Scarp
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58.020122, -7.128945
About Us
Hi I’m Lisa. Welcome to Islandeering I’m an islandeer, author and marine conservationist and passionate about sharing what I have learnt from my travels around the islands of the British Isles to help you find an adventure. I started the project 12 years ago after I had one of those light bulb moments and realised the pure magic that islands held for me. After meeting so many people on their island travels who shared my passion and told me that I must share my experiences so that others could do the same I set up Islandeering.com, where we are passionate about promoting responsible travel to our great British islands.
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Distance: 14.1 km
Difficulty: Moderate
Method: Walking
Wow Factor: 8 out of 10
Key Facts
- Location: Off west coast Lewis, Outer hebrides
- Size: 1045 ha
- Terrain: Free range grass, some rocks with boggier areas
- Access: Sea kayak (or Isle of Harris Sea Tours may do a drop off)
- Height gain: 643 metres
- Map: OS explorer 456
- Starting point: Slipway (GR NA 987 141)
- Accommodation/food:
Take a picnic!
- Island Summary:
A wild island west of Hushinish, Harris with a sprinkling of summer residences. Plenty of ruins to explore after the last remaining islanders left in 1971. Previously, the population of Scarp peaked at 213 in 1881. Even more recently the crofter’s life on the island was basic and with little cultivatable land families relied on potatoes, cabbages, oats, turnips, milk, fish, and some lobster fishing for their food and economy. Scarp was one of several Scottish islands where all the men of the island would gather every morning in a so-called ‘parliament’, to agree the work to be done on that day – these meetings could last several hours.
The island was the scene of two unsuccessful experiments with rocket mail by German inventor Gerhard Zucker. In July 1934 Zucker two attempts at firing rocket mail between Scarp and Harris resulted in a small explosion and a flutter of singed envelopes.
Scarp is dominated by two hills, of which the higher (Sron Romul) reaches 308 metres.
The island is accessed by a short kayak or boat crossing across the Kyle of Scarp from Hushinish, but the sound is very shallow and landing on Scarp can be difficult when there is a swell.
- Look out for:
- Wild and remote
- Awesome views back to Harris
- Exciting kayak trip to access it
- Route description:
This is a completely free-range route that follows the coastline as closely as possible. Please use the GPX trace below as a guide.
- Getting there:
Leave the jetty at Huisinis (GR NA 989 124) and head across the Sound of Scarp by sea kayak to land at the slipway on Scarp (GR 987 140) for the 1.6 km crossing. Isle of Harris Sea Tours may also do a drop off on the island.
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