The best British islands, ranked and rated

Telegraph

2 days ago

Britain is home to an astonishing range of islands, from the (sometimes) sun-kissed slivers which fringe the southern English shoreline to the harder, hardier – but no less beautiful – outposts that dot the north and west coasts of Scotland.
How, if you were to attempt such a thing, would you rank them? Can you really compare the Isles of Scilly to the Outer Hebrides? And how would a league table look if you tried?
Here we set out with this very ambition. To weigh and measure more than 40 British islands, and place them into a logical order. In doing so, we use various metrics, from the reliability of the weather through to highest peak and population density. It also takes into account factors relevant to tourists and sight-seers: the number of Unesco sites and listed historical properties, whether there is a heritage railway, whether there is a coast path which manages a full circle of the island. And it brings in categories pertinent to those who might wish to make a longer trip of it: the number of luxury hotels and Michelin-starred restaurants; the number of pubs listed by real-ale aficionados Camra; whether there is a vineyard or a distillery for local tipples.
The contenders ranked here are all 'British islands'. This means the results include the likes of Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man, islands which are not part of the United Kingdom, yet which are included due to their status as British Crown Dependencies. However, every entry is a place you can reach from the UK mainland by road or ferry, without having to catch a flight (although flights are available in many cases) – which means that the 14 British Overseas Territories are excluded (they belong to another discussion, and ranking).
Where to begin? All is revealed below...
10. Arran
501 points
At the risk of resorting to cliché, this vastly pretty outcrop, which sits almost at the heart of the Firth of Clyde, should make this list on nickname alone. Arran is often referred to as 'Scotland in Miniature' due to the Highland Boundary Fault – the geological divider which passes directly through it, giving it both Highland and Lowland terrain.
Its distilled Scottishness does not extend to a big city akin to its relative neighbour Glasgow; indeed, with a head-count of just over 5,000 people, Arran has a stress-free population density of just 11.7 souls per square kilometre (32 points, using our metrics). But it does amount to nine listed historical sites (50 points in total); not least Brodick Castle, the ancestral home of the Dukes of Hamilton, which has crowned the east coast, in various architectural guises, since 1510. A trio of lighthouses (30 points) – such as Pladda, at the southern tip – are a reminder that, for all the tranquility on land, the shipping lanes on each side are still busy.
Highlight
The Coastal Way – the path which takes a 65-mile (105km) circular route (20 points) around the island's perimeter, in all its highs and lows.
9. The Isle of Man
503 points
Quibbles about the political status of this arrowhead-shaped island in the middle of the Irish Sea (it is a British Crown Dependency rather than a formal part of the United Kingdom) and its relevance to this feature can be swept aside on the beauty of it all. The Isle of Man is a spectacular enclave, coming to a head atop Snaefell, the mountain whose summit offers a view of all four constituent parts of the UK. Its 2,034ft (620m) height is worth 44 points in our scoring system; the fact that you can reach the roof via a heritage railway a further 20.
But there is plenty to enjoy below this mighty bluff. With 103 Camra-recognised pubs (20 points) – including The Trafalgar Hotel in north-easterly Ramsey – the Isle of Man is a place for a pint; perhaps after a round on one of its nine golf courses (46 points), such as King Edward Bay Golf Club, in its panoramic position on the east coast. And while the Isle's August average of 17C (20 points) does not make it paradise for sun-seekers, its 20 beaches (34 points) make it ideal for scenic strolls along the sands.
Highlight
Langness Lighthouse, on the south coast; one of five such landmarks on the Isle (50 points), and one that you can stay at (from £271).
8. St Mary's
517 points
The Isles of Scilly are known for existing in a self-contained ecosystem which gives them an extra verdancy and warmth. The summer average of 18C (25 points) on the biggest member of the group does not quite count as a Caribbean heatwave, but it does promise pleasant days at England 's southwest tip. In fact, 'pleasant' is the ideal word to describe St Mary's – which, like the rest of the archipelago, is protected as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB; 40 points). Its size gives it an edge in this ranking over neighbours such as St Agnes and Tresco. As do five sites which fall under the English Heritage umbrella (25 points) – such as the 350-year-old coastal defences of Garrison Walls, and the even older (unfinished) Tudor fort, Harry's Walls. That said, talk of size is misleading. At 2.5 square miles, St Mary's is easily the smallest island in this top 10. But this does mean that its 11-mile coastal path (20 points) can be hiked in a day.
Highlight
St Mary's coordinates are sufficiently southerly for a vineyard to thrive in its soil (30 points); in this case, HolyVale Vineyard.
7. Mainland (Orkney)
520 points
Sometimes, names can be deceptive. And in one sense, there is nothing 'Mainland' about the largest of the Orkney Islands, sitting in the North Sea, 30 miles above John O'Groats.
But in another, its moniker is very apt. Mainland (a corruption of the Norse 'Meginland') is Orkney's giant hub, home to its two key towns, Kirkwall and Stromness, as well as 75 per cent of the archipelago's 22,000-strong population. It is also an island of inestimable historic worth. Its four neolithic sites – collated as a Unesco World Heritage site (50 points), Heart of Neolithic Orkney – include the 5,000-year-old village of Skara Brae. Its bulging Historic Scotland portfolio (40 points) also features the Earl's Palace, a 16th-century ruin at Birsay, tied to the story of Mary Queen of Scots. There are present-tense traditions as well. The island's five distilleries (30 points) include Deerness, out at its south-east tip; a lovely place to sip a dram as the wind blows off Sandside Bay.
Highlight
The Orkney archipelago has a wealth of birdlife; enough to justify 12 RSPB reserves. Brodgar may be the pick of the six (60 points) on Mainland – training its binoculars on the 10,000 ducks that spend the winter on the Loch of Harray.
6. Guernsey (including Herm and Sark)
527 points
You might argue that the second largest Channel Island is closer, in physical mileage, to continental Europe than the UK mainland, but the Bailiwick of Guernsey, which runs to six inhabited islands, including Herm and Sark – is a British Crown Dependency, and its main member was always likely to rank highly in this poll. Guernsey's weather is both an inevitable element of its appeal – it is one of three islands in this top 10 with an August average of 20°C or higher (35 points) – and a small part of it.
Its Coastal Path is a 39-mile complete circle (20 points) above pretty bays and precipitous cliffs alike. And its four public gardens (30 points) include the elegant space of Candie Gardens, which gazes down the slope to the harbour in St Peter Port. Indeed, Guernsey's capital is an engaging place, home to a fine five-star property (10 points) in The Old Government House Hotel (from £252) which, as its name says, was the isle's administrative hub before becoming accommodation in 1858. Look east, meanwhile, and Sark has a different sort of charm: as an International Dark Sky Community (40 points), and a haven for star-gazers.
Highlight
Shell Beach, on Herm, is hailed by TripAdvisor as one of the top 100 beaches in the British sphere (20 points), although, in looks, it could be in the Caribbean.
5. Skye
531 points
If big can also be beautiful, then Skye is part of the evidence. At 639 square miles, is the second largest British island (only smaller than the conjoined behemoth of Lewis and Harris), and the largest in the Inner Hebrides. It crowns its size with the highest British peak beyond the mainland, Sgùrr Alasdair, whose 3,255ft (992m) heft is worth 60 points here. That you can hike to its summit is emblematic of Skye's general accessibility – it actually loses 20 points in our scoring system for the bridge to the mainland (between Kyleakin and Kyle of Lochalsh) which dilutes a little of its island aesthetic.
But ease of travel also makes for a fine destination. Especially if you enjoy poking around churches. There are over 90 of them on the island (30 points), not least the Trumpan Church, a medieval ruin with a dark history (it was the site of a clan massacre in 1578) but a dramatic coastal location. Add in a soupcon of refinement – a Michelin-starred restaurant (Loch Bay in Stein; 20 points); three five-star hotels (30 points) – and 'big' is boosted by 'broad of appeal'.
Highlight
4. Mull (including Iona and Staffa)
587 points
Although smaller than its Inner Hebridean brother – it is Britain's (and Scotland's) fourth biggest island – Mull manages to outmuscle Skye in our scoring system. It cannot quite match its 'neighbour' in height, its central peak Ben More rises to 3,169ft (966m), and 58 points. But it surpasses Skye in other things. Scotland is rarely lauded for its beaches, but Calgary Bay, on Mull's west coast, is among the best of them; a fabulous sliver of sand which makes TripAdvisor's list of the top 100 British beaches (20 points).
Its seven listed historical sites (50 points) include the magnificent Duart Castle, which has stood at the island's eastern tip since the 13th century. It is hardly unusual for a Scottish island to have a distillery, but Mull does so with aplomb (30 points) in its 'capital' Tobermory. And for those who don't mind colder water, it has three PADI-recognised dive sites (30 points), including the wreck of the SS Hispania, a steamer which sank in 1954. Throw in the islet next door – Iona, where Port Ban Beach is as gorgeous as Calgary Bay – and you have quite the scenic combination.
Highlight
Britain's 30 greatest villages (a further 20 points).
3. Jersey
644 points
With Guernsey in sixth, it should be scant surprise that its Channel Island sibling also makes the grade. Jersey shares many of Guernsey's key attributes, not least its 20C August average (35 points) – but on a bigger basis. Its full-circle coast path (20 points) is a longer challenge, at 48 miles – and passes a grand array of beaches en route. Four of them are ranked in Britain's top 100 by TripAdvisor (40 points), including the splendid arc of St Brelade's Bay, at the island's south-west corner, and Plemont Beach, at its north-western tip.
Jersey's southerly location and commensurate warmth make for a flourishing vineyard (30 points) in the form of the La Mare Wine Estate, up near the north coast at La Falaise. And if you want food as well as drink, Bohemia offers a Michelin-starred (20 points) menu of modern European fare in the capital St Helier, under the gaze of chef Callum Graham. Add in a pair of five-star hotels (20 points) – the Grand Jersey Hotel in St Helier (from £210); Longueville Manor (from £275) on its outskirts – and a long weekend makes a lot of sense.
Highlight
Jersey has 10 listed historic properties (60 points in total), including Mont Orgeuil (jerseyheritage.org) – a classic medieval castle, on the east coast at Gorey.
2. The Isle of Wight
646 points
An island on the edge of the Channel, rather than a 'Channel Island', the Isle of Wight matches Guernsey and Jersey for weather (its August average sneaks up to 21C; 35 points), but steals a march on them in other areas. Roughly half of the island's 150 square miles are categorised as an AONB (40 points), with the north-west and south-west coasts, along the Solent as well as the sea, justifying this tag.
The Isle serves up some of the new niceties of a British island – Adgestone Vineyard (from 30 points) turns the local climate into sparkling wine – while also clinging to long-held traditions: its Steam Railway (20 points), running six miles through the countryside just outside Ryde, is a classic of the heritage genre; its raft of cricket clubs (20 points), including Ventnor CC, in its glorious clifftop position on the south coast, exudes a certain Englishness. And its 70-mile coast path seals the deal, not least because it calls on the enduringly British attraction that is the funfair at The Needles.
Highlight
The Isle of Wight has 18 listed historical sites (75 points). Osborne House, summer refuge of Queen Victoria, may be the greatest.
1. Anglesey (including Holy Island)
777 points
Wales's biggest island romped to the top of our ranking. Anglesey can lay claim to two Unesco World Heritage sites (100 points): as part of the slate-mining landscape of northwest Wales, and via GeoMôn, its geopark, which showcases the rich range of fossils found in its soil. Indeed, you can barely move on Anglesey without tripping over an accolade. Much of its 125-mile shoreline (which is fully covered by a coastal path; 20 points) is protected as an AONB (40 points), including Holyhead Mountain, rising amidst the neolithic standing stones of adjacent Holy Island.
But there is much more to Anglesey than geography. Sosban & The Old Butchers offers Michelin-starred cuisine (20 points) with a view of the Menai Strait; Aberffraw, on its south-west flank, joins Tobermory in the Telegraph's list of ' Britain's 30 greatest villages ' (hailed as 'a huddle of pretty stone and pastel-painted cottages, peeking above the tidal waters of the River Ffraw). It all adds up to a towering total, one which even the 20-point penalty for a bridge to the mainland cannot puncture.
Highlight
Anglesey can boast 25 listed historic sites (80 points); none, perhaps, as remarkable as the 13th century masterpiece that is Beaumaris Castle.
The results
Nature - the top 10
Mull (including Iona and Staffa): 301 points
Isle of Wight: 247
Lewis and Harris: 237
Anglesey (including Holy Island): 237
Islay: 218
Jersey: 217
Mainland, Orkney: 209
North Uist: 203
Tresco: 202
Mainland, Shetland: 201
Culture - the top 10
Anglesey (including Holy Island)
Isle of Wight
Mainland, Orkney
Isle of Man
Mainland, Shetland
Jersey
Arran
Guernsey (including Sark and Herm)
St Mary's
Mull (including Iona and Staffa)
Luxuries - the top 10
Skye
Jersey
Anglesey (including Holy Island)
Arran
St Mary's
Mull (including Iona and Staffa)
Isle of Man
Guernsey (including Sark and Herm)
Islay
Isle of Wight
The methodology
We first compiled a shortlist of 40 islands based on their size and popularity as holiday destinations. These were awarded points based on their performance in the following categories:
Population density (the lower the better); highest point; number of World Heritage Sites; number of beaches listed amongst TripAdvisor's 100 best in Britain; number of churches per capita; number of nature reserves per square km; number of beaches per km of coastline; number of golf courses; number of historic sights (listed on TripAdvisor) per square km; number of gardens open to the public (listed on TripAdvisor); number of vineyards or distilleries; percentage of the island that is woodland (according to Ordnance Survey); percentage of the island that is still water (according to Ordnance Survey); number of Michelin-starred restaurants; number of restaurants with three, four or five AA stars; number of Camra-listed pubs per capita; number of lighthouses managed by the NLB or Trinity House; average daily high temperature and total rainfall during August (according to Weather2travel.com); number of four- and five-star hotels per square km (according to Booking.com); number of hotels with five AA stars; number of National Trust, National Trust for Scotland listings or equivalent; number of English Heritage, Welsh Heritage, Historic Scotland properties or equivalent; number of Historic Houses Association properties; number of RSPB reserves; number of nearby dive sites listed on Padi.com.
Further points were awarded for islands that possess an AONB, a Certified IDA International Dark Sky Park or Reserve; a round-the-island coast path, a cricket club, a heritage railway; and for appearances in Telegraph Travel's guide to Britain's wildlife wonders, and our pick of Britain's 30 best villages. Twenty points were deducted for islands with a road link to mainland Britain.