Rate birdingplace Monach Isles
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Five uninhabited low lying islands, 5 miles west of North Uist. Unspoilt machair grassland and a huge seal colony.
The Monach Isles have been uninhabited since 1948. The largest islands are 2 km in length and total area at high tide 348 hectares. At low tide the 3 main islands are interconnected. In autumn up to 10,000 grey seals come ashore to pup and mate. Basking sharks and cetaceans occasionally pass by. The main vegetation is machair, a mix of grasses and 200 wildflower species growing on fertile calcareous shell sand.
In the absence of cliffs, fulmar breed on the sand dunes. Other breeders here are biegus zmienny, krwawodziób, czajka, ostrygojad, skowronek, świergotek łąkowy, świergotek nadmorski, kszyk, rybitwa popielata and sieweczka obrożna. There are no trees, so the herons breed in abandoned buildings. kamusznik, piaskowiec, sokół wędrowny and płomykówka (zwyczajna) are occasional visitors, and a large flock of bernikla białolica spends the winter here.
Boat trips run from Grimsey in North Uist, or direct from Oban.