Theme Week Outer Hebrides
Monday, 21 August 2023 - 12:00 pm (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination: Great Britain / Großbritannien General , Theme Weeks
Reading Time: 4 minutes
Kisimul Castle, Castlebay, Isle of Barra © flickr.com – Conor Lawless/cc-by-2.0
🔊 Listen to this Post
The Outer Hebrides or Western Isles (
Scottish Gaelic :
Na h-Eileanan Siar or
Na h-Eileanan an Iar or
Na h-Innse Gall (“islands of the strangers”);
Scots : Waster Isles), sometimes known as the Long Isle/Long Island (Scottish Gaelic: An t-Eilean Fada), is an
island chain off the west coast of mainland
Scotland . The islands are geographically coextensive with
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar , one of the 32 unitary
council areas of Scotland . They form part of the archipelago of the
Hebrides , separated from the Scottish mainland and from the
Inner Hebrides by the waters of the
Minch , the
Little Minch , and the
Sea of the Hebrides .
Scottish Gaelic is the predominant spoken language, although in a few areas English speakers form a majority.
Most of the islands have a bedrock formed from ancient metamorphic rocks, and the climate is mild and oceanic. The 15 inhabited islands have a total population of 26,830 and there are more than 50 substantial uninhabited islands. The distance from Barra Head to the Butt of Lewis is roughly 210 kilometres (130 mi).
Abhainn a' Ghlinne Mhoir falls on Hirta © geograph.org.uk - Mick Crawley/cc-by-sa-2.0
There are various important prehistoric structures, many of which pre-date the first written references to the islands by
Roman and Greek authors. The Western Isles became part of the
Norse kingdom of the
Suðreyjar , which lasted for over 400 years, until sovereignty over the Outer Hebrides was transferred to Scotland by the
Treaty of Perth in 1266. Control of the islands was then held by
clan chiefs, principal amongst whom were the
MacLeods ,
MacDonalds ,
Mackenzies and
MacNeils . The
Highland Clearances of the 19th century had a devastating effect on many communities, and it is only in recent years that population levels have ceased to decline. Much of the land is now under local control, and commercial activity is based on tourism,
crofting , fishing, and weaving.
Sea transport is crucial, and a variety of ferry services operate between the islands and to mainland Scotland. Modern navigation systems now minimise the dangers, but in the past the stormy seas have claimed many ships. Religion, music and sport are important aspects of local culture, and there are numerous
designated conservation areas to protect the natural environment.
Here you can find the complete
Overview of all Theme Weeks .
Read more on
VisitOuterHebrides.co.uk ,
Harris tweed ,
Wikipedia List of Category A listed buildings in the Western Isles ,
Wikivoyage Outer Hebrides and
Wikipedia Outer Hebrides . Learn more about the
use of photos . To inform you about latest news most of the city, town or tourism websites offer a newsletter service and/or operate Facebook pages/Twitter accounts. In addition more and more destinations, tourist organizations and cultural institutions offer Apps for your Smart Phone or Tablet, to provide you with a mobile tourist guide (
Smart Traveler App by U.S. Department of State -
Weather report by weather.com -
Johns Hopkins University & Medicine - Coronavirus Resource Center -
Global Passport Power Rank -
Democracy Index -
GDP according to IMF, UN, and World Bank -
Global Competitiveness Report -
Corruption Perceptions Index -
Press Freedom Index -
World Justice Project - Rule of Law Index -
UN Human Development Index -
Global Peace Index -
Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index ). If you have a suggestion, critique, review or comment to this blog entry, we are looking forward to receive your e-mail at
comment@wingsch.net . Please name the headline of the blog post to which your e-mail refers to in the subject line.
VIDEO
Recommended posts:
[caption id="attachment_216012" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Coastline with Batumi on the horizon © flickr.com - Jagermesh/cc-by-sa-2.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Batumi is the second largest city of Georgia and the capital of the Adjara, located on the coast of the Black Sea in Georgia's southwest. It is situated in a subtropical zone at the foot of the Caucasus. Much of Batumi's economy revolves around tourism and gambling (it is nicknamed "The Las Vegas of the Black Sea"), but the city is also an important sea port and in...
[ read more ]
[caption id="attachment_207934" align="aligncenter" width="590"] West Indian Day Parade 2008 © Fordmadoxfraud/cc-by-sa-3.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Crown Heights is a neighborhood in the central portion of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Crown Heights is bounded by Washington Avenue to the west, Atlantic Avenue to the north, Ralph Avenue to the east, and Clarkson Avenue/East New York Avenue to the south. It is about 1 mile (1.6 km) wide and 2 miles (3.2 km) long. Neighborhoods bordering Crown Heights include Prospect He...
[ read more ]
[caption id="attachment_227475" align="aligncenter" width="590"] South Gay Street © Brian Stansberry/cc-by-3.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the state's third largest city after Nashville and Memphis. Knoxville is the principal city of the Knoxville Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated po...
[ read more ]
[caption id="attachment_201261" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Hampshire Hog in King Street © Edward Hands/cc-by-sa-4.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Hammersmith is a district of west London, England, located 4.3 miles (6.9 km) west-southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. It is bordered by Shepherd's Bush to the north, Kensington to the east, Chiswick to the west, and Fulham to the s...
[ read more ]
[caption id="attachment_165013" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Times Square © Matt H. Wade/cc-by-sa-3.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Midtown Manhattan, or Midtown, represents the central lengthwise portion of the borough and island of Manhattan in New York City. Midtown is home to some of the city's most iconic buildings, including the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and the headquarters of the United Nations, and it contains world-renowned commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square. Al...
[ read more ]
[caption id="attachment_153624" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Sunrise over Oman Bay © Stzeman/cc-by-sa-3.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Khor Fakkan is a town located along the Gulf of Oman on the east coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The town, the second largest on the east coast after Fujairah, is set on the picturesque bay of Khor Fakkan, which means "Creek of Two Jaws". Khor Fakkan belongs to the emirate of Sharjah but is geographically surrounded by the emirate of Fujairah. It is a natural deep water port that is no...
[ read more ]
[caption id="attachment_165800" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Newport © MVASCO - Michael Kagdis/cc-by-sa-3.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Rhode Island, officially the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Rhode Island is the smallest in area, the eighth least populous, and the second most densely populated of the 50 U.S. states, following New Jersey. Its official name is also the longest of any state in the Union. Rhode Island is bordered by Con...
[ read more ]
[caption id="attachment_160627" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Welcome to Wilhelmshaven © Uwe Karwath[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Wilhelmshaven is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea.
The Siebethsburg castle, built before 1383, was occupied by pirates and destroyed in 1433 by the Hanseatic League. Four centuries later, the Kingdom of Prussia planned a fleet and a harbour on the North Sea. In 1853, Prince Adalbert of Prussia arranged the Ja...
[ read more ]
[caption id="attachment_152366" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Disney Wonder at Castaway Cay with Flying Dutchman © EmbraerSkyPilot[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Disney Wonder is a cruise ship operated by Disney Cruise Line. The second ship to join the Disney fleet, it entered service in 1999. It is nearly identical in construction to its sister ship, Disney Magic. Both ships have 11 public decks, can accommodate 2,400 passengers in 875 staterooms, and have a crew of approximately 950. The Disney Wonder was built in the year foll...
[ read more ]
[caption id="attachment_152011" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Baháí World Centre © flickr.com - israeltourism/cc-by-2.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 291,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including Daliyat al-Karmel, the Krayot, Nesher, Tirat Carmel, and some Kibbuzim. Together these areas form a contiguous urban area home to nearly 600,000 residents which makes up the inner c...
[ read more ]
