The Must-See Landmarks on the Isle of Tiree
Kirkapol Chapel
As you fly into Tiree's little airport, there's one thing that strikes you: it's not very big! In fact, our tiny little island is just 30¼ square miles of pure Hebridean sand, earth and sea. With a population of around 650 – not including the sheep – it's not very populated either.
You'd be forgiven for thinking there's not a lot here. That, unlike the other Hebridean islands, the Isle of Tiree is little more than a small, unassuming rock in the North Atlantic.
But you'd be wrong!
We're the small package good things come in. Visit Tiree, and you'll discover a whole lot of history and nature and activities and more. We might not be as big as our cousins, but we pack a lot in!
Whether you're trekking up the mighty Ben Hynish or venturing to the Surf Shack for an afternoon riding the waves, you'll never struggle to find something to do on the island.
To celebrate our must-see landmarks, I thought we'd take a tour around our corner of paradise. We'll head up into the hills and down into the Lochs; we'll go back to the island's first settlers and discover Tiree's remarkable history through the ages. We're going around Tiree in eighty landmarks (well, not quite eighty). From natural wonders to mythic legends, these are the Isle of Tiree's landmarks you can't miss on an island visit.
We're trying to cover everything – leaving no stone unturned. Discover Tiree in this journey around the Isle and back again. (I promise I'll have you back by tea time.)
The Must-See Landmarks on the Isle of Tiree
Revel in nature
From the beautiful, fecund machair grasslands to the depths of Kenavara's caves, Tiree's natural wonder is as breathtaking as it is mysterious. You'll find dazzling natural landmarks throughout the island.
Happy Valley
If Happy Valley sounds like bliss, it is! Nestled in between the hills at the southern tip of Tiree, it's amongst the most breathtaking sights anywhere on the island. Named by RAF personnel during World War II, the valley is a short 1km hike from the township of Hynish.
Here, Ben Hynish – the island's tallest peak – rises to the north and a rocky ridge to the east. In their midst is the shingle beach of Happy Valley, traditionally called Tràigh Balbhaig, or pebble beach.
With such monumental natural defences, it's little surprise the area was home to several prehistoric forts, including Dùn na Cleite, located at the southern end of the eastern ridge. It's one of the most impregnable points on the island and was guarded by a series of walls that restricted access to the summit.
Ben Hynish
Ben Hynish is the highest point on Tiree, standing at 141 metres. There's nowhere better to discover Tiree and soak in the breathtaking views across the whole island. You can see all the way to Skerryvore Lighthouse and across the waters to Mull and Iona.
With 360-degree panoramic views of verdant machair lands, the alabaster beaches and rolling hills of crofts and farms, it's the perfect spot to be awe-struck by this little slice of paradise. Combined with Tiree's impeccable weather – we're one of the sunniest parts of the UK – you'll struggle to find a better view anywhere in the Hebrides.
Of course, no talk about Ben Hynish would be complete without mentioning its most prominent feature: the Golf Ball. This radar station was first built in 1985 and is a well-known landmark throughout the island. It also means you're not supposed to park near the top.
Most people don't struggle to get to the summit regardless of their fitness level or age. Just be careful of the high winds.
Ben Hough
More of a large hill than a mountain, Ben Hough reaches 119 metres tall. It's a rougher climb than its brother, Ben Hynish. Still, towering over the landscape, it offers views of Balevullin Beach, the Isle of Barra, and the vast expanse of green and fertile machair for which Tiree is so renowned.
There's a pass between the two highest points known as Bealach na Beinne – this neighbouring peak is Ben Mhurstat at 116 metres. The summit hosted an observation post under the RAF in the Second World War. You'll also find a concrete staircase leading from Hough House to the top of Ben Hough.
Kenavara
We're home to a handful of "Bens", or mountains, of which Kenavara is our third-highest. It's less a mountain than a fully-fledged bird city. Being a breeding ground for seabirds like shags, fulmars, kittiwakes, guillemots, razorbills, ravens, peregrine falcons, and more gulls than I can name means it's a birdwatcher's paradise.
In the shadow of Kenavara, you'll find the ruins of St Patrick's Chapel, near an ancient well. It's said its waters have healing powers. With the chapel apparently built where Iona comes into view past the headland of West Hynish. Whatever the truth, it's a punishing location to live; and, an isolating existence in which to find God.
The well's waters here run much deeper than the shore. In fact, there are two large caves at Kenavara; one of these, known locally by many names (the cave of the giant, the cave of doves, and the cave of gold) penetrates far into the hill. It's said the cave goes so deep that cavers should take a lighted candle to tell when the oxygen begins to fail. Scary stuff!
Loch a' Phuill
Unlike the curious names you'll find on the island, Loch a' Phuill means simply "Loch of the Pool". It's the largest freshwater body on the island and the source of our drinking water. The Loch is what's known as a eutrophic coastal loch, meaning it's rich in mineral and organic nutrients. In addition, it's also one of the biggest natural features on the island, aside from Ben Hynish, covering 96 hectares.
With abundant fertility, it's a popular spot for the island's wildlife, who feed on the rich ecosystem of aquatic plant flora and fauna. You'll find several species of pondweed as well as a myriad of other species. It's therefore been classed a Designed Special Area of Conservation.
Loch Bhasapol
Loch Bhasapol is the second-largest loch on the island, located in the northwest. You'll see two small islands in the loch, which could be crannogs: a type of ancient loch-dwelling common through Scotland 5,000 years ago. These were defensive homesteads built in the water as a symbol of power and wealth.
The loch is also believed to be the site of the "Battle of the Sheaves" when the men of Tiree warred with the Norse invaders. Whatever happened, the locals inflicted such casualties that the Norse never returned.
The loch is now popular with fishers and for water sports.
Other Lochs
Loch Raighan. The third-largest loch on the island. It's a popular spot with birds. The loch is found in the east of the island, near Kirkapol and Gott Bay.
Loch an Eilean. The former site of the island's only castle. Today it is best known for Island House, which stands on a small peninsula on its southern edge. The loch is a short distance from the Tiree airport.
Uncover the history
You'll find more than 8,000 years of history locked in Tiree's historic landmarks. Whether you're exploring the mysterious brochs or the island's ruined religious sites, it's a fascinating journey into the island's past.
Dùn Mòr Vaul Broch
We're not precisely sure when Tiree was first inhabited. The Hebrides, more broadly, were initially settled in the Middle Stone Age, some 8,500 years ago or more. However, the oldest evidence of occupation is in nearby Rum, which dates to 8,590 years ago, being among the oldest evidence of occupation in Scotland.
Amongst our oldest sites is Dùn Mòr Vaul, known simply as Dùn Mòr – an iron-age broch on a rocky knoll in the north of the island. Venture to this ancient ruin, and you'll find the foundations of a once looming tower: 9.2 metres in diameter and about 4.5 metres thick.
Excavations of the site date the earliest settlement to around 5th century BC – a wooden hut which likely burnt down. The broch, meanwhile, was built in the 1st century AD. These round stone towers are dotted throughout the Highlands and Islands, being a reminder of a period when forests swamped the land, and the mists rolled in from the Atlantic.
Skerryvore Lighthouse
Few landmarks on Tiree are as iconic as the Skerryvore Lighthouse: the tallest lighthouse in Scotland. Designed by Alan Stevenson, it's an engineering wonder, towering over the surrounding seas at 138 feet tall and composed of 58,000 cubic feet of granite.
Considering it's perched on a tiny outcropping of rocks – 11 miles southwest of Tiree – its construction is a marvel. Building this monstrous tower became imperative because of the wrecks mounting in the treacherous Tiree waters.
Quarries were mined between 1836 and 1837, and a pier was constructed. Yet, the men only had 165 hours to work on the lighthouse in the first season. By 1843, the lighting apparatus was installed and was first lit on 1st February 1844.
Its name comes from the Gaelic "sgeir", meaning rock, and "mhor", meaning big. Although the Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson famously described it as "the noblest of all extant deep-sea lights." Even today, it's an impressive sight – although no one lives there anymore after the lighthouse was automated in 1994. It's still functional, though.
Kilkenneth Chapel
Holy sites are a familiar landmark in the Hebrides. Indeed, Tiree, whose name is derived from the Gaelic "Tir lodh", meaning land of the corn, famously supplying the monks of Iona with grain. You can also discover Tiree's medieval religious buildings, now ruined and decayed.
Amongst these is Kilkenneth Chapel, which is believed to date to the late Middle Ages. St Kenneth, according to legend, accompanied St Columba – Scotland's most famous cleric – to visit King Brude of the Picts, who ruled from Inverness. Local legends say he lived on Tiree during his long journey in the late 6th century – though the truth is lost to time.
Venture to the chapel today, and you'll find its mouldering walls half-devoured by the sand dunes. It's suspected the building replaced earlier, less substantial structures at the site – becoming the local shrine for generations. Perhaps this is the site where St Kenneth once resided; if so, it's long been forgotten.
After falling out of use, no burials have taken place there since the 17th century, following other churches being built on the Isle.
Temple Patrick
Wander along the white sands of Balephuil Beach to find a small headland, known locally as "Ceann a Mhara", and you'll find another set of half-buried ruins. St Patrick's Chapel, or Temple Patrick as it's more commonly known, is a remote religious site in the island's south.
See if you can spot the Latin crosses engraved in the ancient stones and the remains of a square altar based in the centre of the east gable wall.
Local legends tell of St Comgall, a fellow traveller of St Columba, who dedicated the chapel to St Patrick (the famous one), although he never visited the island. The chapel was reportedly intact until around 1898 when two local lads vandalised the walls. It's said they died soon after – pretty grizzly if true.
Aside from the ruins, the site also boasts spectacular views across Balephuil Bay and the endless ocean of the North Atlantic. It's the perfect spot for a picnic on a sunny afternoon and well worth the visit. Few places are quite as tranquil as the ruins of Temple Patrick.
The Ringing Stone
Few places on Tiree are as revered as the primordial Ringing Stone. Dating to the age of the megalithic builders – who likely built the Dùn Mòr broch – it's amongst the oldest constructions on the island. The colossal boulder is marked on its side and upper surface by over fifty circular or oval depressions, known as "cups".
What these cup markings mean is unknown. But the boulder got its name from the metallic ring that sounds whenever the stone is struck.
What's interesting is that there's no stone like it on the island. Indeed, it's balanced precariously on rocks below and is suspected of having been dragged over from Rum by the vast glaciers during the last ice age. Although, others contend it was thrown by a giant from nearby Mull – a much more likely story!
However, it got there; it's become a part of the island's culture. It's said if the Ringing Stone is removed, the island will sink forever into the sea.
Kirkapol Chapels
Perhaps the best-preserved Medieval church on the island, the Kirkapol Chapels, also known as the Old Parish Church, is the former church of the area. Dedicated to Saint Columba, the largest of the ruins dates back to the 14th century. The smaller ruin, also named after Columba, was built in the 13th century.
Found behind the Tiree Lodge Hotel, the old churches are remarkably well preserved. Though the roof is absent, the walls stand almost entirely untouched by time – including the arch doorways.
Scattered around the larger chapel are the ancient burial stones from ages past. Discover Tiree's old inhabitants, their names, when they lived, and the other messages you can make out on the weatherworn stones.
It's suspected the churches were used into the 18th century, marking over 500 years of continued use.
Dr Buchanan's Monument
Dr Alexander Buchanan was the Isle of Tiree's first doctor from 1860 until he died in 1911. Few people ever held so much admiration by the island's community. The monument erected in Baugh overlooks the windswept coastline, and the communities of Tiree dotted below. It's a fitting memorial to the man who watched over the island.
Indeed, the monument is a short walk from Baugh House, once part of his farm (and the current doctors' surgery). You'll find a small stream nearby, known as An Fhaodhail, running between the Reef and Baugh. From here, Dr Buchanan collected water in a small brown glass bottle: his favourite remedy for his patients.
Discover Tiree's stalwart figure at the monument: the inscription reads, "Medical Officer and Loved and Valued Friend of the Islanders."
MacCallum's Cairn
Hike up the mound just outside Kilkenneth, and you'll find MacCallum's Cairn: a monument erected in honour of Reverend Donald MacCallum. Cairns, precariously balanced stacks of stones, are used as markers or monuments all over Scotland and beyond.
MacCallum's Cairn is different. It's less about the stones than the view of the rich and fertile machair stretching out below. MacCallum is revered on the island as a champion of the rights of crofters and cottars during the often-brutal Highland Clearances of the 18th to 19th century.
After serving as a minister in Loch Geàrr, Arisaig, and Skye, the dear reverend came to Tiree in 1887. During his short 18-month tenure, he was emboldened by the cruel evictions of men, women, and children from the lands they'd often held for centuries. In fact, so unshakeable was his conviction that MacCallum became the only Highland minister of the time to be imprisoned for political views.
It was a troubling time in Scotland's history; and still lingers as a memory of hardship, greed, and the death of tradition. Nowhere is this strength of feeling felt more than in the defiant and bitter words inscribed on MacCallum's Cairn: "Bas no Buaidh" (Death or Victory).
Milton Harbour
The little fishing boats have left Milton Harbour since the mid-1800s. Constructed in 1847, it proved popular with the island's lobster fisherman, encouraging a thriving local fishing industry. During those early days, the harbour was much-used by a cargo schooner by the name of "The Coll Castle". Iain MacKinnon was the skipper and owner, and his grandson Alex MacKinnon still resides in the Harbour House overlooking the harbour.
It's a testament to the island's longevity. After over a century-and-a-half of use, the harbour won additional funding for regeneration. The plans involve raising the pier up and extending it to allow for additional ships.
You'll still find the fisherman hauling in their catches of lobsters and crabs from the Hebridean waters. And if you treat yourself to a lobster dinner on the island, chances are it's a Milton catch.
Dùn Mòr a' Chaolais
Climb up the path near Milton to discover the magnificent eastern view, and you'll find another surprise: a 2,000-year-old iron-age broch. Like its sister, Dùn Mòr Vaul, Dùn Mòr a' Chaolais is little more than a pile of scrambled, mouldering rocks today. It wasn't always so.
It's among the last monuments of an ancient people who were scattered along the coastline of Scotland, from the Shetlands down to Galloway. The name broch, meaning fort, is often called dun in Western Scotland. Indeed, guarding the eastern seas, the people living in Chaolais could see traders and enemies approaching from far out at sea.
It would have been an impressive sight on the horizon, measuring about 12 metres in diameter and with walls 3.7 metres thick. No mortar is used throughout the construction; much stone has been robbed in the centuries since, leaving only the foundation behind.
Legend tells of a piper and his dog who entered a cave in Kenavara, at the other end of the Isle. Following a secret tunnel, the Piper was heard in Scarinish to shout that he needed three hands – two for his pipes and one for his sword. He was then heard of no more. But his little dog appeared in Dùn Mòr a' Chaolais with not a hair left on his body.
Old Mill – Cornaig
Tiree's name means "the land of the corn"; grain was a critical part of the island's economy for many years. So successful were the islanders that it was observed in 1774 that Tiresians were "well-clothed and well-fed, having an abundance of corn and cattle."
Just three years before, the 5th Duke of Argyll commissioned The Mill to be built at Cornaig to grind the corn for the whole island. Previously, inefficient horizontal mills and hand mills or querns were used.
Using water from Loch Bhasapol, this new watermill was completed in 1803. It became a hub for the island's economic and agricultural life. From 1804 to 1945, there was always a miller at Millhouse, just as the water ever turned the wheel. New advances put the mill out of action until, in 2006, the Boyd family rescued and restored the wheel.
It was a painstaking process. Being too fragile to move, all work was conducted at the site. New larch paddles were fitted; new bearings were crafted, though the original cast iron shrouds, central naves, and shaft were left intact – 200 years after being first fitted.
Although the mill itself is no longer a functional building, the wheel trundles along, much as it has done for the past two centuries. There's no better metaphor for life on Tiree.
Hynish Centre
When constructing the monumental Skerryvore Lighthouse (which sits 11 miles off Tiree's coast), it was from Hynish that the 4,300 blocks of granite were loaded onto the ship and ferried to the lighthouse's rocky plinth.
Over 80 stonemasons toiled away, shaping these colossal blocks. So large and unwieldy were they that the pier had to be extended.
Today, you'll find a complex of buildings, including the Signal Tower, the Stores, the Old Smithy, the Cottage, the Cowsheds, Upper Square, and the Harbour, which collectively form the Hynish Centre: a museum to this impressive construction.
Beginning in 1982, the Hebridean Trust began restoring the buildings, providing visitors with a unique window into Hebridean life. Over a quarter of a million people have visited the Hebridean experience, learning about the grit and culture of these pioneering islanders.
You'll also find a natural history exhibition of the Treshnish Isles – visible from the Isle of Tiree. Here, vast colonies of seabirds – puffins, razorbills, guillemots, and petrels – gather for their annual breeding season.
Island House
In contrast to many other Hebridean islands, Tiree is without a castle. It wasn't always so. Once, it's said, a castle stood on an island in Loch an Eilein: not far from the airport. You can still see the original dry-stone dyke which surrounded the castle.
Near where the castle once stood is Island House. It was erected in 1748 by the 3rd Duke of Argyll. It housed his factor and also involved the construction of a causeway – meaning it was no longer an "island house", though the name stuck.
The house is still part of Argyll Estates but can be rented as a holiday home for groups and family gatherings. In the years since, it's seen several alterations and extensions – it even had a courtroom and prison cell added at one point.
It's one of the most historic spots on the island and remains a unique building unlike anything else on Tiree.
Hynish Signal Tower
After constructing the Skerryvore Lighthouse, 11 miles off the coast of Tiree, locals were struck with a problem. How to send messages without taking a boat? The answer: Semaphore. This long-distance method of communication using hand-held flags, discs, or paddles, was communicated from the top of Hynish Signal Tower: built in 1943.
Before modern communications, it was the only way to send messages to the keepers and their families marooned at the lighthouse. Even so, due to the conditions, it was often difficult to see the signals – and a signalman would spend two hours a day in the observation room hoping to see the lighthouse through a telescope.
If a signal were spotted, the signalman would hoist a ball to the top of the tower's flagpole. From the gender of a keeper's new baby to distress signs, this was how communications operated until 1937. It's now a relic of a forgotten age.
Port Riseag
Near the township of Balephuil is Port Riseag: where you'll find a memorial cairn erected in 2016 by the descendants of a horrific accident more than 150 years prior.
On 8th July 1856, a group of men from Balephuil decided to go fishing. Six small sailing boats set out, heedless of the approaching bad weather. Far from the shore and at the mercy of the wild Hebridean waves, the boats were battered and broken; a mast was cleaved, washing away the oars.
In the chaos, five men were lost to the waves, their boat washing ashore on the neighbouring island of Coll. Forty miles southeast of Tiree on the island Islay, in three boats, 33 men made it ashore. Yet, the exhaustion and sickness of the event claimed a further three lives.
It's a lesson of caution and respect for the treacherous water surrounding Tiree.
Enjoy the attractions
Architectural wonders. Cultural hubs. Surfing spectacles. Tiree's landmark attractions are enough to fill a holiday alone. You'll find these popular visitor spots scattered all over the island, from Hynish to Caolas.
Rural Centre
Discover Tiree's agricultural roots at the island's Rural Centre. Located a stone's throw from the airport, it's the crofting hub of the island. Inside you'll find a range of services and attractions, including an exhibition exploring the aspects of crofting and wildlife on Tiree and the island's Cattle Mart.
It serves as the island's local library, with a fascinating selection of books about the island. You can purchase various postcards, Tiree Feis clothing, and other souvenirs. It's also an excellent place to pick up a couple of wildlife guides to help identify the island's menagerie of flora and fauna.
There is lots for kids to do: the "Wee Township" is a safe outdoor play area built in the style of a traditional Tiree township, and there's an indoor play area for wet afternoons.
Plus, there's the Cobbled Cow Tearoom for parents. They serve up quality home-cooked food using local ingredients – where possible. It's popular with locals and visitors alike.
The Rural Centre is open Mondays to Saturdays, 9 am to 6 pm.
An Talla
An Talla is the beating heart of the island's cultural life. Spend any significant time on the island, and you'll find yourself at one of An Talla's thrilling nights of music and fun.
After the old community hall was demolished years before, An Talla was unveiled on 1st July 2004. It rapidly became the island's hub, hosting ceilidhs, dances, music concerts, and plays. It's also where locals meet for youth activities, public meetings, and private functions.
It's a stunning addition to the island and is fully kitted with all our needs. An Talla has two halls, a youth room, and a fully-equipped kitchen. Oh, and there's even a wind turbine helping keep the lights on.
An Turas
Funded by the Scottish Arts Council, An Turas is Tiree's answer to modern architecture. It's like nothing else in the landscape – or perhaps Scotland as a whole.
Named for the Gaelic meaning "A Journey", the structure is designed as a shelter for the visitors and locals waiting to board the ferry. Conceptualised as a three-part sequence:
1 Visitors first enter the white walls, which shelter from the wind but are open to the sky.
2 Down this long corridor, you arrive at the bridge, enclosed to the sky and elements but open to the rock and sand below.
3 Finally comes the glass box – a panoramic spectacle of Gott Bay and the isles beyond.
This sculptural structure is a collaborative work of artists, sculptures, architects, and engineers who hoped to capture different elements of Tiree's dramatic landscape. From the white sands and open skies to the rock and earth to the boundless views found at the island edge, it appears at once a pier, a black roofed cottage, and a window of the landscape.
In short: it's an ode to Tiree.
It's had a significant impact on the island tourist industry. Indeed, after being unveiled in 2003, it won numerous awards, including:
Doolan Award 2003 'Best Building in Scotland'
RIBA National Award 2003
RSA Gold Medal for Architecture 2003
Shortlisted for the Stirling Prize 2003
Shortlisted for the Mies van der Rohe Prize 2004
The Golf Ball (The NATS Radar Station)
Hike up the summit of Ben Hynish today, and you're in for a big surprise: a giant golf ball. Legends of giants tossing rocks and building mountains are common in this part of the world – and the Scots love their golf. But this isn't the world's most epic golf game, but NATS – the National Air Traffic Services.
Positioned on the edge of the Atlantic, the 24 metres high white spherical structure can scan the skies two hundred miles out to sea. It's a vital civil aviation radar station.
Built in 1985, the rugged conditions of Tiree's tallest mountain meant the hexagonal fibreglass plates had to be imported from Norway; they're designed to withstand winds up to 220 mph.
Few landmarks are as iconic on the Tiree landscape as the Golf Ball. It's not easily missed!
Tilley the Wind Turbine
Tiresians have always been industrious, from constructing the old mill to Tilley, the Wind Turbine. Conceived in the late 2000s, Tilly was erected in October and November 2009 at Caolas. Named after the "Tilley Lamps" that once lit island homes, this 990 kW Enercon E44 wind turbine produces enough energy some months to supply almost 90 UK homes for a year.
Much of the energy produced by Tilley is sold back to the National Grid to raise revenue for the island. While some moan about the wind turbine's appearances, Tilley is much-loved, providing all electricity and more. It's a windfall we're forever grateful for.
The Surf Shack Balevullin
Known across the UK and beyond as the Hawaii of the North, Tiree is something of a surfer's paradise. The epicentre: the small wooden hut built by Blackhouse Watersports on Balevullin Beach.
Blackhouse Watersports is a family-run business; the Largs are the island's foremost surfing instructors, teaching visitors and locals alike to ride the waves. Renowned Scottish surfers like Finn MacDonald and Ben Larg have ventured out from their little beach hut, representing Scotland in the ISA World Junior Surfing Championship.
Indeed, after the surf shack was threatened by Argyll and Bute council in 2016, it generated an international outcry. With the winter period seeing the best waves, it's a critical part of the island's surfing community – letting them shelter after an afternoon in the frigid Atlantic waters.
Isle of Tiree Distillery
Like other Hebridean islands, Tiree once produced the same high-quality whisky for which Scotland is famed. In fact, there were no less than fifty distillers at one point; after all, the Tiresians were never short of grain. However, after a brief 217-year hiatus, a new distillery was begun in West Hynish.
Known simply as the Isle of Tiree Distillery, it's the island's only legal, operational distillery. However, it doesn't solely produce whisky: it's a gin operation. They do produce some whisky, using some imported barley. It's hoped, however, that a 100% Tiree barley whisky will be produced as their capacity and production expand.
Nevertheless, it's become a major landmark and attraction on the island. You can even learn to make your own gin! Using locally sourced machair botanicals, it's as much a part of Tiree as the sun, sea, and sand.
For now, it's just a waiting game as the whisky ages.
Open April to October, 11 am till 5 pm.
An Iodhlann Historical Centre
An Iodhlann (pronounced an-ee-lun) is Tiree's historical centre. Made up of volunteers from across the island, it's been collecting and displaying Tiree's history since 1995.
With more than 12,000 items in its collection, it's the most comprehensive catalogue of island life. Inside, you'll find a wealth of information about how the islanders once lived, from models of old houses to immaculately preserved exhibits.
You'll find the An Iodhlann Centre in Scarinish – Tiree's principal village.
Getting Around
Perhaps most prominent of all Tiree's landmarks are the island's gateways. Whether you discover Tiree by sea or air, these large manmade constructions are among the Isle's most recognisable features.
Tiree Airport
There are two ways to visit Tiree: sea and air. When seen from the sky, the airport is perhaps the most visible manmade structure on the island; it's certainly the biggest. Encompassing a sizable portion of the island's middle, it's our gateway to the outside world – and the outside world's entrance to our little emerald isle.
Prior to 1927, however, travel was reliant on the ferries and fishermen who travelled to the mainland. The first flight caused something of a stir. To visit the summer sports of the Reed, the Tiree Association chartered a plane. The islanders gathered to watch the landing on Cnoc nan Deilgeanan (the Hill of Thistles) in Crossapol.
Flights infrequently continued to the island; the first commercial flight was on 1st July 1936, when David Barclay – who'd previously flown to Tiree in 1935 – landed on the reef in a DH 89 Dragon Rapide: a twin-engine biplane.
The airfield was constructed, being requisitioned by the RAF in 1940 due to the outbreak of war. It served as the island's link to the mainland, with daily flights to Glasgow as well as to Coll and Oban.
Ferry Pier – Scarinish
Visit Tiree and Ferry Pier is either the first sight you see or the last: it's the entrance to the island. While we've always been somewhat isolated on Tiree, ferry travel between Tiree and the mainland picked up with the advent of the first pier in the early 20th century.
Until 1991, cars were driven onto a sling and then winched into the air six at a time. It was a somewhat nerve-wracking process. And there was also a turntable needed to spin cars around – it was all very laborious.
Since building the new pier, "roll-on roll-off" ferry services have become the norm, improving tourism and access to the island. Caledonian MacBrayne even built new offices, a waiting room, and toilets in 2003, available during arrival and departure times of the ferry.
Isle of Tiree | An Island of Landmarks
Being a relatively low-lying Hebridean island, our landmarks define the landscape. Whether it be the towering hills of Ben Hynish and Ben Hough, the curious sculptural structure of An Turas, or the ruins of Dùn Mòr, the island's wonders are never far from view.
As I said, we pack a lot into our little island – 8,000 years or more of history will do that. We've got natural wonders and historical marvels, and we've even got a distillery again.
Which one will you visit first?
