| Scottish Gaelic name | Eilean Shannda |
|---|---|
| Old Norse name | Sandey |
| Meaning of name | sand isle[1][2] |
| Location | |
  Handa Island Handa Island shown within Sutherland | |
| OS grid reference | NC138480 |
| Coordinates | 58°22′48″N 5°11′10″W / 58.380°N 05.186°W |
| Physical geography | |
| Island group | Inner Hebrides/Islands of Sutherland |
| Area | 309 hectares (1+3⁄16 sq mi) |
| Area rank | 87= [3] |
| Highest elevation | Sithean Mòr 123 m (404 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
 | |
| References | [4][5][6] |
Handa Island (Scottish Gaelic: Eilean Shannda) or usually Handa, is an island in Eddrachillis Bay off the west coast of Sutherland, Scotland. It is 309 hectares (760 acres)[2] and 123 metres (404 ft) at its highest point.[6]
The island is of national importance for its birdlife and maritime vegetation, and is a Scottish Wildlife Trust nature reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and a Special Protection Area (SPA).[7][8] Notable seabirds include guillemots, great skuas, puffins and razorbills.[9] Handa also forms part of the North-West Sutherland national scenic area, one of 40 such areas in Scotland.[10]
A small ferry sails to Handa from Tarbet on the mainland and boat trips operate to it from Fanagmore. The island receives five thousand visitors per annum.[11]
- ^ MacBain 1922, p. 15.
- ^ a b Haswell-Smith 2004, p. 199.
- ^ Area and population ranks: there are c. 300 islands over 20 ha in extent and 93 permanently inhabited islands were listed in the 2011 census.
- ^ General Register Office for Scotland (28 November 2003) Scotland's Census 2001 – Occasional Paper No 10: Statistics for Inhabited Islands. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
- ^ Haswell-Smith 2004, pp. 199–201.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
OSwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Handa Island SSSI". Scottish Natural Heritage. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
- ^ "Handa SPA". Scottish Natural Heritage. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
- ^ "The Scottish isle you can only visit on a day trip". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
- ^ "National Scenic Areas" Archived 11 March 2017 at the Wayback Machine. SNH. Retrieved 30 Mar 2011.
- ^ Haswell-Smith 2004, p. 201.