Scotland’s Hebride islands

Scotland’s Hebride islands

While we’ve talked a bit about Scotland now and again, we haven’t tackled the subject of its western islands, and we know that might come as a shock but Scotland actually has a lot of islands around it, most of them are either to small or to barren to be inhabited but the Hebrides are different.

The Hebrides are made up of over fifty inhabited islands and there are few places more beautiful on Earth. You might not expect it but this is whre you’ll find some of the best European beaches however, don’t expect to get a suntan any time soon.

The islands are quite remote – probably why you haven’t heard of them – but this as well as their underpopulation means that wildlife still flourishes largely unhindered by human activities.

Visiting the Hebrides is definitely about being outdoors so it’s more a destination for the active and adventurous holidaymaker. The islands offer great hiking and walking trails, bikes are also an option but in case you want to get our on the water, sea-kayaking is an option on Barra, Skye and a few other islands.

You might be surprised by the local gastronomy because while it is in Scotland it’s not really what you think because the easy access to fish and seafood in general have created a different type of dishes here. Besides the langoustines, crabs, scallops, mussels and oysters, inland you’ll also have access to lamb and beef dishes. But you still are in Scotland, so make sure to accompany your meal with one of the local single-malt whiskeys, there’s a lot of variety there.

We mentioned that wildlife is still freely florishing in the Hebrides, the islands being a true haven for birds and aquatic mammals. Mull is one of the country’s best places for whale watching as well, but you can go birdwatching on the islands of Islay and the Uists.

George

George