Slate Ises: Seil, Luing, Shuna and Scarba Argyll, on the west coast of Scotland includes a number of small islands, which, in the 18th and 19th century were the centre of the Scottish slate industry. Situated some 15 miles south of Oban, they include the Isle of Seil, Easdale Island, the Isle of Luing, and Belnahua.

The island of Seil the most northerly of the Slate Islands, and one of the few Scottish Islands accessible without use of a ferry. From the southern tip of Seil the Cuan Ferry links to another of the Slate Islands, Luing.

Seil (Seil from 'Isle of Seil' a personal name) is joined to the mainland by the so-called 'bridge over the Atlantic', which was designed by the architect Thomas Telford and built in 1782. The island is just over four miles long and some two miles wide at its widest. The west of the island is quite hilly and rises to over 800 feet. To the south-east of Seil is the small island of Easdale (`horse fell').

The island was a property of the MacDougalls, who had a castle at Ardfad, but later passed to the Campbells of Breadalbane. There is a fine ruinous chapel at Kilbrandon. Slate (for roofs) was quarried here from the 16th century, and the settlements of Balvicar and Ellanbeich grew up around the industry-although better slate is said to have come from the nearby isle of Easdale. Another nearby island, Torsa, is also one of the `slate' islands, and has a castle at its northern end, Caisteal nan Con. It was a property of the MacDougalls but passed to the MacLeans, One mile to the west of Seil is the small Insh Island.

Luing (Luing from 'a ship', pronounced Ting') is just over six miles long and about 1.5 miles wide at most. The highest point is at Cnoc Dhomhnuill at just over 300 feet.

Prehistoric remains include Iron Age fortifications and the fine ruinous dun at Leccamore. The ruinous medieval chapel at Kilchattan has 16th-century gravestones. The island was a property of the MacDougalls, but later passed to the Campbells of Breadalbane. Slate was quarried here, started at Cullipool and Toberonochy in 1749 and continued until 1965. The island is known for the cattle that bear its name, a breed developed in the 1960s. A small islet Belnahua lies off the west coast.

Shuna The island is just over two miles long and about one mile wide at most. Unlike its neighbouring islands, Shuna has little slate and has many trees and woods on the rolling landscape. There are a number of cairns on the island, one said to be the grave of an ancient chieftain.