Theme Week Outer Hebrides
Monday, 21 August 2023 - 12:00 pm (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination: Great Britain / Großbritannien General , Bon voyage , Theme Weeks
Reading Time: 4 minutes
Kisimul Castle, Castlebay, Isle of Barra © flickr.com – Conor Lawless/cc-by-2.0
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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 -
Global Passport Power Rank -
Travel Risk Map -
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.
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