Rona
South Rona, often referred to simply as Rona, is a small uninhabited island lying in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, situated in the Sound of Raasay between the Isle of Raasay to the west and the Scottish mainland to the east. The coordinates place it precisely on this elongated island, which stretches roughly three miles from north to south and covers an area of around 500 hectares. Rona is a place of extraordinary wildness and silence, largely forgotten by the modern world, and it attracts the rare breed of visitor who seeks complete solitude in one of Britain's most remote and unspoiled landscapes. It is not to be confused with North Rona, the far more remote island off the northern tip of the Scottish mainland — South Rona has its own distinct character and story, intimately connected to the Isle of Raasay immediately to its south and west.
The island has a long human history stretching back millennia. Evidence of early Christian activity exists in the form of a cave near the northern end of the island, known as the Cave of the Praying Hands or Uamh nan Ramh, which contains carved stone crosses and is believed to have been used by early Christian hermits or monks, possibly in the sixth or seventh century. During the medieval period the island supported a small farming community, and by the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries it held a modest population of crofters who lived in the settlement at Church Cave Bay. Like so many Hebridean islands, Rona was not immune to the social disruptions of the Highland Clearances, and its population dwindled through the nineteenth century. By the early twentieth century the island was effectively uninhabited as a permanent residence. During the Second World War, the island played a minor but interesting strategic role when a Royal Navy base was briefly established there, taking advantage of its sheltered anchorage at Acairseid Mhòr — a name meaning "the big harbour" in Gaelic — on the island's south coast.
Acairseid Mhòr is by far the most visited and celebrated feature of South Rona today, and it is considered one of the finest natural anchorages in the entire Scottish west coast. Yachts and sailing boats seeking shelter from the fierce Atlantic swells that batter the Hebrides make their way into this deep, narrow sea loch surrounded on three sides by heather-clad hills. The anchorage is so well protected that it can feel almost Mediterranean in calm summer weather, with the dark water reflecting the rugged hillsides above. A small stone cottage, known locally as the Garden House or the "Flower Tunnel Cottage," sits near the anchorage and became famous for its extraordinary archway of flowers maintained by a former inhabitant. This floral tunnel and the cottage itself have become something of a landmark for passing yachtsmen, though the gardens are now more modest than in their heyday.
In person, the island has a texture and atmosphere that is deeply elemental. The terrain is rough underfoot — a mixture of boggy ground, exposed rock, heather and bracken — and it rises to modest but dramatic heights, giving wide views over the Sound of Raasay toward the Torridon mountains on the mainland and the Cuillin ridge of Skye on the horizon. On a clear day the panorama is staggering, with layer upon layer of mountain and sea stretching in every direction. The island is largely treeless, giving it an open, windswept quality, and in poor weather the low cloud and mist can descend with startling speed, turning the landscape brooding and austere. Seals are abundant on the rocky shores and frequently haul themselves out to bask on the slabs of Torridonian sandstone and gneiss that form much of the coastline. Red deer have also colonised the island and can often be seen moving across the higher ground.
The surrounding seascape is rich with wildlife. The waters around South Rona support porpoises, common dolphins and occasionally minke whales. Seabirds including guillemots, razorbills, shags and various gull species populate the sea cliffs, while golden eagles have been reported hunting over the hillsides. The neighbouring Isle of Raasay, immediately to the south, is itself a destination of considerable interest, with its own complex history related to the Clearances, the MacLeod clan, and the remarkable figure of Sorley MacLean, the Gaelic poet who was born there and whose lyric landscape was drawn directly from these islands and their surrounding waters. The Applecross peninsula on the mainland opposite is another dramatic neighbour, accessible via the famous Bealach na Bà pass.
Visiting South Rona requires either a private boat or yacht, as there is no regular passenger ferry service to the island. The most common approach is by sea from Portree on Skye, from Sconser, or from the Raasay ferry terminal, though this typically involves chartering or crewing a sailing vessel. Some boat charter operators based in Skye and along the west coast include South Rona among their itineraries. The anchorage at Acairseid Mhòr is the obvious destination, and there is space for a number of yachts to anchor or pick up moorings. Landing by dinghy and exploring the island on foot is perfectly possible, though walkers should be prepared for rough, trackless terrain and should carry appropriate navigation equipment and waterproofs. There are no facilities of any kind on the island — no shops, no accommodation, and no infrastructure beyond a few old stone ruins. The summer months from May to September offer the best combination of accessible weather and long daylight hours, with June and July particularly prized for settled conditions. Even in summer, the weather can change rapidly and squalls are always possible.
One of the island's more unusual and touching stories concerns a woman named Ann Cameron who, for several decades in the mid-to-late twentieth century, lived alone or nearly alone on South Rona and became something of a legend among the west coast yachting community. She was responsible for maintaining the celebrated flower garden and archway at Acairseid Mhòr, creating a remarkable splash of colour and domesticity in an otherwise utterly wild place. For generations of sailors arriving at the anchorage after long passages through rough seas, her garden and welcome were an almost mythical reward. The story of South Rona is, in many ways, a microcosm of the wider Hebridean story — ancient human presence, early Christian spirituality, clan tenure, agricultural clearance, wartime utility, and eventual return to wilderness — compressed into a small and hauntingly beautiful island that most people have never heard of.