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. Large numbers of puffins nest here and thousands of kittiwakes, guillemots, razorbills and fulmars nest among the basalt columns (like Staffa). 

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

Another protected species live on these islands too...rats! It's thought they arrived via a shipwreck and even imported cats couldn't contain them. It was planned to plant tons of Warfarin (rat poison) on the island until some observant and helpful individual pointed out they were not common brown rats, but rare black "plague" rats (Rattus rattus). And so, like the puffins, they were declared a protected species!