Landscapes, legends and life at the edge: 7 of the most beautiful islands around the UK and Ireland
5 MINUTE READ
The British Isles might be famed for their royal castles, green countryside, vibrant cities and beautiful islands, but you’ll find some of their most incredible experiences beyond the mainland.
The small islands around the UK and Ireland are worlds within worlds. Some feel like a country distilled to its essence, others like a realm apart. For those curious about how landscapes shape lives – and vice versa – these islands are a revelation. Their rocks whisper of continental collisions and tropical pasts. Their cultures carry echoes of seafarers, saints and scientists. And their views encompass white-sand beaches, ancient ruins and cliffs alive with seabirds.
Forever at the edge, the beautiful islands that speckle the seas surrounding the busy mainland have an appealing sense of remove. When you need a new perspective, head to an island, we say!
And if you visit the incredible islands around the UK and Ireland with us, as well as escaping the crowds, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of Earth’s deep time, British history and our human heritage.
Here are 7 GeoCultura favourites that deserve a top spot on your must-see islands list.
1. Shetland isles: life on Scotland’s edge
The Shetland Isles are 200 miles closer to the Arctic Circle than they are to London – something you’ll feel as soon as you land in the archipelago’s capital Lerwick. In this starkly beautiful archipelago, you can trace the cross-section of a prehistoric volcano, walk across an active sand tombolo and sail beneath cliffs teeming with puffins, gannets and guillemots.
Shetland’s stories are told within its landscapes. Beneath a medieval chapel lie ancient Pictish treasures. On Mousa, an Iron Age broch still towers above the waves. And along Yell’s wild shores, an otter tracker might help you glimpse the elusive creatures that thrive here in Europe’s highest density.
Our 6-day Shetland tour bring those incredible landscapes alive with local insights, wartime heritage and Shetland hospitality.
2. Isles of Scilly: a Cornish paradise, cast adrift
Just off England’s southernwestern tip lies a surprisingly subtropical archipelago straight from a dream. Turquoise seas, sugar-white sands and gently swaying palms make the Isles of Scilly feel more Caribbean than Cornish.
But there’s substance beneath the serenity. This was the site of one of Britain’s biggest maritime disasters, which led to the invention of the marine chronometer. On our Isles of Scilly tour, you’ll hop between five inhabited islands, visit Tresco’s famed Abbey Gardens and meet the ‘no-fence’ goats from the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust.
3. Isle of Skye: land of lore and landscapes
Skye has been called the ‘Misty Isle’, but there’s nothing foggy about its appeal. This is Scottish drama in landscape form: jagged peaks, secret lochs, slow-motion landslips, with stories woven through it all.
Our lore-filled 6-day and luxury 7-day tours of Scotland cross to the Isle of Skye, taking you from the surreal shapes of the Quiraing to the tranquil depths of Loch Coruisk, reached by boat beneath the watchful Cuillin Hills. Along the way, delve into tales of Highland clearances, mythology and volcanic origins with our expert guides.
Whether tasting whisky at Talisker or walking along a secluded bay, Skye delivers awe with every footstep (and dram).
4. Anglesey: Darwin’s hidden chapter
Anglesey doesn’t shout for attention – and that’s part of its charm. This Welsh island blends coastal scenery with scientific intrigue, playing a key (if underappreciated) role in Charles Darwin’s early geological explorations.
Join our Retracing Charles Darwin’s travels in North Wales tour and explore sites like South Stack Lighthouse and Parys Mountain, where brilliant bands of copper-streaked rock tell stories of mining and magma. We also discuss Darwin’s travels with Professor Sedgwick, the Cambridge professor who helped shape the young naturalist’s thinking before Darwin set foot aboard the Beagle.
5. Aran Islands: stone, sea and story
A short ferry from the Irish mainland takes you to the strikingly beautiful Aran Islands. Here, sheer cliffs, wild seas and endless skies create a landscape as dramatic as it is unforgettable.
On our Galway Bay and Cliffs of Moher tour, you’ll visit Dún Aonghasa, a semi-circular hill fort perched on the edge of an 87-metre cliff on Inishmore – the largest of the Arans – and hear an archaeological story as powerful as the Atlantic waves pounding the shore below. With its wind-sculpted rocks and timeless pace, Inishmore invites reflection as much as admiration.
6. Outer Hebrides: myths and megaliths
Journey to Scotland’s west and you’ll find a place where the land blurs with legend. The Outer Hebrides, particularly Lewis and Harris, are geological and cultural treasure troves. Think billion-year-old Lewisian gneiss, ancient brochs and the haunting beauty of the Calanais Standing Stones.
Our small group tour to the Highlands, Skye and the Outer Hebrides takes you from the white sands of Luskentyre to the medieval Lewis Chessmen and the traditional thatched crofts of the restored Gearrannan Blackhouse Village. Along the way, you’ll trace tectonic tales and touch the very bedrock of Scotland’s deep past.
7. Isle of Wight: family traditions and fossils
The Isle of Wight is one of the most populated islands around the UK. It’s just a short ferry hop from England’s south coast, but its fossil-rich cliffs and slower pace of life make it feel like a world away.
Beloved by Queen Victoria as a family retreat – and generations of British families ever since – and by palaeontologists as a geological treasure trove (important new developments and discoveries are still happening here), the island is layered in both human and geological stories. We’re currently developing a new GeoCultura tour to bring those layers to life – expect chalky downs, hidden coves and stories that span millennia.
Keep your eyes on our Travel Journal for updates, or sign up to the GeoCultura newsletter (scroll to end of page) to be the first to know when our new Isle of Wight tour launches.
Ready to hop the islands around the UK and Ireland?
Whether you’re drawn by ancient stones or seabird colonies, shipwreck tales or Neolithic myths, you’ll find your perfect island among our range of small group tours.