There are over 200 islands in Scotland, almost all of them off the west coast. Many are uninhabited, although Arran, Rum and Skye are amongst the best known and visited. Each island has its own charm and different mountaineering challenges.

The island of Arran is one of the more frequented of the Scottish islands being very close to Glasgow and situated in the Firth of Clyde. It is very unlike the Hebridean islands being sheltered from the Atlantic weather systems that pound the outer isles by the Kintyre Peninsula.