South Rona

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Rona, sometimes called South Rona to distinguish it from North Rona, is a small island in the Scottish Inner Hebrides, north of Raasay and northeast of Skye. It has a total area of around 3.5 square miles.

In the nineteenth century the population of Rona fluctuated, and at its peak in 1881 it rose to 180. During this period it was the property of a succession of owners, until in 1922 it was bought by the British Government, along with Raasay. After this the population fell sharply, as most of the island's inhabitants returned to their ancestral homes on Raasay, and by 1943 the island became uninhabited, with the exception of two lighthouse keepers who lived at its north end until the lighthouse was automated in 1975. The ruins of Rona's main settlement, Acairseid Thioram (Dry Harbour) can still be seen, and are being restored to accommodate holidaymakers and archaeological and environmental working parties.

The island now has one inhabitant, who lives in the restored Rona Lodge at Acarseid Mhor (Big Harbour), where boats can dock, and where there is a bunkhouse and B&B.