Garvellachs

s, recorded in 1881 by the Ordnance Survey. There is a small anchorage and landing place on Garbh Eileach where there are the remains of a burial ground and of a fort that measures about 14m by 11m. About northeast of this dun there are the ruins of a house and byre with a corn-drying kiln a short distance away, probably erected in the late 18th or 19th century. The island had a population of thirty-two adults in the late 17th century but only four houses were occupied by 1861, and from then on it is likely that only the shepherd's cottage near the landing-place remained in use. Columba is also believed to have visited the island and it is one of the proposed locations of the Columban…

]] The waters surrounding the islands are extensively used for leisure sailing. Due to the array of separate tidal races produced by the underwater topography there are some treacherous stretches of water. These include the Grey Dog between Scarba and Lunga and the Gulf of Corryvreckan, between Scarba and Jura, in which is located the infamous Corryvreckan whirlpool, which is the third-largest whirlpool in the world. The area is part of the Scarba, Lunga and the Garvellachs National Scenic Area, one of 40 such areas in Scotland, which are defined so as to identify areas of exceptional scenery and to ensure its protection by restricting certain forms of development. The Scottish plant…