Scotland's Coastline & Islands — Geography Resource
A P4–P7 geography resource on Scotland's extraordinary coastline and island groups — Orkney, Shetland, the Hebrides, geology, culture, and why Scotland's islands are so important ecologically and culturally.
Preview
Page count: 2. Print-ready PDF — letter / A4 friendly. Click image to see all pages.
Scotland's islands
- 1 Orkney 70+ islands (20 inhabited), northeast Scotland. Low-lying, fertile, treeless. Remarkable prehistoric sites — Skara Brae (5,000-year-old village), Ring of Brodgar, Maeshowe. Viking heritage — Norse was spoken here until the 16th century.
- 2 Shetland 100+ islands (14 inhabited), the most northerly part of the UK (60°N — same latitude as Oslo, Alaska). Strongest Norse influence of any Scottish islands. Famous for Shetland ponies, Fair Isle knitwear, and traditional fiddle music.
- 3 Outer Hebrides (Western Isles) 100+ islands, including Lewis & Harris, North and South Uist, Benbecula, Barra. The Gaelic heartland — approximately 52% of residents speak Gaelic. Stornoway is the main town.
- 4 Inner Hebrides Skye (largest inner island), Islay, Jura, Mull, Staffa (Fingal's Cave), Iona (early Christian monastery of Columba). More varied than Outer Hebrides.
- 5 Ecological importance Scotland's coastline (over 10,000 km) is among the most important in Europe for seabird colonies, grey seals, dolphin and whale populations, and rare habitats (machair — flower-rich grassland).
- 6 Scottish coastline length Scotland's coastline is estimated at 10,250 km — longer than the coastline of France. The fjord-like sea lochs (similar to Norwegian fjords) dramatically increase the length.
Learning objective
Name and describe the main Scottish island groups; distinguish their different cultural and geological characters; explain the ecological importance of Scotland's coastline; and understand Gaelic's special strength in the Outer Hebrides.
About this resource
Scotland islands and coastline resources
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