Tarner Island

Tarner Island is a small triangular island in Loch Bracadale off the Harlosh peninsula on Skye. It covers about twenty-eight hectares and measures roughly one kilometre at its longest. The shore is mostly steep cliffs with a gentler slope at the northern end where boats can land. Around the edges lie several sea caves, some big enough to paddle a kayak inside. A natural rock arch stands at the northern tip, and on the west side a large leaning boulder called Fingal’s Limpet Hammer rises from the cliff. The island lies half a kilometre from the mainland at its closest point. Close by are skerries such as Sgeir Mhòr and Sgeir Bheag, low rocky islets where grey seals gather. Grey seals are often seen swimming or resting around Tarner Island. Nearby islands include Wiay to the south, Oronsay to the southeast, and Harlosh Island a mile to the west. Tarner Island hosts a large colony of common gulls that nest along the shore. Oystercatchers and other gulls share the same nesting areas. Cormorants build their nests in numbers around the rocky coast. The cliffs and caves provide safe ledges for birds, while the skerries offer haul-out spots for seals. The landscape is rugged and windswept, typical of the Hebrides.