Why Visit Tiree in Autumn
I've always thought outsiders see the world in a different light. The familiar scenes to locals are suddenly given a fresh perspective – you see the world anew. Perhaps I didn't mean outsiders, but Outlanders. "It was a beautiful, bright autumn day, with air like cider and a sky so blue you could drown in it," wrote the American author of the Outlander series, Diana Gabaldon, about a Scottish autumnal sky. Had she been to Tiree, I thought. She'd hadn't read my mind; she'd just seen the world outside the window.
Autumn on the Isle of Tiree is a special time. It has always been a time of change. It's a time when the leaves turn to russet, and the nights draw in. But on Tiree, it has a unique quality. Gone are the endless days of golden sunshine and the warm summer breeze. There's an atmosphere to the place you can't quite put into words. It's magical and mysterious, like the opening of a cave – you've really got to be here to feel it.
Which is kind of the point: you've got to be here. You don't know it yet, but you will. From the moment you step off the ferry or plane, you'll know you were right to come and that this is a special time. The liminal space between summer and winter – the in-between, when you get to explore the island as it transforms into its wild winter self.
No doubt you'll be a little suspicious of the idea. After all, heading up into the Highlands and then taking a ferry to the westernmost point in the Inner Hebrides isn't everyone's first thought in autumn. But that only means everyone is missing out. Taking a holiday in Tiree is always spectacular; doing so in autumn adds a little magic into the mix.
Expect brooding skies and dazzling sunsets, tumultuous seas and crackling fires. There's also the Tiree Wave Classic – a major windsurfing competition and a landmark event on the island (more below).
To give you a little taste of what the season has in store for the island, we're listing a handful of reasons to discover Tiree this autumn:
Feel the seasons change
Windsurfing like nowhere else
Test your mettle in the hills
See nature hunker down
Get it all to yourself
Why you need to visit the Isle of Tiree this Autumn
Feel the seasons change
Let's deal with the obvious – the weather in Tiree isn't nearly as bad as you're imagining. In fact, temperatures never drop below freezing throughout the autumn, and in September and October, you can expect average highs of 15°C and 12.5°C, respectively. So not roasting, but still t-shirt weather. Nor is the island a soup of rain and drizzle – about half the days in the month see a little rain. Expect the weather to be similar to southern England – due, in part, to the warming waters of the Gulf Stream.
Nevertheless, change is afoot.
With the nights drawing in, the days are darker and the evenings increasingly longer – take advantage of the situation. Don't just discover Tiree, but also the sky overhead. With few lights on the island and the nearest big city many miles away, there's no better place to watch the Milky Way arch across the night's sky.
It truly is spectacular.
Windsurfing like nowhere else
Tiree is humbly the windiest place in the UK. We don't shout about it – if only because no one would hear us over the wind. But it's true. And it's these powerful winds – straight off the Atlantic Ocean – that make Tiree a windsurfer’s paradise. When you holiday in Tiree in autumn, you have access to some of the year's best winds – with the peak period running from October into early Spring.
The Tiree Wave Classic began in 1986 as a local windsurfing event. Since, it's grown into an internationally recognised event, attracting hundreds of visitors and worldwide TV coverage. It even featured in the PWA Professional Windsurfing World Tour in 2007.
Covering six days in October, it involves four categories (Professionals, Amateurs, Masters, and Ladies). Indeed, the event is the longest-running professional windsurfing competition in the world.
You don't have to be a pro to join in, however. It's the perfect time to hop into a wetsuit and give it a go. Remember – even the best windsurfers started somewhere. Plus, you can get some top tips from the world's best windsurfers – you can't get a better instructor than that!
Test your mettle in the hills
Does windsurfing on the windiest island in Britain sound a little… easy? Well, suppose you're looking for an even greater test of your endurance. In that case, the island also hosts the Tiree Ultramarathon in September. The route snakes over foss and fell for 35 miles, allowing runners to discover Tiree via its coastal edge.
Autumn is the best time for runners. The weather is mild, and there isn't too much rain and drizzle making the ground soggy. Little wonder people travel from all over the UK to participate. And it’s very much a local favourite in the Tiree calendar.
It's definitely one way to holiday in Tiree. But, if 35 miles sounds a little much (we don't blame you), you can still wander and hike the countryside at your own pace. And after all the athletes finish, we party Tiree-style.
Meaning lots of dancing, singing, drinking and celebrating in a local ceilidh and prize ceremony. No one plays music better than the Islanders. (And don't let any of the lowlanders tell you differently!)
See nature hunker down
Tourists flock to London to see the changing of the guard. On the Isle of Tiree, it's our avian wildlife that's changing. Off go the species who shelter in Summer, in come the wading birds hunkering down in sandy banks of the island's two lochs: Loch a'Phuil and Loch Bhasapol. The former, for instance, hosts a panoply of ringer plovers, redshanks, and more.
Nor is that all. If you choose to holiday in Tiree this autumn, you'll also see the vast migrations of arctic birds heading south for winter. Tiree is but a refuelling station on their long pilgrimages to warmer climes. You don't have to be a twitcher to enjoy it. However, it's hard to truly discover Tiree's wildlife without a handy pair of binoculars.
Get it all to yourself
Sometimes I think we sound like a bunch of hermits. Nothing could be further from the truth. We're actually a very friendly bunch on the island – as the autumn's big events attest. But there is something special about the solitude and tranquillity you can discover in Tiree's vacant beaches and empty hills. You still get beautiful weather, but you also get a chance to take it all in on your own (or with your family).
And that's perfect for nature lovers too. With fewer people wandering the island, the wilder inhabitants are a little less shy. So, you're more likely to spot a Brown Hare or Whooper Swan in all its glory.
Conclusion
No season is the same on Tiree. And every time of year you choose to holiday in Tiree, you'll find a different landscape and place awaits. But if you decide to discover Tiree in Autumn, you'll find a spectacular landscape in the midst of change.
The birds are migrating; the festivals are humming. Are you ready to join in the fun? We can't wait to see you!
