Wallabies caught on camera on magical Loch Lomond island home to wild colony

The little creatures are elusive and shy but happily thriving on the island on Loch Lomond
-Credit: (Image: Insta @markgoeswild)


Everyone has heard the stories; how one of the islands on Loch Lomond is a nudist colony, and another is home to an illicit whisky still, while a third is home to a wild population of wallabies.

Well, we can confirm that the third one is in fact true.

Inchconnachan, which lies just over 45 minutes from Glasgow, is the place where you'll find a thriving group of adorable hopping marsupials.

The beautiful little island - which even has a Glasgow postcode (G63 OJG) - was once home to Lady Colquhoun, the Countess of Arran, who introduced the elusive animals in the 1940s.

'Wallaby Island' has since been a haven for the wee creatures, which look like mini kangaroos – as these stunning recent photos from the brilliant photographer @markgoeswild prove.

READ MORE: First ever 'neep patch' opening near Glasgow to revive much loved Scots Halloween tradition

READ MORE: We are looking for Glasgow's best-loved pubs and we need you to nominate your favourite

The little wallabies are incredible to see in real life
The little wallabies are incredible to see in real life -Credit:Insta @markgoeswild

Usually native to Australia and New Guinea, the wallabies proved to be a fascination for Lady Arran - who was also dubbed as the 'fastest granny on water' given her love for power boats - and was often described as 'extremely interesting' and 'eccentric'.

With a fondness for exotic animals including llamas and alpacas, Lady Arran brought the wallabies with her during World War II to the island, which was the site of her summer holiday home. And descendants of the colony still live on the island almost 80 years later.

Despite many threats over the years, including calls for them to be culled, the colony is still thriving, and though elusive, they can still be seen there.

Fears for their future remain though, as a dead wallaby, which had been skinned, washed up on a nearby beach in 2017 and people feared that human encroachment could be affecting their breeding success.

However, reports and estimates vary with some saying there could be anything from 10-12 of them, right up to around 60.

To those who know about their rather unusual home, some 9,000+ miles from Australia, the creatures remain a draw for tourists and visitors to Loch Lomond.

Can you get to Inchconnachan?

There is no direct ferry service to the little island, however, people can hire a kayak or a boat on the loch and park up at the jetty or beach on the island.

Visitors are asked to be respectful of the wildlife and the island, the wallabies are shy, timid animals, and you should keep a distance from them, taking pictures from afar as they are best spotted at dawn or dusk.

Wild camping is allowed but again, please don't leave no trace behind and take your own food with you as there are no amenities on the island.

We would recommend you take extreme care if making the trip out to Inchconnachan independently on the water, while also advising you respect the animals' space - they have been able to call the island 'home' for almost eight decades, and the hope for many, including no doubt the late Lady Arran, is that they continue to find a safe haven there for many more decades to come.

The abandoned house of Lady Arran Colquhoun can also be seen on the island.

Sign up to our daily Glasgow Live newsletter here to receive news and features direct to your inbox

Join Glasgow Live's WhatsApp community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.