Geography
Taransay lies 2 miles (3.2 km) from the Isle of Harris, separated by a stretch of sea called the Sound of Taransay. It is part of the Harris parish and governed by the Western Isles council. Crossings between the two islands are dependent on calm weather and there are no harbours for large boats on either island. Taransay is 4 miles (6.4 km) long, and, at its widest point, 3 miles (4.8 km) across, covering over 3,500 acres (14 km2) - about 5.7 square miles (15 km2).
Taransay is made up of two 750 ft (230 m) heather-covered hills connected by a white sandy isthmus in the south of the island. It overlooks the bays of Luskyntyre and Seilibost bay to the east, with the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The bays are bordered with sandy beaches and machair dunes.
The area is mostly gneiss, with granite veins. The highest point of the island is Ben Raah (Beinn Ra) at 267 metres (876 ft).
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