Places Of Interest - The Isle of Tiree.
Crafted by the wild winds and crushing waves of the Atlantic Ocean, and with centuries of rich and varied history, the Isle of Tiree is scattered with places that will interest and excite. Whether you’re invested in history, in culture or just looking to see something truly magical – Tiree has it all.
From chapel ruins to the peak of Ben Hynish, from the stone that sings to historical monuments dedicated to important and much-loved islanders, these places dot the island from end to end. There are so many that it would be hard to fit them all in one list - but If you’re visiting the Isle of Tiree, we’ve narrowed it down to a few places that we believe are must visits. In no order, these are:
1. Ben Hynish
2. Dr Buchanans Monument
3. Hynish Signal Tower
4. Kirkapol Chapels
5. MacCallum’s Cairn
6. The Ringing Stone
7. Skerryvore Lighthouse
Many of the places of interest on the Isle of Tiree have their own link to its rich and varied history. They have become a part of this islands rugged landscape, embedded in the culture as much as the inhabitants are. By visiting these places of interest, we believe you get a brief glimpse of Tiree’s immense and diverse past. The island plays host to many immersive and impressive places, from its beaches to the monuments erected for the islands first doctor, and this list highlights just a few of the places of interest we believe you should visit when you’re next on the Isle of Tiree.
1. Ben Hynish
Ben Hynish is the highest point of the Isle of Tiree. At its peak, it sits at 141m above sea level and offers 360-degree views of the islands awe-inspiring scenery. From the top, you’ll be gifted with a sweeping landscape, rolling green fields and unkempt but colourful machair. On a clear day, you can see as far as Skerryvore lighthouse – and as Tiree is one of the sunniest parts of the United Kingdom, we get a lot of those clear blue-sky days.
Depending on the surf, huge, towering waves can sometimes be seen around the coastline, and the sparkling white houses that dot the landscape are a reminder of the island’s historical and current links with crofting.
Tiree is home to some of the most incredible and unique views in Scotland. We believe that the top of Ben Hynish is one of the best ways to deeply appreciate them. The walk itself is comfortable, and walking ability, fitness or age will not limit your ability to reach the top.
The radar station (or golf-ball) on Ben Hynish has important historical context and is still in action today – established in 1985, it monitors trans-Atlantic flights up to 200 miles out to sea. The radar station itself, unlike the summit of Ben Hynish, is not accessible to the public, but can be seen from almost anywhere on the island.
2. Dr Buchanan’s Monument
Dr Alexander Buchanan was the first doctor on the Isle of Tiree. His contribution to the island in his 51 years’ service was so great and so valued by the islanders that a monument was erected in his memory.
Not only was Dr Buchanan the first medical officer to live on the island and provide services to both Tiree and the other Inner Hebridean islands, but he also served the community for the longest period, from 1860 up until his death in 1911.
Dr Buchanan’s monument can be found in Baugh. It’s an incredible viewpoint, slightly raised from sea-level, and views from this location sweep along the full length of the island – A fitting place for a monument, with a deep connection to Tiree and the land it sits on.
The monument itself has been weather beaten, and may never be fully restored, but has been weather-proofed to endure even the hardiest of our winter storms. It sits above the remains of an old quarry – like much of the places on the Isle of Tiree, this quarry helped build the infrastructure that the island still uses today. From this point you can enjoy a breath-taking view of Crossapol beach. On a calm day, like a Hawaiian oasis of emerald seas and soft, golden sand.
Evidence of Dr Buchanan’s contribution to island life can still be seen across Tiree. Baugh House was built for the Doctor in the late 1800s, at a time when the family’s living was made almost entirely from Baugh Farm.
Baugh House remains the Doctors residence to this day. The significance of the work he did on the island is evidenced in the love and affection highlighted on the monument, a crucial part of Tiree history and a beautiful spot to stop and take in the windswept scenery.
3. Hynish Signal Tower
Hynish Signal Tower is one of the first ways islanders found to communicate with Skerryvore lighthouse. A place of interest in its own right, Skerryvore Lighthouse marks a particularly treacherous reef of rocks just 11 miles south west of Tiree. The lighthouse was built in 1844 but wasn’t fully automatic until 1994 – Whilst the lighthouse was manned, it was crucial that they had a way to communicate with the neighbouring island, Tiree.
Back before the days when phones were commonplace, the signal tower provided semaphore communication with the lighthouse. Semaphore is a technique that sends visual messages using either hand-held flags or paddles. Unsurprisingly, with high winds and sometimes unpredictable weather, it was often difficult to communicate well.
Visibility could easily be impaired and relied on the staff in the signal tower standing watch for two hours every day. Once a message was received, a ball was hoisted to the top of the signal tower flag staff to acknowledge the communication.
The Hynish Signal Tower was operating from 1844 until 1937. After nearly 100 years of vital service, it now stands as a reminder of the crucial work performed to keep the wild seas around the Inner Hebrides safe for boatsmen. It can be found just outside Hynish and can be paired with a trip to the Treshnish Isles natural history exhibition in the Hynish Centre.
4. Kirkapol Chapels
One of the island’s most significant places of interest, at Kirkapol sit the remains of two chapels – or potentially a chapel and a larger old parish church from the 14th century. The historical evidence that surrounds these ruins could date back to the very first inhabitants of the island, and it is very possible that these buildings watched the island grow for over 1000 years.
The flat rock that forms the floor of the older chapel could suggest that this place had religious significance even before Christianity made it to the island – when pagan worship took place.
The Kirkapol Chapels can be found behind the Tiree Lodge Hotel and, like many of the places of interest on the island, is only a stone throw away from the beach. The cultural and economic significance of the coastline on the Isle of Tiree is a vital part of island life, and all these places of interest highlight the importance of the sea to Tiree history.
5. MacCallums Cairn
MacCallums Cairn is a tall column of carefully balanced rocks and stones erected in honour of Reverend Donald MacCallum. The cairn sits on a mound just outside Kilkenneth, looking out across the island and its wild and unkempt machair. Above head height, this towering spectacle is one of the many historical features on the island that represents the struggles, hardiness, and soul of past islanders.
During the highland clearances, Reverend Donald MacCallum became a champion of rights for crofters and cottars. Though his stay on the Isle of Tiree was only a brief 18 months, the respect he earned from the islanders is evidenced in the inscription on the monument; ‘Tùr McCallum, 1st July 1889. Bas no Buaidh’. Bas n Buaidh means ‘Death or Glory’.
Before travelling to Tiree, Reverend Donald MacCallum was the only Highland minister of that era to be imprisoned for his political beliefs.
He had a very close relationship with the islanders of the time and was very well respected in the community. When you stand at the cairn, on a quiet and still day, there is a sense of this respect in every rock and stone used to build such a memorial.
6. The Ringing Stone
The Isle of Tiree has a longstanding and varied history of occupation and inhabitants, dating back to what are thought to be the descendants of the first humans in Britain. There are examples of this history all over the island, both in the buildings and in the very shape of the land we now live on. Tiree has been built by its past, and anyone looking to investigate it further can do so on foot, in person, by exploring through the Isle of Tiree’s places of interest.
The Ringing Stone is a significant cultural example of the importance of these historic relics. It is a beautifully preserved and meaningful specimen of prehistoric rock art, dating back to the Neolithic or early bronze age.
The Stone is right on the border between land and sea and is markedly different from the surrounding rock – It has been marked by 53 cups of varying size across its surface and, when struck, is said to sing with a deep ringing sound. Our love of it, and its significance to the island, is because of these unusual and stand-out features.
There is no other rock like this on the island, and its ring is growing international interest for the unique and almost mythical sound. A key place of interest on the Isle of Tiree, a visit to the island is not complete without experiencing this magical link to the island’s folklore and history. The Ringing Stone can be found between Balepetrish and Vaul, on the edge of Tiree’s sparkling coastline.
7. Skerryvore Lighthouse
Considered one of the most elegant and graceful lighthouse buildings in the world, Skerryvore Lighthouse is a reminder of the uncontrollable might of the Atlantic Ocean. It was completed in 1844 and has played a crucial role in warning boats of the dangers of a rocky and unruly reef just underneath the surface for over 100 years. Now fully automated, the lighthouse was manned up until 1994.
Skerryvore Lighthouse has a reputation for being a beautiful build and can be seen from the peak of Ben Hynish on a bright and sunny Tiree day. 138 feet of polished granite and a feat of human engineering, its 10 second white flash weathers even the heaviest of storms.
Whilst the lighthouse itself is not open to public access, because of its stark and vulnerable position off the coast of Tiree, Tiree Sea Tours offer a 2.5 hour boat trip that visits the shores of Skerryvore. What better way is there to experience Scotland’s tallest and most graceful lighthouse than from right underneath its towering walls.
From the vast and awe-inspiring scenery to the tight-knit community and deep culture, the Isle of Tiree has a wide and varied array of places of interest for both visitors and locals alike. The seven listed are only to name a few of our favourites. If you’re looking for places of interest to visit on the Isle of Tiree, we have historic ruins, three peaks above 100m for full 360 views of the island, beaches, and valleys named by RAF personal, multiple visitors centres and museums to learn more about the island - and so much more.