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What’s your dream island? Maybe it’s got crystal-clear water, white sand and swaying hammocks. Perhaps it’s full of rugged landscapes, cliffs and ancient landmarks. If you prefer the latter, the UK home plenty spectacular islands, including one recently named among the best on the planet.
Scotland’s very own Skye and the Hebrides were just crowned the 13th best island in the world and the second in Europe in the 2026 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards. The results, scored out of 100, were all based on votes from readers.
Travel magazine T+L’s ranking is more a list of island groups than individual isles, and Skye and the Hebrides consist of dozens of islands. The breathtaking landscape situated off the northwest coast of mainland Scotland received an impressive score of 91.17 in the ranking. Sardinia was the only other island in Europe to pip Skye and the Hebrides to the post, scoring 91.57. Meanwhile, top spot was claimed by Thailand’s Koh Samui, which received a mega 95.64.
This isn’t the first time the Scottish archipelagos have nabbed a top spot in global travel guides’ rankings. Earlier this year, the BBC named the Hebrides in its 20 best places to travel in 2026, praising the islands’ ‘heart-quickening sacred sites, castaway beaches and tight-knit communities’.
The Isle of Skye is the largest and northernmost island in the Inner Hebrides, and boasts some of Scotland’s most breathtaking scenery. The beaches range from Coral Beach in Claigan, which is famous for its bright white sands and turquoise water, to Talisker Bay’s dramatic black volcanic sand surrounded by jagged cliffs.
The island is also renowned its awe-inspiring ancient and natural sights, which include the Old Man of Storr, a towering rock formation and one of the island’s popular hiking routes, the Fairy Pools, a range of crystal clear rock pools and waterfalls, and Dunvegan Castle, Scotland’s oldest continuously inhabited castle. Skye is accessible, too. It’s connected directly to the Scottish mainland by the toll-free Skye bridge, which links the island with the village of Kyle of Lochalsch.
Elsewhere in the Hebrides, there’s a lot more to explore. There are roughly 50 inhabited islands across the Inner and Outer Hebrides, and each one has its own distinct personality. If you’re in need of some guidance on which ones to visit, Lewis, Barra and Islay are the main destinations. You can read Travel + Leisure’s full list of the world’s best islands here.
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