Touring The Scottish Hebrides Isles
The Hebrides Isles are a small group of islands lying just off the West coast of Scotland. The islands of the Inner & Outer Hebrides have been lived on since the Mesolithic period and throughout history the language and culture has been greatly influenced by numerous different races and today the culture of the Hebrideans is a mix of Celtic, Norse, English and Scottish influences. The vast majority of folk speak in the Gaelic language and though many speak English, it is often their 2nd language. Not too long ago tours of the Western Isles/Outer Hebrides were only for folk with plenty of money and those folk who had plenty of time. Nowadays it is much to travel to the Outer Hebrides/Western Isles, you can get there by car and boat or even fly direct to a number of destinations on the islands. Sadly you can not get all of the way by train but you can travel to the coast and then travel by coach for the remainder of the journey. Sometimes the only problem that can happen is finding somewhere to stay especially if you are searching for Harris group accommodation which is frequently fully booked a year in advance.
One of the main reasons people travel to the Western Isles/Outer Hebrides is that the the landscape and the culture of the Isles are curiously unique. Along the west coast of the Isle of Harris there are some of the most stunning golden sandy beaches in all of Scotland, and it could be said the U.K. Here and there you will see a standing stone on the Harris coastline however it is on the Isle of Lewis that you will find the best standing stones at Callanish not far away from Stornoway the only town in the Outer Hebrides. The Calanais standing stones is said to be second only to Stonehenge in England.
Deciding which island, the Isle of Harris or the Isle of Lewis, to stay on is often difficult and more people are deciding to spend a little time on both. Bed and breakfast on the Isle of Lewis is commonly available than Isle of Harris accommodation, book early to avoid problems.
Bed & breakfast accommodation in Stornoway is is fairly easy to find but again to be safe book early. Nearly all accommodation in the Outer Hebrides/Western Isles is high quality and the hospitality is world renowned and the people friendly and helpful.
Besides Isle of Harris and the Isle of Lewis there are several other islands that are very easy to visit. The most commonly visited are the Uists, Eriskay and Barra and a ferry can be caught which runs from North Uist to the Isle of Harris at Leverburgh.
