shuna and later left it in trust for the city, Glasgow University and Glasgow Royal Infirmary. The trustees sold the island in 1911 after income proved scarce. George Buckley built Shuna Castle in 1911, but it fell into disrepair by the 1980s. Since 1946 the Gully family has owned the island, which now has holiday cottages and a small resident population. Visitors find a quiet island with wildlife and old buildings. Red, roe and fallow deer roam freely across the land. Otters, seals and porpoises appear along the shores and in the waters nearby. Four holiday cottages provide places to stay, reached by boat from the mainland. The remains of Shuna Castle stand as a reminder of the island’s past.