Scotland Island

Thirty-five kilometres north of Sydney lies this small, eucalypt-choked community in the middle of Pittwater, one of only two residential islands in the Sydney area. The island was a weekend family escape for much of the 20th century, before more permanent residents – and electricity – arrived in the ’60s. The name comes courtesy of Andrew Thompson, a European settler who established a salt works here in the 18th century and renamed the then Pitt Island in honour of his homeland. Today, Scotland Island is a thriving community of folks embracing “offshore living”... and tank water.

Island hop? It’s a great puck of land to kayak around; or visit via the Church Point ferry. 1858A Pittwater Rd, Church Point 2105.