Introduction to Coll and Tyree

145km (90 miles) NW of Glasgow; 77km (48 miles) W of Fort William

If you like your scenery stark and tranquil, try tiny Coll and Tyree. The outermost of the Inner Hebrides, they're exposed to the open Atlantic and said to get the most sunshine in Britain. On Tyree (also spelled Tiree), the shell-sand machair (sand dunes) increase the arable area, differentiating it from the other inner isles.

Trees are scarce on both islands, but that doesn't mean the islands are bleak. Both are rich in flora, with some 500 species. The islands' roughly 150 bird species, including Arctic skuas and razorbills, make them a bird lover's paradise. Both common and gray seals have breeding colonies on the islands. There are few cars for rent here, but visitors don't seem to mind biking around the islands or catching a ride on Tyree's least expensive method of transport: A mail bus serves most of the island. Boat rentals and sea angling can also be arranged.