Eilean na h-Àirigh

Eilean na h-Àirigh sits among the small isles of Na h-Eileanan Siar; its Gaelic name - 'Àirigh', meaning a shieling or summer pasture - reflects the low-lying machair, rocky shorelines and sheltered inshore waters typical of the area, and it is generally uninhabited today, supporting seabirds and seasonally grazed grassland rather than permanent settlement.

As with many tiny Outer Hebridean isles, its story is bound up with crofting: historically used for summer grazing and sometimes showing traces of old shielings or clearance-era activity, it now has more value for local communities in terms of grazing rights, biodiversity and low-key recreation such as birdwatching and sea-kayaking than for any independent economy.