The Outer Hebrides, also known as the Western Isles, lie off the north west coast of Scotland, curving around the Isle of Skye and the Inner Hebrides. The islands extend for 130miles, shouldering the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Of the hundreds of islands that made up the Outer Hebrides, only a handful has a permanent population, predominantly the main strip of islands with the largest landmass.

At the top of the main islands are Lewis and Harris. The island of Lewis is the largest, and is home to Stornoway, a busy fishing port, which has a sizeable selection of pubs, bars and restaurants. Moving down, Harris is largely famous as for originating Harris Tweed woollen cloth. Underneath Harris sits North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist, Eriskay, Barra and Vatersay.

Like the Shetland and Orkney Islands, the fertile, low-lying Outer Hebrides enjoyed a period of Nordic occupation, becoming Scottish-ruled in the 13th century. The Gaelic culture is still alive and kicking in this area of Scotland, and the Gaelic language widely spoken as well as English.

The Western Isles are easy to access via ferries from the mainland and the islands’ larger population centres, and there are many things to see and do. At the very least the islands are beautifully scenic, with many nationally protected areas and a broad number of animal species. North Uist is particular has many lochs, which have proved extremely popular with anglers. Lewis Island has several archaeological sites, including the Callanish Standing Stones, which are similar in style to Stonehenge and date back almost 5000 years.

Some of the outlying islands are also worth visiting. Taransay is not populated per se, but is an isolated summer destination. Taransey, which sits off the coast of Harris, also gained notoriety as the setting for Castaway, the reality TV show. St Kilda, on the other hand, was once inhabited but abandoned in 1930 as a result of several factors, including increased tourism and farming problems. Today, the conserved village, a National Trust and UNESCO site, is a popular day trip location.