Inhabited, west coast Scottish islands - Canna and Sanday

The island of Canna is the western most of Scotland’s Small Isles. It is also the second smallest, after Muck - if, that is, you consider Canna along with Sanday as a single island (which is usually the case). If you consider them as two islands then Sanday is the smallest (even smaller than Muck) and Canna then becomes the third smallest (or third largest). Take your pick. In this post I’m going to do a bit of both: together and separate as it is sometimes impossible to tell (from the articles I read) to know, one way or the other, if the information is solely about Canna or Sanday or both. This meant that I, too, had to write about both islands in the same post, just to reduce my chances, as much as possible, of providing inaccurate information.

Canna is sausage shaped (long and narrow), lying roughly horizontally east to west, with a bit of a waist in the middle. It would therefore be more accurate to describe it as two fat sausages joined end to end with a wee bit of a bealach joining both bits together (and it should be mentioned that the western section points slightly more to the south west than the eastern section does). Sanday is tidally connected to Canna’s south coast, maybe about a mile west of Canna’s eastern end. If Canna is a (double) sausage then Sanday is a bit of a blob, having the rough shape of a shoe (or foot) with the toe, unlike Italy, facing east. Canna is a couple of hilly ridges, separated by the above mentioned waist at Tarbet, while Sanday is fairly low lying. The highest point on Canna’s eastern ‘sausage’ reaches to 689 feet (210 metres) with the western one at 489 feet (149 metres) - so, in my view, Canna cannot be called mountainous but only hilly. Both of Canna’s ‘sausages’ are surrounded on three sides by steep slopes and cliffs. The less steep slopes, also lacking cliffs, are on the sides of the bealach which separates them. The western ‘sausage’, going by the Internet maps I use, looks the less steep of the two all over, providing an easier climb to it’s summit - although neither looks like a difficult ascent.
Sanday, although pretty low lying, also has a couple of ‘high’ spots. The one near it’s eastern point reaches to 144 feet (44 metres) with the higher one, at the far western edge, reaching 194 feet (59 metres) - so Sanday certainly cannot be called mountainous, either. The coast lines of both islands would appear (from my maps and Internet photographs) to be mainly rocky, but there are a couple of sandy areas. Most of the area between the south east coast of Canna and the north east coast of Sanday is a large expanse of tidal sand and maybe mud. There is at least one white, sandy beach on Sanday (I know this because I had my lunch there). Cross the bridge to Sanday and turn right (west) as soon as you get across. It’s a very short walk from there to this small but lovely beach (and you can see it as you cross the bridge). My Internet map seems to indicate a few other small beaches, especially towards the western end of Canna, but I only came across one other mentioned which was out near the already mentioned Tarbet.
Note that if you plan to visit Canna and Sanday, to check out the above for yourself, that there is only one way to do so (unless you have a private yacht or helicopter) and that is via the CalMac ferry from Mallaig. That’s because the Sheerwater out of Arisaig does not go out past Rum and there is no airport on either Canna or Sanday. Note also, like with all the other Small Isles, that visitors are not allowed to bring out their own vehicles except for bicycles - which means that any heavy or bulky equipment, like kayaks or tents, have to be carried after reaching Canna.

The population of Canna and Sanday, combined, is roughly about 27, split 18 and 9 respectively (although this does not take into account the most recent census results). The folks on Canna live along it’s south east coast, between the CalMac jetty and the bridge over to Sanday (plus, maybe, a couple of homes on Canna just west of where the road turns south to the bridge over to Sanday). The folks on Sanday live along it’s northern coast, east of the bridge and looking across to the homes on Canna (between the CalMac jetty and the bridge to Sanday). Outside of those two areas there does not appear to be any other inhabited spots on either island. Both islands are owned by the National Trust for Scotland (NTS), with Canna operated as a single farm while there is some land on Sanday for crofting. I presume most inhabitants are, therefore, employed by the NTS but some may make a living, summer time anyway, by providing accommodation and/or working in the seasonal café or other seasonal enterprises. It appears that some of the inhabitants are native Gaelic speakers but I do not know when they moved there. From what I read, both islands were emptied during the Highland Clearances but I could find no mention of when they were repopulated or from where.
It should be kept in mind that there are very few facilities on either Canna or Sanday apart from the café, ‘honesty’ shop, post office, camping ground and other accommodation options. For example, you will not find a hotel, pub or restaurant. It is also worth noting that (from what I’ve read) most of the seasonal businesses have opened, closed and opened again - so it might be worthwhile checking what is open before you go out there, just to make sure you’re taking everything you might need, including sufficient food and drink for your stay.

So, given all that, what is there to do on Canna/Sanday once you get there? With so few facilities, just about everything there is to do is outside (unless you count sleeping and eating out at the café as activities). This provides for four activities (some of which can, and should, be combined). These are; lying about on one of the few beaches (maybe also going for a dip if the water is not too cold), going for walks (some of which might almost take all day). I didn’t spot any water sport hiring facility (like kayaks or canoes) but I may have missed this. Visiting the ancient and historic sites scattered about on both islands (including quite a few near the CalMac jetty). Apart from the sites of interest close to the jetty, there is the deconsecrated St. Edward’s Roman Catholic church on Sanday (currently abandoned and unused, it would seem) and a couple of souterrains on the northern coast near where the ‘waist’ reaches the sea.  Note that the many sites to see, which are near the jetty, include; a broken Celtic cross, a standing stone called the Punishment Stone, Compass Hill and Coroghan Castle, two historic churches and Canna House - all of which can be visited during even a short day trip while waiting for the ferry to return to Mallaig.
You can also go looking for the wildlife which Canna and Sanday are home to. This includes a large selection of birds including; golden eagle, white tailed eagle, puffins, skua, shearwater and crossbill - to name just a very few. In addition to that there are many flowers to look out for, some fairly rare, and a couple of butterflys which are also rare. From what my OS phone map suggests (satellite view), there are no tress at all on Sanday but Canna does host a few wooded areas close to the jetty, although those are not extensive. Mammals which make Canna and Sanday home includes; cows, sheep, goats, otters and what I’ve read described as the ‘famously’ tiny Canna mouse. Around the shore you’ll be able to spot all the usual marine life found around the west coast of Scotland, including; dolphins, porpoises, minke whales, orcas and basking sharks, to name just a few.

I have to say that I would be more than happy to return to Canna and Sanday for at least several days, or a week or more, so I could explore both islands in a bit more detail.

As always, more comprehensive articles can be found on the Internet and, also as always, I end with a few of the photographs I took while there. I would mention, however, that my photographs only cover the area between the CalMac jetty and the beach at the north end of Sanday. You will find many other photographs, covering more of both islands, on the Internet, should you wish to get a better picture of what the two islands look like.

 

The photo above is of both Sanday (to the left) and Canna (to the right) as they are approached by the CalMac ferry. My visits to the other Small Isles were done in bright sunshine but things, just a couple of days later, had started to cloud over and provide some light rain into the bargain. The understandable result is that this photo, and the ones which follow, is not quite as bright and clear as on the others.

 

 

The above photo is of St. Edwards Roman Catholic church on Sanday. From what I read it is now deconsecrated and called the St Edwards Centre - but currently not in any use at all.

 

 

The photo above was taken as the CalMac ferry approached the jetty on Canna. I only included this shot because it shows, in the centre, one of the three churches and, to the left, Canna House (which you can find out all about in Internet articles).

The photo above is of Coroghon Castle on Cann’s east coast, near to the CalMac ferry jetty.

The above photo is one of the three churches (looks like the one also in the third photo but from a different angle). It shows Sanday across the water that becomes sand and mud flats at low tide and towards the bridge from Canna  to Sanday.

 

 

The photo above is of the broken Celtic cross which sits on the hillside just above the road from Canna to Sanday.

 

The above photo is of the standing stone that also sits just above the road from Canna to Sanday. This stone is also known as the punishment stone, which you can read about in several Internet articles. There is a small hole on the other side of the stone and the Internet article will explain it’s doubtful history.

 

 

The photo above was taken from Canna looking across to some of Sanday’s houses.

 

 

The above photo was taken on the road to the Sanday bridge, looking westwards towards the south western corner of Canna.

 

 

The photo above was taken from the road to the bridge to Sanday. On the left of the photo you will see the CalMac ferry sitting at it’s jetty. In front of it is Sanday with the old St. Edward’s church. Beyond that (I’m pretty sure) is Rum.

 

The above photo was also taken on the road to the Sanday bridge. It shows some of Canna’s buildings with the hills rising to the north behind them. In the distance is Coroghon Castle, also shown in photo number four.

 

 

The above photo is of the bridge to Sanday. It was taken from Canna looking towards Sanday. The white object on the other side is a memorial which I won’t explain here but, instead, leave anyone interested to do their own research on it.

 

 

The photo above is of the lovely wee beach on Sanday, just to the west of the bridge. The shot is looking west towards the south western corner of Canna.