In pictures: Uninhabited islands of Scotland

MANY of Scotland’s uninhabited islands reveal fascinating remnants of the country’s past, and of the communities who once lived there.

Though most islands were once home to small, self-sustaining communities, a combination of famine, bitter weather conditions and the lure of the mainland slowly eroded many of the communities on islands such as St Kilda. The islands’ now-desolate landscapes, bearing only traces of their former occupants, are testament to the stark beauty of Scotland’s coastline as the islands return to the wilderness - well, most of the time, as The Scotsman discovers.

TARANSAY

Made famous by BBC television show Castaway, the island was bought last year by a pharmaceutical entrepreneur. Its last permanent residents left in 1974.

SHIANTS

Shiants, a triumvirate of small islands, has been deserted for over 100 years.

INCH KENNETH

Inch Kenneth was once home to Unity Mitford, a Nazi sympathiser who it is claimed attempted suicide upon hearing that Germany had gone to war. The island has lain deserted since her death.

AILSA CRAIG

Ailsa Craig, a fertile granite mining centre until the 70s, is now thought to house the third largest gannet community in the world.

LITTLE CUMBRAE

Little Cumbrae proximity to the mainland perhaps explains why, unlike other islands, it was not fully deserted until late last century. It was bought by yoga guru Swami Randev in 2009.

ST KILDA

St Kilda’s last islanders left in 1930 after a slow decline in the communities’ population, exacerbated by the distance of the island from the mainland and the harsh living conditions. The National Trust of Scotland now owns the island.

HANDA

Though Handa has been without a community since the mid-19th century, it has become something of a tourist attraction - so much so that it is now home to a £50,000 toilet.