Scotland Guide
Skye and the Western Isles
Canna
Measuring five miles by one, and with a population of less than twenty, Canna is run as a single farm and bird sanctuary by the National Trust for Scotland. For visitors, the chief pastime is walking: from the dock it's about a mile across a grassy basalt plateau to the bony sea cliffs of the north shore, which rise to a peak around Compass Hill (458ft) – so called because its high metal content distorts compasses – in the northeastern corner of the island, from where you get great views across to Rùm and Skye. The cliffs of the buffeted western half of the island are a breeding ground for both Manx shearwater and puffin. Some seven miles offshore stands the Heiskeir of Canna, a curious mass of stone columns sticking up thirty feet above the water.
With permission from the National Trust, you may camp rough on Canna, though you need to bring your own supplies, as there's no real shop to speak of. Tighard, a Victorian house half a mile from the jetty, is the island's only guesthouse ( 
01687/462474). Wendy MacKinnon can help answer most queries ( 01687/462465, 
www.harbourview-canna.co.uk ) and runs the Harbour View licensed tearoom (March– Oct), which serves lunch and dinner (advance booking essential).