The Shiant Islands, situated in the Minch off the east coast of Lewis, have been designated a Special Protection Area for the conservation of wild birds. Huge numbers of puffins nest here and thousands of kittiwakes, guillemots, razorbills and fulmars nest among the basalt columns (like Staffa). In July 2009 Europe's oldest puffin, aged 34, was discovered on the Shiant Islands, beating the previous record holder, an Icelandic bird, by one year. An ancient 32 year old puffin was also found which had, unbelieveably, originally been ringed on the same island in 1977.

Our guests are invariably amazed by the Shiant Islands and many have compared it favourably to St Kilda for geographical features and birdlife.

As well as many seabirds the Shiant Islands are home to rare black "plague" rats (Rattus rattus) which arrived via a shipwreck. Cats were imported to control them but this proved impossible. Brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) also used to live on the Shiants but no evidence of them has been seen for many years now.