Gigha is a little-visited island off the western coast of Kintyre and between the latter and the island of Islay. It lies about 5¼ miles south-west of West Loch Tarbert, and a little over 1½ miles from the nearest point of Kintyre where the mainland runs out for 1½ miles in the low, sandy, raised beach of Runahaorine (figs. 1 and 10).

The island is 6 miles in length from north-east to south-west, and has a greatest breadth of 2 miles. All round it are innumerable smaller isles, all elongated in the same direction as Gigha. Of these the most important are Cara, 1 mile from north-east to south-west by ½ mile in breadth, and Gigalum, ½ mile by ⅕ mile, and Craro, which is smaller still (figs. 2 and 10). The island forming Ardminish Point, on the eastern coast of Gigha, and Eilean Garbh, at the north-eastern end, will be dealt with here as if they were part of the main island, since at low tide they are connected with it by sandy isthmuses.