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"
AreaPopulationLocationCountry
Great Britain60,800,000[4] England, Scotland and Wales,
Ireland6,378,000[5]
Lewis and Harris[6] 19,918Outer HebridesScotland,
Isle of Skye9,232Inner HebridesScotland,
Mainland (Shetland)17,550Shetland IslandsScotland,
Isle of Mull2,667Inner HebridesScotland,
Anglesey (including Holy Island) 69,000Irish SeaWales,
3,457Inner HebridesScotland,
Isle of Man[7] 80,056Irish SeaIsle of Man
17,162Orkney IslandsScotland,
5,045Firth of ClydeScotland,
Isle of Wight[8] 132,731English ChannelEngland,
Jura188Inner HebridesScotland,
1,818Outer HebridesScotland,
1,271Outer HebridesScotland,
Yell957Shetland IslandsScotland,
2,620County MayoRepublic of Ireland
Hoy272Orkney IslandsScotland,
7,228Firth of ClydeScotland,
Unst720Shetland IslandsScotland,
Rùm22Small IslesScotland,
Isle of Sheppey[9] 37,852KentEngland,
1,219Outer HebridesScotland,
Tiree770Inner HebridesScotland,
Coll164Inner HebridesScotland,
Raasay192Inner HebridesScotland,
Great Island>13,000[10] CorkRepublic of Ireland
1,078Outer HebridesScotland,
Sanday478Orkney IslandsScotland,
South Ronaldsay458Orkney IslandsScotland,
Rousay212Orkney IslandsScotland,
Westray563Orkney IslandsScotland,
Fetlar86Shetland IslandsScotland,
Colonsay108Inner HebridesScotland,
Holy Island13,579AngleseyWales,
Stronsay343Orkney IslandsScotland,
Inishmore824Aran IslandsRepublic of Ireland
Eigg67Small IslesScotland,
Shapinsay300Orkney IslandsScotland,
Bressay384Shetland IslandsScotland,
Eday121Orkney IslandsScotland,
Hayling Island[11] 16,887HampshireEngland,
Foulness Island212EssexEngland,
Valentia Island665County KerryRepublic of Ireland
Scalpay10Inner HebridesScotland,
Gorumna[12] 1,010County GalwayRepublic of Ireland
Portsea Island147,088HampshireEngland,
Lismore146Inner HebridesScotland,
Great Bernera233Outer HebridesScotland,
Ulva16Inner HebridesScotland,
1,034Shetland IslandsScotland,
Canvey Island[13] 37,479EssexEngland,
Mersea Island[14] 7,182EssexEngland,
Muckle Roe104Shetland IslandsScotland,
Bere Island or Bear Island218[15] CorkRepublic of Ireland
Arranmore or Aran Island478County DonegalRepublic of Ireland
Rathlin Island100AntrimNorthern Ireland, United Kingdom
Inch Island396County DonegalRepublic of Ireland
Walney Island[16] 11,388FurnessEngland,
Foula38Shetland IslandsScotland,
Inishbofin184GalwayRepublic of Ireland
1,434Firth of ClydeScotland,
Inishmaan157Aran IslandsRepublic of Ireland
Papa Westray90Orkney IslandsScotland,
Lettermore184GalwayRepublic of Ireland
St Mary's[17] 1,666Isles of ScillyEngland,
Inisheer or Inishere343GalwayRepublic of Ireland
Lindisfarne180NorthumberlandEngland,
Lundy28DevonEngland,
Tresco180Isles of ScillyEngland,
Lambay Island7County DublinRepublic of Ireland
Calf of Man2 (seasonal)Irish SeaIsle of Man
Lettermullen or Lettermullan214GalwayRepublic of Ireland
Thorney Island[18] 1,079West SussexEngland,
Bardsey Island[19] 4GwyneddWales,
St Martin's142Isles of ScillyEngland,
St Agnes73Isles of ScillyEngland,
Bryher92Isles 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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