IsleOfTiree.com
Title
Isle of Tiree Web Site
Description
If you seek tranquillity, freedom of space and clean pure air, the Isle of Tiree has it all. Though only 12 miles long and 3 miles wide, the sky and sea stretch from horizon to horizon. With no woodland and only three sizeable hills on an otherwise flat landscape, there is nothing to obscure the view. And the only sounds you are likely to hear are the waves lapping on the vast expanses of white sand beaches and a myriad of birdcalls.
The island is one of the sunniest places in Britain, and with the moderating influence of the warm Gulf Stream, winter temperatures are generally higher than on the mainland, while summer evenings are warm and balmy. Tiree is also known as a windy place, with the strongest winter gales normally occurring in December and January. The advantage, however, is that midges are almost non-existent in summer.
In 1883, George, eighth Duke of Argyll wrote that the climate was "far better than that of the mainland. There is much less rain, the rainfall scarcely exceeding the average of from 35 to 40 inches. I fully expect that far on in summers I shall not see, the island of Tiree will be a great resort of health. Its strong yet soft sea-air, its comparative dryness, its fragrant turf full of wild thyme and clover, its miles of pure white sandy bays equally pleasant for riding, driving, or walking, or for sea-bathing, and last not least, its unrivalled expanses for the game of golf, all combine to render it most attractive and wholesome in the summer months. My own tastes would lead me to add, as a special recommendation, its wealth of sky ringing with the song of skylarks, which are extraordinarily abundant."
