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A sailing boat is anchored in the middle of the sheltered bay on a shimmering sunny day on Canna.
Hebrides

Canna

About this place

Thousands of years of history and home to 20,000 breeding seabirds

  • Take your binoculars – Canna is a bird sanctuary and the island’s coastline supports over 20,000 breeding seabirds.
  • Seek out the Punishment Stone, where unruly islanders had their thumbs wedged into the hole.
  • Discover the amazingly rich archaeological landscape – from prehistoric fortifications to early 19th-century abandoned settlements.

The Isle of Canna, along with adjoining island Sanday, forms part of the Small Isles – an archipelago of islands situated in Scotland’s Inner Hebrides.

It is an incredibly special place with a passionate and engaged community. Most of the island is a Site of Special Scientific Interest thanks to its geographical and biological importance. It also has a Special Protection Area due to its 20,000 breeding seabirds, and it is part of the wider Small Isles National Scenic Area designation.

Canna was bequeathed to the National Trust for Scotland in 1981 by the previous owners, Gaelic scholars John Lorne Campbell and Margaret Fay Shaw. Together, they amassed and researched a huge archive of Gaelic and Celtic songs, stories, poetry as well as a unique collection of butterflies and moths.

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Today's Opening Hours

Isle of Canna
All year, daily
See full opening times

Entry prices

Adult
Free
Family
Free
One adult family
Free
Concession
Free
See all entry prices

Membership

At all Trust places, admission is free for members.

Join from £5.20 / month