Eilean Fladday

Eilean Fladday is a small tidal island off the north-west coast of Raasay, near the Isle of Skye. The island lies across the Caol Fladday strait, which becomes dry land at low tide. Once home to a busy crofting community, it now holds only three cottages. These belong to families who visit for about seven months each year. The population once reached fifty-one in 1891, but fell to twelve by 1951. By 1965, the last families had left the island for good. The island’s story includes a failed attempt to build a road and footbridge. In the late 1920s, five families asked Inverness County Council for this link, but their request was refused. A later effort to secure a school succeeded only after a rate strike by the crofters. Raasay crofter Calum MacLeod later built a rough track from Torran to Fladday between 1949 and 1952. This did not stop the island’s decline, and the final families left in 1965. Visitors today find a quiet tidal island with three private cottages. The strait between Raasay and Fladday dries at low tide, creating a natural path. The island’s past is visible in its abandoned crofts and the single track built by Calum MacLeod. The surrounding waters and views of Raasay add to the sense of isolation. The island remains a reminder of Scotland’s crofting history and the challenges of island life.