The Outer Hebrides are a small group of islands off the west coast of Scotland. They are not only extremely beautiful but very dear to many Americans, Canadians and Australians whose ancestors originally lived on these remote islands. Thousands visit every year to see their amazing heritage and get a taste of how their forebears lived.

The Islands

The main islands are Lewis and Harris, North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist and Barra. Many people think that Harris (famous for its’ hand woven wool tweed) is an island but it is joined to Lewis. The Isle of Skye is between the Outer Hebrides and the North West Coast of Scotland and although Hebridean, is the Inner Hebrides.

The islands are accessible by plane or by a ferry from the Isle of Skye or Ullapool, near Inverness.

The landscape

The islands have absolutely beautiful beaches which are generally completely deserted, even in high tourist season. On a sunny day, the sea is turquoise or Mediterranean blue and the sand is powdery white or golden. Because the islands are relatively small, there is a lot of coastline to explore. The most visited beaches are Luskentyre and Horgabost on Harris and Coll on Lewis – all providing acres of sand. The area also attracts windsurfers and surfers as the waves can get quite large!

Wildlife

The islands are home to many rare species, including the Golden Eagle. Whales regularly pass by in late summer. Orcas have been sighted, as well as basking sharks and dolphins. Seals are plentiful and easy to view. The car park in Stornoway is next to a small harbour and the seals often beg for scraps from the fishing boats! Otters and the rare corncrake are also worth pursuing.

There are many sheep on the islands which still have crofting communities. If you are driving anywhere other than Stornoway, you need to keep a sharp lookout for sheep on the road. On the moorland, Stags and deer roam wild too.

Way of life

The Western Isles have the largest number of Scottish-Gaelic speakers in the world. In the 2001 Census, over half the people on every island spoke Gaelic. Even in the modern supermarkets today, the aisles are marked in English and Gaelic and so are the road signs. Just walking through Stornoway or stopping for coffee, you will hear people speaking the musical language.

Many Hebrideans attend the Church of Scotland and dress respectfully in their ‘Sunday best’ with the ladies wearing hats. If you are visiting and wish to attend Church, you would need smart attire to avoid offending the islanders. Sundays are strictly observed as a day of rest with all shops closed and it is considered disrespectful to hang your washing out. It is more relaxed on South Uist as this has a higher concentration of Roman Catholics.

Family History

In the late 1700’s, the Clearances began. This was a tragic period of Scottish history when it was decided that sheep would bring in a profit and so hundreds of families were forcibly turned out of their homes to make way for them. Many were sent to North America, Canada and Australia.

Every year, thousands of overseas visitors come to research their family trees and visit the home of their clans. A tiny, ruined church on Lewis is the burial place of many of the MacLeod chiefs and their tombs can still be seen. There is also a museum at Arnol which has a traditional ‘Blackhouse’ that shows just how these folk would have lived.

For anyone researching their family tree, a visit to Seallam! Visitor Centre at Northton on Harris, is essential. Bill Lawson and his wife Chris have devoted years to researching the history of virtually every family from the island from the past 200 years. Their website is well worth a visit as it has much good advice for genealogists about what information to find before visiting to maximise the chances of a productive visit. It also has many helpful links to sites specific to Hebridean genealogy and also travel and tourist links.

A magical place

Whether you come to see how people still live as crofters, to visit the stunning scenery, to see the famous Callanish Stones (which are even older than Stonehenge), for the rare wildlife or to look up your ancestors, the Outer Hebrides will be a place that will work its’ way into your heart and never leave.