Outer Hebrides

Western Isles ; Na h-Eileanan Siar
Administrative headquarters	Stornoway
surface	3,071 km² (7.)
Residents	27,560 (2012) (30.)
ISO 3166-2	GB-ELS
ONS code	00RJ
Website	www.cne-siar.gov.uk

The Hebrides (Outer Hebrides in orange)

The Outer Hebrides ( English Outer Hebrides or Western Isles , Scottish Gaelic Na h-Eileanan Siar [ nə ˈhelanən ˈʃiəɾ ], 'The Western Isles') are an island chain belonging to the Hebrides in the Atlantic Ocean on the west coast of Scotland . They are about 60 kilometers west of the mainland and run in an arc from the Butt of Lewis in the north to Barra Head in the south. The entire chain of islands is 208 kilometers long. The Straits of Little Minch and North Minch separate them from the Inner Hebrides to the southeast .

Under their Scottish Gaelic name Na h-Eileanan Siar , the Outer Hebrides form one of the 32 Council Areas , the local administrative units of Scotland. The capital is Stornoway (Scottish Gaelic Steòrnabhagh ) on the Isle of Lewis .

geography

The Outer Hebrides includes the following inhabited islands (from north to south):

Lewis and Harris
Great Bernera
Scalpay
Uist archipelago (Gaelic Uibhist ):
- Baleshare
- Berneray
- North Uist
- Grimsay
- Benbecula
- South Uist
- Eriskay
Barra
Vatersay
upstream to the north, uninhabited:
- Sula Sgeir
- Rona
to the east, uninhabited:
- Shiant Islands
upstream to the south, uninhabited:
- Barra Head
to the west, uninhabited:
and many small uninhabited islands: Bearasay , Campay , Coppay, Craigeam , Eilean Kearstay , Fladday , Flodaigh , Flodaigh , Flodday , Gilsay, Heiskers, Hermetray, Kealasay , Kirkibost, Lingay, Little Bernera , Little Shillay, Mealasta , Mingulay , Opsay, Pabay Mor , Pabbay, Sandray, Scaraway, Scarp , Seaforth Island , Seanna Chnoc , Shillay, Soay Beag, Soay Mor, Stockay, Sursay, Tahay, Taransay , Vacasay , Vallay, Vuia Beg , Vuia Mor , Wiay and others.

The smaller of the inhabited islands are connected to larger islands via car bridges and road embankments, so that there are three inhabited archipelagos, between which car ferries run several times a day.

The ten largest islands in the Outer Hebrides

Surname	Area [in km²]	Population (2001)	Highest elevation [in m]
Lewis and Harris	2,170.0	18,489 ¹	799
South Uist	320.3	1,818	620
North Uist	303.1	1,271	347
Benbecula	82.0	1,219	124
Barra	58.8	1,078	383
Great Bernera	21.2	233	87
Taransay	14.8	0	267
Berneray	10.1	136	93
Grimsay	8.3	201	22nd
Eriskay	7.0	133	185

¹ of which Harris: 3,061

economy

The people of the Outer Hebrides live mainly from fishing for fish and crabs and as small tenants and sheep farmers. Tourism also plays a role. The extensive peat bogs of Lewis are mined by islanders for their own fuel needs.

Harris tweed is an important industry . Harris Tweed can be made in Lewis, Harris, Uist and Barra. The Harris Tweed Authority has its seat contrary to the name in Stornoway in the northern part of the island of Lewis and Harris (Lewis) and not in the southern part of the island Harris.

traffic

The following ferry lines serve the islands from outside the Outer Hebrides:

Oban - Castlebay (Barra)
Oban - Lochboisdale (South Uist)
Uig (Skye) - Tarbert (Harris)
Uig– Lochmaddy (North Uist)
Ullapool - Stornoway (Lewis)

There are also small, nationally connected airports on Barra , Benbecula and Lewis . The Barra Airport has a special feature: its flight plans are based on the tides , as the runway is on the beach.

Culture

The islanders mostly speak Scottish Gaelic among themselves . Place and street signs are also partly in Scottish Gaelic.

On the northern, evangelical islands, Sunday is observed as a day of rest , which is why public life is largely idle on this day. There were no ferries to and from the islands on this day until 2009. However, this has now changed, even if the new practice is still controversial. About a quarter of the population belongs to the Free Church of Scotland , which strictly observes the Sabbath, refused all music in services until 2010 and has strict dress codes for going to church. The southern islands of the Outer Hebrides are predominantly Catholics .

Fiction

The Outer Hebrides are the setting for Simon Beckett's novel Kalte Asche , which takes place on the fictional island "Runa". The capital, Stornoway, and many other actual places and islands, such as St. Kilda, also feature in the novel.