The isles of Scotland, each one its own little world with its own distinct nature, form one of the world's most magical attractions.

There are, all told, more than 790 offshore islands scattered round the 6,000 miles of Scotland's coastline. They range from the sizeable, such as Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides, to tiny outcrops of rock that barely seem worthy of the name of island. Most readers will be familiar with the names of the four main groups: Orkney, Shetland, the Inner Hebrides and the Outer Hebrides as well as the smaller groups of islands in the Firth of Forth, on Scotland's east coast, in the Solway Firth to the south-west and in the Firth of Clyde in the west.

Also featured in this new gift book are islands normally off the beaten track such as Benbecula, Colonsay, Eriskay, Great Cumbrae and Jura.