List of sea stacks in Scotland

This is a list of stacks in Scotland that are surrounded by the sea at high tide.

The highest stacks in Scotland are Stac an Armin and Stac Lee in the St Kilda archipelago and the Old Man of Hoy, Orkney. Some provide well known and challenging rock climbing routes. There are 275 or more stacks in the country; their names are influenced by the Norse, Gaelic and English languages. In Shetland, where there are over 100 stacks, the names are often from Norn, a local variant of Norse.

The sport of stack climbing did not take off until the mid-1960s with the exploits of Tom Patey and in July 1967 15 million people watched the climbing of the Old Man of Hoy live on BBC television. The idea was originally suggested by Patey who helped put together a team of six climbers who were filmed undertaking the ascent. This was described as connecting "an armchair audience with the elite of a sport subculture intent on conquering one of Britain's most spectacular geological treasures”. Following Patey's untimely death in 1970 development of the sport in Scotland largely ceased until the late 1980s and the arrival of Mick Fowler on the scene.

Definitions and etymology
Cleare (1974) defined stacks from a rock-climbing perspective using three criteria:
 * "A stack should be higher than it is wide in at least one of its planes.
 * Within reason there is no minimum height, except that if it is high enough to be worth climbing, then it's a stack.
 * A stack should have been formed by the action of the sea."

Mellor (2020) offers similar conditions: "a stack is an isolated cone, pinnacle or tower of rock entirely surrounded by the sea at high tide." He goes on to suggest that the difference between a stack and an island is that if the top is significantly wider in diameter than the height then it is an island, and that a stack should be at least 6 m high.

From a geological perspective a stack is a landform consisting of a steep and often vertical column or columns of rock in the sea near a coast, formed by wave erosion. This definition excludes isolated steep-sided, rocky oceanic islets typically of volcanic origin, sometimes called "volcanic stacks". In the main listing below three different types of stack are identified:
 * Sea stacks
 * Outlying stacks, many of which are of volcanic origin
 * Wide stacks that fail Mellor's definition of height to summit diameter above but which either have "stack" in their name or are clearly a "tower of rock entirely surrounded by the sea".

There are numerous small pinnacles around the Scottish coast, many of them in remote locations. Such features are often not well-documented and the main list is thus confined to the larger and better known examples. The word 'stack' is derived from the stakk-r and is often rendered in the Norn of Shetland as stakk and in modern Gaelic as stac or the plural stacan.

Several descriptive names are used in more than one location. Examples include:
 * Gaada Stack, meaning "hole stack" and used to describe stacks that incorporate natural arches;
 * Moo Stack, of which there are at least four in Shetland;
 * Brough, which is cognate with borg meaning "fortification" and broch;
 * Castle, caisteal, is typically used for an isolated stack;
 * Ern, Norn for "eagle".

The name "stack" is however also sometimes appended to features other than sea stacks such as cliff-girt headlands and a number of such features are also listed below.

Distribution
Of the 275 stacks in Scotland identified by Mellor (2020) circa 110 are located around the coasts of Shetland of which 80 are around the coast of the Mainland. Most of the rest are found off the coasts elsewhere in the Highlands and Islands. He also lists 70 stacks in England, 10 in Wales and 55 off the island of Ireland.

Climbing history
The first stack climbers in Scotland were the residents of the now uninhabited islands of Hirta and Mingulay who were dependent on the bounty provided by seabirds. The first record of the recreational ascent of a sea stack in Scotland is likely that of Richard Manliffe Barrington, who climbed Stac Biorach in 1883. Sixteen years later Norman Heathcote and his sister Evelyn climbed Stac Lee. He wrote that Stac Lee was "not a difficult climb" and that two other women had also reached the summit.

Nonetheless, the main theme of the sport in the UK until the mid-1960s was "incidental stack climbing in pleasant and accessible locations". Yorkshireman Ian Clough ascended one of Macleod's Maidens on Skye in 1959 but the picture changed completely with the exploits of Tom Patey, (aka "Doctor Stack") whose day job was as a GP in Ullapool. He began with the Old Man of Stoer in 1966 and followed this up with ascents of Am Buachaille, the Old Man of Hoy and the Great Stac of Handa. After his death when descending The Maiden in 1970 "most Scottish stack explorations abruptly ceased".

There was then a hiatus of a dozen years as climbers began "putting up harder and harder lines on comfortable stacks until they felt strong enough to venture north again". In 1982 Arnis Strapcans put up a new route on the Old Man of Hoy. Two more routes were created on this stack in 1984 and with the arrival on the UK scene of Mick Fowler in 1985 events moved apace. He climbed the Old Man of Stoer in 1988 and numerous others over the next few years, "his most outrageous adventure" being on The Needle, another stack off the west coast of Hoy. His regular partners on these exploits were Andy Nisbett, Craig Jones and Jon Lincoln who made up the "famous four" completing, for example, the first ascent of The Runk in Shetland in May 1992. Irishman Iain Miller made a solo second ascent of the Clett of Crura, South Ronaldsay in 1999 and since then has been involved in about 150 first ascents around Britain and Ireland. Nonetheless, in 2020 it was estimated that over 50 stacks around the British Isles have never been climbed.

In 2019 Red Széll became the first blind climber to ascend the three “Tom Patey stacks” of Am Buachaille, the Old Man of Stoer and the Old Man of Hoy. The 2020 film Climbing Blind documents the first blind lead of the Old Man of Hoy by Jesse Dufton.

In 2023, by arrangement with the National Trust for Scotland, Stac Biorach was ascended again 130 years after Barrington became the first non-St Kildan to do so. Climber Robbie Phillips said it "was like walking in the footsteps, or climbing in the fingerprints, of the St Kildans. It’s a testament to their bravery and mental fortitude; to climb onto that sea stack 70m above the raging Atlantic without even shoes is wild to imagine".

Main list
These are stacks which are well-known local landmarks greater than 15m in height, prominent rock climbing pinnacles, notable isolated stacks or are verified as being greater than 50 m in height.

Other stacks
This is a selection of the many other stacks in Scotland. All the below are included in Mellor (2020) except those with the symbol № which have been identified from Ordnance Survey maps and/or other sources as cited. According to Mellor there is no record of some of them having been climbed.

Sutherland

 * Stac na Faoileige, a 30m high stack off Handa
 * Am Bodach, 37m high by Cape Wrath
 * A’Chailleach, by Cape Wrath
 * Stac Thormaid, A' Mhòine
 * Geodha Brat East & West, A' Mhòine, 30 and 25m high respectively.
 * Puffin Stack, Melvich
 * Lady Bighouse Rock, 25m high

Caithness

 * Fort Rock by Scrabster
 * Clett Rock by Scrabster
 * The Stacks by Dunnet Head
 * Stack o' Brough, 35m high south of Wick №
 * South Stack, 44m high, south of Stack o' Brough №
 * Sinclair's Bay Stack
 * Stack of Ulbster
 * Roy Geo Stacks by Lybster

East coast

 * Cummingston Main Stack near the village of Cummingston in Moray
 * Logie Head Pinnacle near Cullen
 * Head of Garness near Macduff
 * The Tooth near MacDuff
 * The Molar near MacDuff
 * Dunbuy Rock, Cruden Bay
 * The Sugar Loaf, Cruden Bay
 * Berry’s Loup near Peterhead
 * Oldcastle near Peterhead
 * Long Slough Pinnacle south of Aberdeen
 * The Humpback south of Aberdeen
 * The Knapps Of Downies south of Portlethen
 * Brown Jewel near the village of Muchalls in Aberdeenshire №
 * May Craig, near Muchalls
 * Doonie Point, near Muchalls
 * Castle Rock Of Muchalls
 * Elephant Rock south of Montrose
 * Maiden Rock east of St Andrews
 * Wheat Stack, near Coldingham
 * The Souter, near Coldingham

Galloway

 * Burrow Head, 30m high near Isle of Whithorn
 * Monreith Stack
 * The Black Slab, Crammag Head, near Kirkmaiden
 * Witch Rock, Portpatrick, first ascended in 1899
 * Juniper Rock, northwest of Stranraer

Islay and Jura

 * American Monument Stacks, on the coast of The Oa, Islay
 * Impact Stack, near Loch Tarbert, Jura

Mull and environs

 * Castle Coefin, Lismore
 * Carsaig Stack, Mull
 * Stac Glas Bun Un Uisge, Mull
 * Croig, Mull
 * Quinish Poiunt, Mull
 * Stac an Aoineidh, Iona
 * Stac Leath, Iona
 * Stac Mhic Mhurchaid, Iona
 * Am Buchaille, Staffa
 * Dun Cruit, Lunga

Small Isles

 * The Spichean, Muck
 * Stac nam Faoileann, Rùm
 * Covenanter's Point Stack
 * Papadil Pinnacle, Rùm
 * Fist and Finger, Rùm
 * Harris Bay Stack, Rùm
 * An Coroghon, Canna
 * An t-Each, Canna
 * An Caraghon, Canna
 * Lorcail

Skye

 * Bob Bob Stack, Trotternish
 * Broken Needles, Trotternish
 * Stac Buidhe, Trotternish
 * Stac Laclainn, Trotternish
 * Stacan Gobblach, Trotternish
 * Rubha Hunish Stacks, Trotternish
 * Stack of Skudiburgh, Trotternish
 * Ru Idrigill Stack, Trotternish
 * Glen Lorgasdal Stacks, Duirinish
 * Stack a'Mheadhais, Minginish
 * Stac an Tuill, Minginish
 * Stac Suisnish, near Torrin
 * Fladda-chùain stacks

Outer Hebrides

 * Stac Shuardail, south of Knock, Lewis
 * Stac na Caoraich Lachduinne, Carloway
 * Stac a’Bhanain, Loch Roag
 * Stacan Neadacliv, near Uig
 * Stac na Berie, Uig
 * Stac Leathann, Uig
 * Stacageo, near Mealista
 * Haskeir Eagach
 * An Stac, off Eilean Leathan, Eriskay, although it is not clear there is a genuine sea stack here
 * Gèarum Beg, Mingulay
 * Gèarum Mòr, 51m high but arguably a precipitous islet rather than a true stack. In 1868 a wave washed over the top of it.
 * Na Gilleachan Ruadh at the northern tip of Mingulay, aka The Red Boy №

St Kilda

 * Sgarbhstac, Boreray from skarfa-stakkr meaning "cormorant stack" №
 * Sgeir Mhòr, at the foot of the cliffs of Mullach Bi №
 * Sgeir Cùl an Rubha, on the western side of Dùn №
 * There is a small, unnamed stack east of Sgeir Cùl an Rubha and the headland of Giumachsgor №

Orkney

 * Stack of Kame, South Ronaldsay
 * Clett of Crura, South Ronaldsay
 * The Clett, South Rondaldsay
 * Stackabank, South Ronaldsay
 * Stack o'Roo, Birsay
 * Standard Rock, Birsay
 * Hemp Stack, south of Kirkwall
 * The Brough, Stronsay
 * Castle o' Burrian, Westray

Fair Isle

 * Stacks of Wirrvie
 * Stacks of Skroo
 * Breiti Stack
 * Fogli Stack
 * Hundi Stack

West and East Burra

 * Stacks of Houssness at the south end of East Burra
 * Fugla Stack, a 33m high stack west of The Ward, West Burra
 * Clettnadel, a small stack just north of Fugla Stack
 * Kame of Riven Noup, a "wafer-like entity" north of Clettnadel. The name may mean "comb of the torn headland" and is the subject of a poem by Martha Morton from Brae.
 * Stack of Sandwick has an arch is and is located west of Bridge End, West Burra

Vaila

 * Gaada Stacks
 * Humla Stack

Papa Stour

 * Lyra Skerry Stack
 * Galti Stacks
 * The Foot
 * Snolda Stack №

Vementry and Muckle Roe

 * Swaba Stack, Vementry
 * Murbie Stacks, in the southwest of Muckle Roe
 * Riding Stack, north of Murbie Stacks
 * The Spindle, north of Riding Stack, off West Hill of Ham №
 * Da Kist, off Moo Ness №
 * Muckle Roe Stack, off Tame Holm
 * Swabi Stack 46m high in the northwest of Muckle Roe

Fetlar

 * Stack of Birrier
 * Stacks of Scambro
 * Furra Stacks
 * Stackan Longa
 * Bratta Stack
 * Stack of Grunnigeo
 * The Clett №

Yell
Ern Stack on the west coast is not a sea stack - see below.
 * Sweinna Stack, north of Scattalands on the west coast
 * Horns of the Roe, north of Sweinna Stack
 * Whale Geo Stacks, north of Horns of the Roe
 * Aastack, north of Whale Geo Stacks
 * Stacks of Stuis, at the entrance of Whale Firth
 * Aastack, south of Baagi Stack
 * Baagi Stack, south of Whilkie Stack
 * Whilkie Stack, by Gloup Holm
 * Eagle Stack, by Gloup Holm
 * Stack of the Horse, Burravoe

Unst
As with elsehere on Shetland the profusion of offshore islets and stacks create definitional problems. For example, The Greing north of Urda Stack is 53m high and is steeply sloping on one side and perpendicular cliffs on the other so not included. The name "stack" is also sometimes used for a headland, e.g. Sothers Stack, Hermaness or the nearby 55m high Humla Stack, which are included in Mellor's list of possible candidates or for rocky islets that come nowhere near meeting the definitions above e.g. Breiwick Stack, which is more of a skerry.
 * Lamba Stack, a small stack north of Belmont
 * Sinna Stack, west of Baltasound
 * Gamli Stack, north of Sinna Stack
 * Skate Stack, northwest of Gamli Stack
 * Stacks of Poindie, north of Skate Stack
 * Tonga Stack, off the Tonga headland west of Burrafirth
 * Longa Stacks, close to Tonga Stack
 * Neapna Stack, north of Longa Stacks, possibly exceeding 50m №
 * Tooa Stack, north of Neapna Stack №
 * Stackins-hocka, offshore from Tooa Stack.
 * Stackingro, off the west coast of Hermaness
 * Flodda Stack, north of Stackingro
 * Urda Stack, 35m high near the northern tip of Hermaness №
 * Burra Stack, with a natural arch and 44m high, north of Urda Stack
 * Wilna Stack, at the northern tip of Hermaness №
 * Wurs Stack, Hermaness, a small stack next to an unnamed skerry
 * Root Stacks, small stacks at the head of Burra Firth
 * Holey Kame, a 29m stack northeast of Burrafirth №
 * Tooral Stack, a 27m stack north of Holey Kame №
 * Hinda Stack, a 21m stack north of Tooral Stack №
 * Whida Stack, Brei Wick, northeast of RAF Saxa Vord - two stacks one of which reaches 34m №
 * Gerva Stacks, east of Brei Wick - two stacks one of which reaches 31m №
 * Cudda Stack, a small stack near the headland of North Coos, north of Nor Wick
 * Stack of Louin, east of Norwick
 * Stack of Russalore, west of Stack of Louin
 * North Stane, 28m high and east of the village of Saxa Vord №
 * Ship Stack, south of North Stane
 * Hagmark Stack, 21m high and south of Ship Stack

Muckle Flugga

 * Muckle Flugga comes equipped with a lighthouse but has had "many ascents"
 * Little Flugga reaches 31m №
 * Vesta Skerry reaches 48m №

Foula

 * Gaada Stack
 * Da Stacs o' Logat
 * Rippack Stack

Northmavine

 * Moo Stack, off Esha Ness
 * Stack of Sumra, Ronas Voe
 * Galti Stack, just off The Faither, Ronas Voe
 * Point of Quida-stack, Ronas Voe
 * Gruna Stack and Little Gruna Stacks, north of Ronas Voe
 * Galti Stack, east of Uyea
 * Out Shuna Stack, west of Uyea
 * Yellow Stack, 45m high at Point of Fethaland
 * Stuack, Point of Fethaland
 * Bark Stack, Point of Fethaland
 * Ramna Stacks, north of Point of Fethaland
 * Outer Stack, north of Ramna Stacks
 * Stack of Stavgeo, Yell Sound
 * Stack of the Rettuvie, Yell Sound
 * Stack of the Crubb, Yell Sound
 * The Castle, Yell Sound
 * Trolla Stack, Yell Sound

Nesting and South Mainland

 * Ura Stack, near the farm of Neap
 * Fru Stack, off Moul of Eswick
 * Hoo Stack, about a mile offshore from Moul of Eswick
 * Stacks of Vatsland, north of Gremista, Lerwick
 * Holm of Noss - unnamed stack c. 50m high.
 * Punds Stack off Ness of Trebister, south of Lerwick
 * Quarff Stack, by Quarff
 * Coall Head Stacks, south of Quarff
 * Stack of Okraquoy, near Falddabister
 * Stack of Billyageo, off No Ness, south of Mousa
 * Stack of the Brough, Boddam
 * Stack of Otter Geo, east of Sumburgh Airport
 * Broad Stack, west of Sumburgh Airport
 * Ripack Stack, close to Broad Stack
 * Landvillas, Wick of Shunni
 * Clocki Stack, northwest of Loch of Spiggie

Wester Wick

 * Moo Stack, south of Skeld
 * Berga Stack, Sil Wick №
 * Skerry of the Wick, 35m high №
 * Westwick Stacks, including Gro Stack in the bay of Wester Wick
 * Grossa Stack, Wester Wick №
 * The Cutter, a 31m ascent
 * Groni Stack, a 46m stack just north of The Cutter №
 * Burga Stacks, southwest of Culswick
 * Seli Stack, northwest of Culswick in Gruting Voe

Walls and Sandness

 * Lang Stack, a 50m stack northwest of Dales
 * West Stack, west of Mid Walls
 * Rusna Stacks, at the entrance to Vaila Sound
 * Litla Stack, in the Bay of Deepdale

West Burra Firth

 * Lang Stack, off Snarra Ness
 * Galta Stack
 * Swaaba Stack №
 * Turl Stack, east of Isle of West Burrafirth

St Magnus Bay (north)

 * Gordi Stack, south of Hillswick, which is 50m high
 * Oe Stack, south of the Isle of Nibon
 * Moo Stack, north of Eina Stack
 * Eina Stack, 30m high, northwest of Mavis Grind

Places called "stack" etc. that are not sea stacks

 * Stac Pollaidh is a hill in Sutherland
 * Erne Stack on Muckle Roe is "connected to the shore by a thin neck".
 * Ern Stack, Yell is a prominent feature with twin towers of white rock first climbed in 1980. It is also the last recorded nesting site of the Eurasian sea eagle in Shetland. However it is not sea-encircled.
 * The Old Man of Storr is an inland pinnacle on Skye.
 * Leac Mhina Stack (Ledge of Mina Stack) is a headland on the east coast of Hirta facing Mina Stack.
 * Stac a’ Langa is a narrow promontory at the foot of the cliffs of eastern Hirta.
 * Stac Dhomhnuill Chaim, Mangersta, is circa 50m high but joined to Lewis by a narrow spine of rock.
 * Stack of the Ship, which is attached to St Ninian's Isle by a "a knife-edged arête".