List of islands of the British Isles explained

This article is a list of some of the islands that form the British Isles that have an area of 1km2 or larger, listing area and population data. The total area of the islands is .[1] Great Britain accounts for the larger part of this area at 66%,[2] with Ireland accounting for 26%,[3] leaving the remaining 8%—an area of —consisting of thousands of smaller islands. The largest of the other islands are to be found in the Hebrides and the Northern Isles to the north, and Anglesey and the Isle of Man between Great Britain and Ireland. Not included are the Channel Islands which, positioned off the coast of France, are not part of the archipelago.

There are 188 permanently inhabited islands in total:

List of islands by area

Name! colspan="2" data-sort-type="number"
AreaArea rankPopulationPopulation
rank		LocationCountry
Great Britain0160,800,000[4] 01England, Scotland and Wales,
Ireland026,378,000[5] 02
Lewis and Harris[6] 0319,91809Outer HebridesScotland,
Isle of Skye049,23216Inner HebridesScotland,
Mainland (Shetland)0517,55010Shetland IslandsScotland,
Isle of Mull062,66721Inner HebridesScotland,
Anglesey (including Holy Island) 0769,00006Irish SeaWales,
083,45720Inner HebridesScotland,
Isle of Man[7] 0980,05605Irish SeaIsle of Man
1015,31512Orkney IslandsScotland,
115,04519Firth of ClydeScotland,
Isle of Wight[8] 12132,73104English ChannelEngland,
Jura1318853Inner HebridesScotland,
141,81823Outer HebridesScotland,
151,27126Outer HebridesScotland,
Yell1695732Shetland IslandsScotland,
172,62022County MayoRepublic of Ireland
Hoy1827246Orkney IslandsScotland,
197,22817Firth of ClydeScotland,
Unst2072035Shetland IslandsScotland,
Rùm212273Small IslesScotland,
Isle of Sheppey[9] 2237,85207KentEngland,
231,21927Outer HebridesScotland,
Tiree2477034Inner HebridesScotland,
Coll2516458Inner HebridesScotland,
Raasay2619252Inner HebridesScotland,
Great Island27>13,000[10] 13 or 14CorkRepublic of Ireland
281,07829Outer HebridesScotland,
Sanday2947838Orkney IslandsScotland,
South Ronaldsay2945840Orkney IslandsScotland,
Rousay3121250Orkney IslandsScotland,
Westray3256337Orkney IslandsScotland,
Fetlar338668Shetland IslandsScotland,
Colonsay3310863Inner HebridesScotland,
Holy Island3513,57913 or 14AngleseyWales,
Stronsay3634343Orkney IslandsScotland,
Inishmore3782433Aran IslandsRepublic of Ireland
Eigg386770Small IslesScotland,
Shapinsay3830045Orkney IslandsScotland,
Bressay4038442Shetland IslandsScotland,
Eday4112162Orkney IslandsScotland,
Hayling Island[11] 4116,88711HampshireEngland,
Foulness Island4321250EssexEngland,
Valentia Island4366536County KerryRepublic of Ireland
Scalpay451075Inner HebridesScotland,
Gorumna[12] 461,01031County GalwayRepublic of Ireland
Portsea Island46147,08803HampshireEngland,
Lismore4614660Inner HebridesScotland,
Great Bernera4923347Outer HebridesScotland,
Ulva501674Inner HebridesScotland,
501,03430Shetland IslandsScotland,
Canvey Island[13] 5237,47908EssexEngland,
Mersea Island[14] 537,18218EssexEngland,
Muckle Roe5310464Shetland IslandsScotland,
Bere Island or Bear Island55218[15] 48CorkRepublic of Ireland
Arranmore or Aran Island5547839County DonegalRepublic of Ireland
Rathlin Island5710065AntrimNorthern Ireland, United Kingdom
Inch Island5739641County DonegalRepublic of Ireland
Walney Island[16] 5911,38815FurnessEngland,
Foula593871Shetland IslandsScotland,
Inishbofin5918454GalwayRepublic of Ireland
621,43425Firth of ClydeScotland,
Inishmaan6315759Aran IslandsRepublic of Ireland
Papa Westray649067Orkney IslandsScotland,
Lettermore6418454GalwayRepublic of Ireland
St Mary's[17] 661,66624Isles of ScillyEngland,
Inisheer or Inishere6634343GalwayRepublic of Ireland
Lindisfarne6818056NorthumberlandEngland,
Lundy682872DevonEngland,
Tresco7018056Isles of ScillyEngland,
Lambay Island70776County DublinRepublic of Ireland
Calf of Man702 (seasonal)78Irish SeaIsle of Man
Lettermullen or Lettermullan7021449GalwayRepublic of Ireland
Thorney Island[18] 741,07928West SussexEngland,
Bardsey Island[19] 74477GwyneddWales,
St Martin's7414261Isles of ScillyEngland,
St Agnes777369Isles of ScillyEngland,
Bryher779266Isles of ScillyEngland,

See also

Notes and References

  1. http://islands.unep.ch/Cindex.htm COUNTRY/TERRITORY INDEX, ISLAND DIRECTORY
  2. http://islands.unep.ch/ICJ.htm#943 Great Britain, ISLAND DIRECTORY
  3. http://islands.unep.ch/IBT.htm#749 Ireland, ISLAND DIRECTORY
  4. 2011 Census: Population Estimates for the United Kingdom. In the 2011 census, the population of England, Wales and Scotland was estimated to be approximately 61,370,000, composed of 60,800,000 on Great Britain and 570,000 on other islands. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  5. Web site: Historical Population Trends – 1841 – 2011, NISRA . PDF . 2015-08-09 . 10 October 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131010142537/http://www.nisra.gov.uk/Census/Historic_Population_Trends_%281841-2011%29_NI_and_RoI.pdf . dead . In 2011, the population of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland was 6,399,115, composed of approximately 6,378,000 on Ireland and 21,000 on other islands.
  6. http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/publications-and-data/occpapers/occasional-paper-10.html General Register Office for Scotland – Statistics for Inhabited Islands
  7. http://www.gov.im/treasury/economic/census/2006/ Isle of Man Census 2006
  8. http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=3&b=276857&c=isle+of+wight&d=13&e=15&g=412579&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1192395556109&enc=1 National Statistics – Isle of Wight (Local Authority)
  9. http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=3&b=5945244&c=leysd&d=14&e=16&g=459775&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1194442879000&enc=1 National Statistics – Leysdown and Warden (Ward)
  10. 2011 Census gives 6500 for Cobh Town and 7534 for Cobh Rural ED; most were on Great Island but 148 were on Haulbowline and some on Fota Island.
  11. http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=3&b=5946583&c=hayling&d=14&e=16&g=451561&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1193393197360&enc=1 National Statistics – Hayling East (Ward)
  12. http://www.cso.ie/census/documents/census2006_Table%208-11.pdf Census 2006 – Table 11 – Population of Inhabited Islands off the Coast
  13. http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=3&b=5947073&c=canvey&d=14&e=15&g=444168&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1194441743234&enc=1 National Statistics – Canvey Island Central (Ward)
  14. http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=794553&c=mersea&d=16&e=15&g=445397&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1193569603859&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 National Statistics – West Mersea CP (Parish)
  15. Population of Inhabited Islands Off the Coast. Central Statistics Office. 2023 . 29 June 2023.
  16. http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=3&b=5948003&c=walney&d=14&e=16&g=431956&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1193578964813&enc=1 National Statistics – Walney North (Ward)
  17. http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=3&b=5948047&c=st.+mary%27s&d=14&e=16&g=431422&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1192396797851&enc=1 National Statistics – St. Mary's (Ward)
  18. http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=800462&c=thorney&d=16&e=15&g=495850&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1192879849453&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779 National Statistics – West Thorney CP (Parish)
  19. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2008/nov/15/bardsey-island-family-ethical-living Article on Bardsey Island residents

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