List of islands of the British Isles
This page is a list of the larger islands that comprise the British Isles, listing area and population data. The total area of the archipelago is 315,134 km². Great Britain and Ireland between them account for 95.6% of this area, leaving 4.4% or an area of 13,950 km² of the remaining islands. The largest of the other islands are to be found in the Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland to the north, Anglesey and the Isle of Man between Great Britain and Ireland, and the Channel Islands near the coast of France.
Number of permanently inhabited islands (besides the two main islands):
The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are British Crown Dependencies, while Northern Ireland, Wales, England and Scotland are constituent countries of the United Kingdom.
Name |
Area (km²) |
Rank (area) |
Population[2] |
Rank (pop.) |
Island Group / Location |
Country |
Lewis and Harris[3] |
2,179 |
03 |
19,918 |
11 |
Outer Hebrides |
Scotland |
Skye[3] |
1,656 |
04 |
9,232 |
17 |
Inner Hebrides |
Scotland |
Shetland Mainland[3] |
969 |
05 |
17,550 |
12 |
Shetland Islands |
Scotland |
Mull[3] |
875 |
06 |
2,667 |
22 |
Inner Hebrides |
Scotland |
Anglesey[1] |
714 |
07 |
69,000 |
07 |
Irish Sea |
Wales |
Islay[3] |
620 |
08 |
3,457 |
21 |
Inner Hebrides |
Scotland |
Isle of Man[4] |
572 |
09 |
80,056 |
06 |
Irish Sea |
Isle of Man |
Orkney Mainland[3] |
523 |
10 |
15,315 |
14 |
Orkney Islands |
Scotland |
Arran[3] |
432 |
11 |
5,045 |
20 |
Firth of Clyde |
Scotland |
Isle of Wight[5] |
381 |
12 |
132,731 |
04 |
English Channel |
England |
Jura |
367 |
13 |
188 |
— |
Inner Hebrides |
Scotland |
South Uist[3] |
320 |
14 |
1,818 |
25 |
Outer Hebrides |
Scotland |
North Uist[3] |
303 |
15 |
1,271 |
28 |
Outer Hebrides |
Scotland |
Yell |
212 |
16 |
957 |
34 |
Shetland Islands |
Scotland |
Achill Island[6] |
147 |
17 |
2,620 |
23 |
County Mayo |
Republic of Ireland |
Hoy |
143 |
18 |
272 |
— |
Orkney Islands |
Scotland |
Bute[3] |
122 |
19 |
7,228 |
18 |
Firth of Clyde |
Scotland |
Unst |
121 |
20 |
720 |
37 |
Shetland Islands |
Scotland |
Jersey[7] |
116 |
21 |
89,300 |
05 |
Channel Islands |
Jersey |
Rùm |
105 |
22 |
22 |
— |
Small Isles |
Scotland |
Isle of Sheppey[8] |
94 |
23 |
37,852 |
09 |
Kent |
England |
Benbecula[3] |
82 |
24 |
1,219 |
29 |
Outer Hebrides |
Scotland |
Tiree |
78 |
25 |
770 |
36 |
Inner Hebrides |
Scotland |
Coll |
77 |
26 |
164 |
— |
Inner Hebrides |
Scotland |
Guernsey[9] |
65 |
27 |
59,710 |
08 |
Channel Islands |
Guernsey |
Raasay |
64 |
28 |
192 |
— |
Inner Hebrides |
Scotland |
Barra[3] |
59 |
29 |
1,078 |
31 |
Outer Hebrides |
Scotland |
Sanday |
50 |
30 |
478 |
39 |
Orkney Islands |
Scotland |
South Ronaldsay |
50 |
31 |
458 |
40 |
Orkney Islands |
Scotland |
Rousay |
49 |
32 |
212 |
— |
Orkney Islands |
Scotland |
Westray |
47 |
33 |
563 |
38 |
Orkney Islands |
Scotland |
Fetlar |
41 |
34 |
86 |
— |
Shetland Islands |
Scotland |
Colonsay |
41 |
35 |
108 |
— |
Inner Hebrides |
Scotland |
Holy Island, Anglesey |
39 |
36 |
13,579 |
15 |
Anglesey |
Wales |
Stronsay |
33 |
37 |
343 |
— |
Orkney Islands |
Scotland |
Inis Mór |
31 |
38 |
824 |
35 |
Aran Islands |
Republic of Ireland |
Eigg |
30 |
39 |
67 |
— |
Small Isles |
Scotland |
Shapinsay |
30 |
40 |
300 |
— |
Orkney Islands |
Scotland |
Bressay |
28 |
41 |
384 |
— |
Shetland Islands |
Scotland |
Eday |
27 |
42 |
121 |
— |
Orkney Islands |
Scotland |
Hayling Island[10] |
27 |
43 |
16,887 |
13 |
Hampshire |
England |
Foulness Island |
26 |
44 |
212 |
— |
Essex |
England |
Scalpay |
25 |
45 |
10 |
— |
Inner Hebrides |
Scotland |
Gorumna[6] |
24 |
46 |
1,010 |
33 |
Galway, Connemara |
Republic of Ireland |
Portsea Island |
24 |
47 |
147,088 |
03 |
Hampshire |
England |
Lismore |
24 |
48 |
146 |
— |
Inner Hebrides |
Scotland |
Great Bernera |
21 |
49 |
233 |
— |
Outer Hebrides |
Scotland |
Ulva |
20 |
50 |
16 |
— |
Inner Hebrides |
Scotland |
Whalsay[3] |
20 |
51 |
1,034 |
32 |
Shetland Islands |
Scotland |
Canvey Island[11] |
19 |
52 |
37,479 |
10 |
Essex |
England |
Mersea Island[12] |
18 |
53 |
7,182 |
19 |
Essex |
England |
Muckle Roe |
18 |
54 |
104 |
— |
Shetland Islands |
Scotland |
Walney Island[13] |
13 |
— |
11,388 |
16 |
Furness |
England |
Great Cumbrae[3] |
12 |
— |
1,434 |
27 |
Firth of Clyde |
Scotland |
Alderney[14] |
8 |
— |
2,294 |
24 |
Channel Islands |
Guernsey |
St Mary's[15] |
6 |
— |
1,666 |
26 |
Isles of Scilly |
England |
Thorney Island[16] |
— |
— |
1,079 |
30 |
English Channel |
England |
Bardsey Island[17] |
2 |
— |
4 |
— |
Gwynedd |
Wales |
See also
References
- ^ a b c Approximate population figure
- ^ Population figures are from 2001 Census, except: Isle of Portland from 2005; Achill, Gorumna, Isle of Man, Jersey all from 2006.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n General Register Office for Scotland - Statistics for Inhabited Islands
- ^ Isle of Man Census 2006 (excluding the population of 2 living on the Calf of Man)
- ^ National Statistics - Isle of Wight (Local Authority)
- ^ a b Census 2006 - Table 11 - Population of Inhabited Islands off the Coast (PDF)
- ^ Jersey Statistics Unit
- ^ National Statistics - Leysdown and Warden (Ward), Minster Cliffs (Ward), Queenborough and Halfway (Ward), Sheerness East (Ward), Sheerness West (Ward) and Sheppey Central (Ward)
- ^ States of Guernsey - Facts and Figures Booklet 2007 (excluding the parish of Herm and Jethou)
- ^ National Statistics - Hayling East (Ward) and Hayling West (Ward)
- ^ National Statistics - Canvey Island Central (Ward), East (Ward), North (Ward), South (Ward), West (Ward) and Winter Gardens (Ward)
- ^ National Statistics - West Mersea CP (Parish) and East Mersea CP (Parish)
- ^ National Statistics - Walney North (Ward) and Walney South (Ward)
- ^ Alderney Census Report 2001
- ^ National Statistics - St. Mary's (Ward)
- ^ National Statistics - West Thorney CP (Parish)
- ^ Guardian Article on Bardsey Island residents