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Handa Island in
Avon
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Handa Island
Just north of Scourie lays Handa Island where magnificent birds glide above purple hued moorland and translucent cliffs. The Torridian Sandstone cliffs rise 400 feet and dramatically line the northern edge of the island. Weather erosion caused horizontal layers to form on the sides of the cliffs leaving ideal places for seabirds to breed; thus, Handa Island has become a renowned privately owned wildlife reserve. From ferocious arctic and skua birds to cute tiny puffins, Handa Island is home to many species, and ornithologists love to visit the island to observe them. In the past some crofters had inhabited the island. They had established their own government system and harvested and hunted food supplied by the island. However, when the potato famine struck in 1846 the many villagers abandoned the island and fled to Canada’s Cape Breton. The abandoned cottages of these islanders still remain.
A path around the island allows visitors to enjoy an easy walk and picturesque nature sites. To reach the Handa Island, visitors must depart from Tarbert located six miles north of Scourie.
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