Lunga

All the Treshnish Islands belong now to the Hebridean Trust and are a site of special scientific interest. The anchorage is not nearly as exposed as it looks, and is fine even if a gale is blowing provided it is from the west. The Harp rock, only 15 minutes walk away, is by far the best seabird nesting cliff in the whole area, it is spectacular. Maybe the best place in the area. Take binoculars to look at the thousands of guillemots, razor bills and kittiwakes that nest on it. Lie on the cliffs and look down at the awks swimming under water. And on the way there you cannot miss the puffins nesting on the edge of the cliffs, and the shags snapping at you from their nests beside the path. In the autumn, from about mid September, the birds have mostly gone but your visit will be rewarded by the sight of baby Atlantic seals along the boulder beach by the anchorage, their parents swimming just off shore (or guarding their young, so don't get between them). This island was made famous by the ecologist Frank Fraser Darling (1903-1979) in his book 'Island Years' (1940). He camped here for several months with his wife and young child. It is difficult to imagine, but 20 people apparently lived on Lunga 200 years ago and the last person left in 1824.