Guide to Hebrides Islands

The Hebrides is the most important island group in Scotland. In turn, they are divided into the Inner Hebrides, formed by the larger islands of Skye, Mull, Islay, Jura, and Staffa; and the Outer Hebrides.

If we talk about Gaelic culture, the Hebrides are the navel, with preservation of their language, their traditions, and customs, or their lifestyle deeply rooted in the land, or rather the Hebrides islands.

Visiting all the hebrides islands would not be an easy task because in total there are more than 500 islands, of which only a hundred are inhabited, and where its small population is dedicated especially to fishing, livestock, whiskey production. and tweed.

We will not find large cities on the islands, except perhaps Stornoway (on the Isle of Lewis), the most important fishing center in the Hebrides, but in return, we will enjoy the tranquility, nature, and that indomitable spirit of the Scots, who in the islanders it has a special accentuation.

When we talk about islands within islands, that is to say, insularity in its essence, we could think of the Outer Hebrides, where only that tourism that already knows the rest of Scotland arrives, or that seeks full relaxation. Perfect to get to know on foot with trekking routes or by bicycle, their landscapes change with the intensity of the sun.

In the Outer Hebrides, traditional tweed manufacturing is a small engine of the island economy. Among the landscape, we find the blackhouse, typical houses of the islands, which despite their simplicity are very attractive. In the crofts, the agricultural plots used centuries ago will show us what the simple and hard life of its inhabitants was like. More than 60% of the crofts in Scotland are in this group of islands.

The flavors of the sea flood the local gastronomy, with tasty seafood, which does not however imply giving up meat, with recipes of lamb, veal, or oatmeal sausages from Stornoway that whet our appetite.

Being further apart than its Inner sisters, the ferry travel time is longer, Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) connects the islands from different ports on the west coast of Scotland.

Another option is flights from Glasgow, Edinburgh, or Stornoway, landing at a curious airport next to the beach on the Isle of Barra.

Once on the island to move around, we can use a rental car or the bus transport network, in addition to organized excursions. A good tip is to buy the HopScotch ferry ticket from the CalMac company, which includes transport between the Outer Hebrides.

Skye, Mull, Jura, or Islay are names that always come up when we talk about the islands to visit on a trip to Scotland. If we have to prioritize, perhaps Skye is the one that best defines the essence of the whole, but we must not miss the opportunity to delve into the rest of the Inner Islands.

Nature, fauna, and flora attract tourists, athletes, biologists, ornithologists, and lovers of open spaces in general. They are islands where the echoes of the battles of the invincible Armada's galleons still ring out, with legends about the treasures that sank off their coasts.

However, the most frequent is to take boats/ferries (for example from Glasgow) to arrive, Jura, Mull, and the rest of the islands. By train, you can reach the ports of the Scottish west coast and there buy a ferry ticket to our destination on the islands.

Tourism is very present, so the accommodation network does not pose problems to find where to sleep. A good recommendation is the crofts, old thatched-roof farmhouses that have now been converted into charming Bed and Breakfasts.