Tiny UK island home to only 60 people and a pub that feels like a dream
- UK Hidden Gems
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Scotland, more than almost anywhere else in the UK, is a place where you can truly switch off from everyday life.
With huge open landscapes and only a few tiny villages scattered around, the Highlands and islands are ideal for anyone wanting a break from the rush of modern living.
If that sounds like your kind of escape, there’s one place that might be perfect. Covering only 25 hectares, this place is one of the smallest lived-in islands in the country.
It sits among the Slate Islands in the Inner Hebrides, around 17 miles south-west of Oban. Fewer than 60 people live there, and you can walk around the whole island in under an hour, which is handy as there are no roads at all.
Getting there is simple, though. A tiny boat runs from Ellenabeich on the nearby island of Seil, and the trip takes just five minutes. Seil itself is joined to the mainland by the famous Bridge Over The Atlantic.
Visitors are often amazed by Easdale’s charm, with one saying it “doesn’t seem real”. Travel blog The Chaotic Scot describes it as “as cute and quirky as they come”.
Easdale and the islands around it were once the heart of Scotland’s slate mining trade, which is how the group got its name.
One of the old quarries is now used as a natural swimming pool. With no cars on the island, people move things around in bright wheelbarrows between the neat white cottages, according to the Scottish Daily Express.
Even though there isn’t a shop, the island still has a place to eat and drink. The Puffer Bar and Restaurant has great reviews on TripAdvisor, with one guest calling it a “wee gem”.
The island’s highest point is only 38 metres tall, but the wide views across the Firth of Lorn and beyond are truly spectacular.
The community hall holds regular music events, and every September Easdale hosts the World Stone Skimming Championship, which draws visitors from near and far.
Remember - LeaveNoTrace!
As with anywhere outdoors, kindly keep these areas pristine and wild by taking all trash with you. The amount of complaints we have seen since the pandemic is crazy. It's really not that hard to take your rubbish with you!
Litter tends to spread, so if you see any and are able to pick it up and dispose of it outside the hidden gem, it will help keep the area tidy.
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