5 excellent reasons to visit the Inner and Outer Hebrides

The Hebrides are a fantastic holiday destination famous for their spectacular natural beauty and fascinating culture. This collection of islands off the Scottish mainland is formed of two groups, the Inner Hebrides and the Outer Hebrides.

The islands’ inhabitants rely heavily on the fishing, oil and tourism industry and you can easily reach the bigger islands in the Hebrides by either aeroplane or ferry from mainland Britain - a ferry is ideal if you want to bring your car too.

The Inner Hebrides include 35 inhabited islands and 44 uninhabited islands, the larger of which you will definitely have heard of, including the Isles of Skye, Rum, Islay, Eigg and Jura. These are all well-known holiday destinations, very easily reached from the mainland, with a huge amount to offer visitors.

The Outer Hebrides include 15 inhabited islands and more than 50 uninhabited islands. This island group is culturally very interesting, with Scottish Gaelic being the predominant spoken language and many fascinating prehistoric sites to be visited. All the inhabited islands are connected to at least one other island by a land transport route. The largest island in the group, Lewis and Harris , is consistently voted Europe’s top island by TripAdvisor and a visit here will not easily be forgotten.

The Hebrides offer visitors the most stunning mountain scenery, white sand beaches, welcoming island culture, prehistoric monuments and are known for their whisky distilleries. What more could you want? Below we choose 5 Hebridean highlights, should you need any more convincing…

Callanish Standing Stones

On the west coast of the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides you will find the fascinating Prehistoric Callanish Standing Stones. This amazing stone circle is over 5000 years old and the reason for its existence remains a mystery.

There is a good visitor centre here that provides excellent facilities including a ‘Story of the Stones’ exhibition full of audio-visual displays, a gift shop and a café and tea room to relax in. The centre is open all year round except on Sundays and is completely free to visit.

This is a wonderful place to visit set in stunning scenery of moorland, lochs and mountains. The ancient stones provide an atmospheric, magical quality that is not to be missed.

Fingal’s Cave

Fingal’s Cave is visually spectacular sea cave on the uninhabited island of Staff in the Inner Hebrides. The cave’s structure is extraordinary and completely unique, being formed entirely of hexagonal basalt columns as a result of thousands of years of violent sea erosion.

The cave is also famous for its eerie sounds and acoustics, and a visit here will not fail to take your breath away. The cave is owned by the National Trust of Scotland and is part of an important nature reserve, so you are also likely to see puffins and other wildlife on a visit here. The reserve is open all year round and is easily reached as part of a boat trip from the nearby islands of Mull or Iona.

Dolphin Watching

The Hebrides is an ideal place to do a little dolphin spotting and there are great companies all over the Hebrides offering dolphin watching boat cruises - you are sure to easily find a trip to suit you.

There are a number of different dolphin varieties to be found around the Hebrides, starting with the common dolphin which is most likely to be spotted between May to September. There’s also the Bottlenose Dolphin which can be spotted all year round. These grow up to 4 metres long and have the short, nose and friendly face we often associate with dolphins. You may also see the Risso Dolphin, White Beaked Dolphin and the Striped Dolphin. As well as dolphins you are likely to see whales, seals, sharks and many seabirds including puffins. This is an excellent family activity and a wonderful way to see the coastlines of the Hebridean islands.

Neist Point

The Isle of Skye is the largest and furthest north of the islands in the Inner Hebrides and is an island of extremes - the coastline here is full of dramatic steeps cliffs, caves, bays and waterfalls. The highlight of all these spectacular vistas has to be the views at Neist Point, the most westerly point of the island.

Located at the tip of a thin peninsula, Neist Point is famous for its lighthouse and the incredible views across the Minch, where you will often see whales, dolphins and basking sharks in the waters. It is a popular spot with walkers and, although there is a car park nearby, the path to the point is very steep.

National Nature Reserves

The Hebrides are an excellent place to see wildlife and unspoilt scenery, and to preserve all of this they are home to some stunning National Nature Reserves. Aside from Staffa, mentioned above, there are many other excellent reserves you can visit.

For example, Balranald Nature Reserve on the North Uist Island of the Outer Hebrides is a beautiful place with mixed terrain of white sandy beaches, rock and marshland. Here you can see rare birds such as the Corncrake and the Barnacle Goose as well the largest population of Corn Bunting birds in the world. When you look out towards the sea you may spot otters and dolphins leaping from the water too. 

In the remotest part of the British Isles, lying 41 miles west of Benbecula in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, is St Kilda. The National Nature Reserve here is a World Heritage Site and offers breathtakingly dramatic landscapes and an important seabird breeding station. The best time to visit is between May and July where you are most likely to see the world’s largest Gannet colony.

World Class Holiday Destinations

The Hebrides are a unique collection of islands with many wonderful natural and manmade attractions. There are excellent places to camp all over the Hebrides with great transport links to and from each island and to mainland UK. If stunning scenery, wildlife, unusual naturally formed structures and ancient culture and traditions are your thing then a trip to the Hebrides should be top of your list!