Hellisay is one of ten islands in the Sound of Barra, a Site of Community Importance for conservation in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.

[3] The island has a profusion of sea thrift[3] and the Sound of Gighay has been described as a "quiet secret place of wild irises and marshmallows".

[3] Alasdair Alpin MacGregor's stories reveal a rich folklore and mythology extant on the island, possibly only a fraction of which has been preserved.

[3] Franciscan priest, specialist in mystical theology and author Rayner Torrington wrote a book describing how he was influenced by meeting a hermit called Peter Calvay who lived on Hellisay for a number of years in the first half of the twentieth century.

[6] The book titled ‘Peter Calvay, hermit: A personal rediscovery of prayer’ was first published in 1977 and has had at least eleven reprintings.