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The Western Isles, Remote Islands of Scotland

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Written by Andrew Kelly

Tuesday, 18 March 2008

by AndrewKelly

Situated off the west of Scotland the Western Isles are a unique, and incredibly beautiful, group of islands. Named 'na h-Eileanan Siar' in the Gaelic (the native language), the Western Isles consist of more than 200 of which only a small percentage are inhabited. The main inhabited islands are the Isle of Lewis, Harris, Barra, North and South Uist. The area's economy has, in the last few decades, become more reliant on the tourist trade, which, rather luckily, has been increasing steadily for many years.

A treacherous stretch of water, which is known as the Minch, lies between the Scottish mainland and the Western Isles. The North Atlantic Ocean can be found to the west of the islands which regularly pounds the coast to create dramatic scenes. Many geologists visit the islands to study the rocks (which are some of the oldest on the planet) and, the fact that the Western Isles were one of the first places in the U.K. to become inhabited after the last ice age, makes them an ecellent source of historic sites interesting to archaeologists and visitors alike.

The Western Isles are of incredible interest to naturalists who study the area closely as much of the flora and fauna is unique and endangered. A fertile stretch of grassland, known as machair, is found just inland from many of the beaches of the islands which are one of the few places where this type of ground is found. Although sandy the nutrients in the soil are constantly replenished by a constant dressing of shell sand (rich in calcium and other elements) which helps feed the great many species of wildflowers which grow in abundance there.

The Western Isles seem to continually provide new sites of special interest, especially to archaeologists. One thing you will notice when traveling across the islands is the incredible number of archaeological sites, especially standing stones and stone circles. The most famous site is the stone circle at Calanais which is unique in Europe as it has four avenues forming a shape like a crucifix. It is worth noting at this point that a recent Western Isles Council policy dictates the naming of places should be in the Gaelic language (with English translations below on road signs).

While many consider the Isle of Lewis one of the least beautiful of the islands of the Western Isles claiming that it offers little more than flat barren moors others see, that in truth, Lewis has some of the most incredible scenery in Scotland. Even when you take a closer look at the moors you quickly discover that they are an incredibly important habitat for many different animals including a great many birds. However the most glorious parts of Lewis are to be found along it's coast where you will find a myriad of picture postcard beaches of golden sand and pretty little coves.

While the Isle of Lewis is rather flat as soon as we reach the Isle of Harris we begin to see the rich diversity of scenery for which the Western Isles are known for. The North Harris hills are really mountains and driving through the area you will soon discover how dramatic they really are. North Harris is divided into South Harris at a narrow point, where you will find the main town of Tarbert, and from then on South Harris is a much softer and greener environment with, what is claimed, the finest beaches in Europe. Further south again and North Uist is rather like a cross between North and South Harris but North Uist is considerably different with soft sandy beaches and the finest machair in the Western Isles.

One thing you will immediately notice when staying in Western Isles accommodation is the cleanliness and incredible comfort of all the rooms. The Western Isles are widely known for their friendly folk and incredible hospitality and this is especially apparent if you stay in a local guest house.

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If you are planning a vacation to the Western Isles you will need to find suitable accommodation in the Western Isles For listings of the finest accommodation in the area visit http://www.westernisles-accommodation.co.uk