Scottish islands named among the greatest in the UK

Places like Mull and Orkney were named, alongside spots in England and Wales like Angelsey and the Isle of Wight.

Introducing the list, The Telegraph said: "You might sink your toes into talc-soft sand on a remote Hebridean beach, or slurp oysters overlooking a traditional fishing harbour. Circle millennia-old stones or stroll a Victorian seafront prom.

"Join in with gig-racing, seaweed-harvesting, Munro-bagging or barrel-burning. Bed down in a lighthouse or bell tent, boutique surf lodge or Scottish castle.

Tobermory on the Isle of Mull is well-known for starring in Balamory (Image: Getty)

"As a taster, we’ve chosen 10 British islands that demand to be visited, whatever the hue of your own insular obsession."

Four Scottish Islands named among the 'greatest' in the UK

Mull, Orkney, Arran and Tiree were the Scottish islands named among the "greatest" in the UK.

Mull

The Telegraph said: "Though less afflicted by coach-tour logjams than Skye, the second-largest of the Inner Hebrides boasts ample Instagram-inspired honeypots."

Discussing the island's capital, it added: "Tobermory – body double for television’s Balamory – is the kind of cutesy rainbow-hued harbour for which postcards were invented.

"Also photogenic are the forbidding 14th-century keep of Duart Castle, gazing imperiously over arriving ferries from its rocky promontory, and the sweep of fudge-coloured sand at Calgary Bay, lapped by waters as turquoise as any Aegean cove – on sunny days, anyway."

Mull is also said to be home to "Massive golden and white-tailed eagles" with wingspans topping 2m. The island's coast also boasts bottlenose dolphins and harbour porpoises.

Beautiful sites like Staffa, which is known for its polygon basalt pipes, host other stunning animals like puffins, guillemots and razorbills.

Arran and Tiree were also listed (Image: Getty)

Mainland Orkney

The newspaper said: "Spend even a few minutes in Kirkwall, the chirpy Orcadian capital, and you’ll be reminded that this windswept archipelago was Norwegian longer than it’s been Scottish.

"Colonised by the Norsemen in 875, it became part of the kingdom of Scotland only six centuries later; indeed, in early July Orkney Council reportedly discussed the possibility of once more becoming a Norwegian territory.

"Those Scandi settlers created Britain’s most northerly cathedral, the rust-and-gold marvel dedicated to St Magnus, begun in the 12th century. And before the Vikings? Well, archaeologists and historians are still working on that – as you’ll discover at one of the ongoing digs or open days across the archipelago."

Arran

"Scotland in miniature, the marketing types would have you believe – and they’re not far wrong," The Telegraph said.

"There’s no monster-lurked loch, nor any summit quite lofty enough to be a Munro, though 874m granite Goatfell is a worthy conquest, providing views as far as Northern Ireland on a clear day.

"Otherwise, the boxes are confidently inked: red deer and golden eagles, golf and whisky, Neolithic standing stones and burial cairns, bridal-veil cascades and bulky baronial castles.

"Despite this, and its easy access – ferries to capital Brodick sail from Ardrossan, under an hour by rail from Glasgow – Arran is relaxed and largely uncrowded.

"The rugged northern portion is a microcosm of the Highlands, all glens and sheer-sided peaks; here, too, you’ll find the namesake distillery (arranwhisky.com), producing vanilla-y, citrus-y, sometimes smoky single malts.

"The south is gentler, greener, more wooded, gilded with lovely beaches. Hikers are in dreamland, with a full-circuit footpath and numerous rewarding routes including the easy amble from Whiting Bay to lovely Glenashdale Falls."

The strong breeze on Tiree is said to keep the midges at bay (Image: Getty)

Recommended Reading: 

Scottish seaside towns dubbed the 'coolest, prettiest and quirkiest' in the UK

Hidden gem location in Scotland named one of the best canal holidays in Britain

Scotland's 10 best universities to attend revealed in new league table

Tiree

The news outlet said: "With no land between here and Canada’s eastern seaboard, swells surge vast distances across the Atlantic to break with gusto on Balevullin Beach, Tiree’s most consistent surf break.

"It’s just one of more than a dozen enticing stretches of Tate-and-Lyle sand lining the coast of the outermost of the Inner Hebrides. Previously dominated by agriculture – its name derives from the Gaelic for ‘Land of Corn’ – Tiree is now a magnet for birders and watersports enthusiasts, who’ve dubbed this sunny, low-lying speck the ‘Hawaii of the North’."

The Telegraph added: "The strong breezes that keep Scotland’s infamous midges at bay also power world-class windsurfing; the Tiree Wave Classic (tireewaveclassic.co.uk) has lured international champions to compete here each October for nearly three decades.

"Should waves and wind fail, spot waders and waterfowl along the shore en route to the Ringing Stone, a curiously balanced boulder that gives out a metallic ringing when struck."