View source for Outer Hebrides

{{Short description|Archipelago and council area off the west coast of mainland Scotland}}
{{Redirect|Na h-Eileanan an Iar|the parliamentary constituencies|Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Scottish Parliament constituency)|and|Na h-Eileanan an Iar (UK Parliament constituency)}}
{{Redirect2|Long Isle|The Long Island|the American island|Long Island}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox Scottish island
| Image                     = {{multiple image
| border                   = infobox
| total_width              = 300
| image_style              = border:1;
| perrow                   = 2/2/2/1
| image1                   = View over Garenin blackhouse village (cropped).jpg
| caption1                     = [[Garenin]], Lewis
| image2                   = Harris Traigh Niosaboist 20170501 4 (cropped).jpg
| caption2                     = Nisabost, Harris
| image3                   = North Uist near Solas (cropped).jpg
| caption3                     = North Uist near Solas
| image4                   = Church of Scotland, Benbecula - geograph.org.uk - 2045289.jpg
| caption4                    = Church on Benbecula
| image5                   = North Ridge of Ben Corrodale - geograph.org.uk - 5690575 (cropped).jpg
| caption5                     = Ben Corrodale, S. Uist
| image6                   = The Saddest Part Of The Holiday - panoramio.jpg
| caption6                     = [[Castlebay]], Barra
| image7                   = Scotland’s Outer Hebrides (153674 - scotland outerhebrides oli 20240918 lrg) (cropped).jpg
| caption7                     = The Outer Hebrides from space, east on top}}
| celtic name        = Na h-Eileanan Siar
| norse name         = 
| meaning of name    = Western Isles
| image_flag         = Western Isles Council Flag.svg
| flag_caption       = Flag of [[Comhairle nan Eilean Siar]]
| image_coat         = Coat of Arms of the Na h-Eileanan Siar (Outer Hebrides).svg
| coat_caption       = Coat of arms
| Map                = Outer Hebrides UK relief location map.jpg
| MapCaption                = The Outer Hebrides
| GridReference      = NB426340
| area               = {{convert|{{UK subdivision area|GSS=S12000013}}|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}<ref name="popstats">{{UK subdivision statistics citation}}</ref>
| area rank          = 
| highest elevation  = [[Clisham]] {{convert|799|m|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name=Thom14>Thompson (1968) p. 14</ref>
| Population         = {{UK subdivision population|GSS=S12000013}} ({{UK subdivision statistics year}})<ref name="popstats" />
| population density = {{cvt|{{UK subdivision density|GSS=S12000013}}|/km2}}<ref name="popstats" />
| population rank    = 
| main settlement    = [[Stornoway]]
| local authority    = {{lang|gd|[[Comhairle nan Eilean Siar]]}}
| references         = [[ISO 3166-2:GB|ISO Code]]: GB-ELS
| image              =
}}

The '''Outer Hebrides'''{{efn|{{IPAc-en|ˈ|h|ɛ|b|r|ɪ|d|iː|z}} {{respell|HEB|rid|eez}}}} or '''Western Isles'''{{efn|{{langx|gd|na h-Eileanan Siar}} {{IPA|gd|nə ˈhelanən ˈʃiəɾ||naheileanansiar.ogg}}, {{lang|gd|na h-Eileanan an Iar}} {{IPA|gd|nə ˈhelanən əɲ ˈiəɾ||naheileanananiar.ogg}} or {{langx|gd|na h-Innse Gall||Islands of the Strangers|label=none}}}}, sometimes known as the '''Long Isle''' or '''Long Island'''{{efn|{{langx|gd|an t-Eilean Fada|links=no}}}}, is an [[Archipelago|island chain]] off the west coast of mainland [[Scotland]]. 
It is the longest archipelago in the British Isles.  {{#tag:ref|Murray (1973) notes that "Western Isles" has tended to mean "Outer Hebrides" since the creation of the [[Na h-Eileanan an Iar (UK Parliament constituency)|Na h-Eileanan an Iar]] or Western Isles parliamentary constituency in 1918. The phrase can also be used to refer to the [[Hebrides]] in general. Murray also notes that "Gneiss Islands"—a reference to the underlying geology – is another name used to refer to the Outer Hebrides but that its use is "confined to books".<ref>Murray (1973) p. 32.</ref>|group="Note"}} The islands 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]]. The Outer Hebrides are considered to be the traditional heartland of the Gaelic language. The islands form one of the 32 [[council areas of Scotland]]; since 1998, the area has used only the Gaelic form of its name, including in English language contexts. The council area is called '''Na h-Eileanan an Iar''' <!-- redirects here -->('the Western Isles') and its council is {{lang|gd|italic=unset|[[Comhairle nan Eilean Siar]]}} ('Council of the Western Isles').

Most of the islands have a bedrock formed from ancient [[metamorphic]] rocks, and the climate is mild and oceanic. The 19 inhabited islands had an estimated population of {{UK subdivision population|GSS=S12000013}} in {{UK subdivision statistics year}},<ref name="popstats" /> and there are more than 50 substantial uninhabited islands. The distance from [[Barra Head]] to the [[Butt of Lewis]] is roughly {{convert|210|km|mi}}.

There are various important prehistoric structures, many of which pre-date the first written references to the islands by [[Classical antiquity|Roman and Greek]] authors. The Western Isles became part of the [[Norsemen|Norse]] kingdom of the ''{{lang|non|[[Kingdom of the Isles|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 [[Scottish clan|clan]] chiefs, principal amongst whom were the [[Clan MacLeod|MacLeods]], [[Clan Donald|MacDonalds]], and the [[Clan MacNeil|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 for those who live and work in the Outer Hebrides, 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 in the region have claimed many ships. The Gaelic language, religion, music and sport are important aspects of local culture, and there are numerous [[conservation designation|designated conservation areas]] to protect the natural environment.

== Etymology ==
The earliest surviving written references relating to the islands were made by [[Pliny the Elder]] in his ''Natural History'', in which he states that there are 30 ''{{lang|la|Hebudes}}'', and makes a separate reference to ''Dumna'', which Watson (1926) concludes is unequivocally the Outer Hebrides. Writing about 80 years later, in 140–150 AD, [[Ptolemy]], drawing on the earlier naval expeditions of {{lang|la|[[Gnaeus Julius Agricola|Agricola]]}}, also distinguished between the ''{{lang|la|Ebudes}}'', of which he writes there were only five (and thus possibly meaning the [[Inner Hebrides]]) and {{lang|la|Dumna}}.<ref name="Breeze">Breeze, David J. "The ancient geography of Scotland" in Smith and Banks (2002) pp.&nbsp;11–13</ref><ref name="Watson">Watson (1926) pp.&nbsp;40–41</ref> ''{{lang|la|Dumna}}'' is cognate with the [[Proto-Celtic|Early Celtic]] ''dumnos'' and means the "deep-sea isle".<ref name="Watson"/> Pliny probably took his information from [[Pytheas]] of [[Massilia]] who visited Britain sometime between 322 and 285 BC. It is possible that Ptolemy did as well, as Agricola's information about the west coast of Scotland was of poor quality.<ref name="Breeze"/><ref name="Watson"/> Breeze also suggests that {{lang|la|Dumna}} might be [[Lewis and Harris]], the largest island of the Outer Hebrides although he conflates this single island with the name "Long Island".<ref name="Breeze"/> Watson (1926) states that the meaning of Ptolemy's ''{{lang|grc-Latn|Eboudai}}'' is unknown and that the root may be pre-Celtic.<ref>Watson (1926) p. 38</ref> Murray (1966) claims that Ptolemy's ''{{lang|grc-Latn|Ebudae}}'' was originally derived from the [[Old Norse]] ''{{lang|non|Havbredey}}'', meaning "isles on the edge of the sea". This idea is often repeated but no firm evidence of this derivation has emerged.<ref>Murray (1966) p. 1</ref>

Other early written references include the flight of the [[Nemed]] people from Ireland to ''Domon'', which is mentioned in the 12th-century ''{{lang|mga|[[Lebor Gabála Érenn]]}}'' and a 13th-century poem concerning {{lang|mga|[[Raghnall mac Gofraidh]]}}, then the heir to the throne of [[Kingdom of Mann and the Isles|Mann and the Isles]], who is said to have "broken the gate of ''{{lang|mga|Magh Domhna}}''". ''{{lang|mga|Magh Domhna}}'' means "the plain of Domhna (or Domon)", but the precise meaning of the text is not clear.<ref name="Watson"/>

In [[Irish mythology]] the islands were the home of the [[Fomorians]], described as "huge and ugly" and "ship men of the sea". They were pirates, extracting tribute from the coasts of Ireland and one of their kings was {{lang|ga|Indech mac Dé Domnand}} (i.e. Indech, son of the goddess Domnu, who ruled over the deep seas).<ref>Watson (1926) pp.&nbsp;41–42 quoting ''{{lang|ga|[[Lebor na hUidre]]}}'' and the [[Book of Leinster]].</ref>

== Geography ==
[[File:Outer Hebrides by Sentinel-2.jpg|thumb|upright|Satellite image of Outer Hebrides]]
[[File:South Uist.jpg|thumb|Nicolson's Leap on the east coast of [[South Uist]]. In the background are Beinn Mhòr at left, and Hecla on the right.]]
{{main|List of Outer Hebrides}}

The islands form an archipelago whose major islands are [[Lewis and Harris]], [[North Uist]], [[Benbecula]], [[South Uist]], and [[Barra]]. Lewis and Harris has an area of {{convert|2178.98|sqkm|sqmi|0}}<ref>Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 262</ref> and is the largest island in Scotland and the third-largest in the [[British Isles]], after Great Britain and Ireland.<ref>Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 502</ref><ref>[https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-largest-islands-in-the-british-isles-by-size.html “The Largest Islands In The British Isles By Size”]. WorldAtlas. Retrieved 24 July 2024.</ref> It incorporates [[Isle of Lewis|Lewis]] in the north and [[Harris, Outer Hebrides|Harris]] in the south, both of which are frequently referred to as individual islands, although they are connected by land. The island does not have a single name in either English or Gaelic, and is referred to as "Lewis and Harris", "Lewis with Harris", "Harris with Lewis" etc.<ref name="Thompson 1968 p. 13">Thompson (1968) p. 13</ref>

The largest islands are deeply indented by arms of the sea such as [[Loch Ròg]], [[Loch Seaforth]] and [[Lochmaddy|Loch nam Madadh]]. There are also more than 7,500 freshwater lochs in the Outer Hebrides, about 24% of the total for the whole of Scotland.<ref name =SNH>[http://www.snh.org.uk/publications/on-line/advisorynotes/4/4.htm "Botanical survey of Scottish freshwater lochs"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303211946/http://www.snh.org.uk/publications/on-line/advisorynotes/4/4.htm |date=3 March 2016 }} SNH Information and Advisory Note Number 4. Retrieved 1 January 2010.</ref> North and South Uist and Lewis, in particular, have landscapes with a high percentage of fresh water and a maze and complexity of loch shapes. Harris has fewer large bodies of water but has innumerable small lochans. [[Loch Langavat]] on Lewis is {{convert|11|km|mi|0}} long, and has several large islands in its midst, including [[Eilean Mòr, Loch Langavat|Eilean Mòr]]. Although Loch Suaineabhal has only 25% of Loch Langavat's surface area, it has a mean depth of {{convert|33|m|ft|0}} and is the most voluminous on the island.<ref>Murray and Pullar (1910) "Lochs of Lewis" Volume II, Part II [https://maps.nls.uk/bathymetric/text/page/1494 p.&nbsp;216] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230515101540/https://maps.nls.uk/bathymetric/text/page/1494 |date=15 May 2023 }}. Retrieved 21 December 2009.</ref> Of [[Loch Sgadabhagh]] on [[North Uist]] it has been said that "there is probably no other loch in Britain which approaches Loch Scadavay in irregularity and complexity of outline."<ref>Murray and Pullar (1910) "Lochs of North Uist" Volume II, Part II [https://maps.nls.uk/bathymetric/text/page/1466 p.&nbsp;188]{{Dead link|date=February 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}. Retrieved 20 December 2009.</ref> Loch Bì is South Uist's largest loch and at {{convert |8|km|mi|0}} long it all but cuts the island in two.<ref name=OS/>

Much of the western coastline of the islands is [[machair]], a fertile low-lying dune pastureland.<ref>Murray (1966) pp. 171, 198</ref> Lewis is comparatively flat, and largely consists of treeless moors of blanket [[peat]]. The highest eminence is Mealisval at {{convert|574|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} in the south west. Most of [[Harris, Outer Hebrides|Harris]] is mountainous, with large areas of exposed rock and [[Clisham]], the archipelago's only [[Corbett Top|Corbett]], reaches {{convert|799|m|ft|abbr=on}} in height.<ref name=Thom14/><ref name="Haswell-Smith 2004 p. 289">Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 289</ref> North and South Uist and Benbecula (sometimes collectively referred to as [[The Uists]]) have sandy beaches and wide cultivated areas of machair to the west and virtually uninhabited mountainous areas to the east. The highest peak here is [[Beinn Mhòr (South Uist)|Beinn Mhòr]] at {{convert|620|m|ft|0|}}.<ref>Haswell-Smith (2004) pp.&nbsp;236–45</ref> The Uists and their immediate outliers have a combined area of {{convert|745.4|sqkm|sqmi|0}}. This includes the Uists themselves and the islands linked to them by causeways and bridges.<ref>Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 206</ref> Barra is {{convert|58.75|sqkm|sqmi|0}} in extent and has a rugged interior, surrounded by machair and extensive beaches.<ref>Rotary Club (1995) p. 106</ref><ref>Haswell-Smith (2004) pp.&nbsp;218–22</ref>

The scenic qualities of the islands are reflected in the fact that three of Scotland's forty [[national scenic area (Scotland)|national scenic areas]] (NSAs) are located here. The national scenic areas are defined so as to identify areas of exceptional scenery and to ensure its protection from inappropriate development,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nature.scot/professional-advice/safeguarding-protected-areas-and-species/protected-areas/national-designations/national-scenic-areas/|title=National Scenic Areas|publisher=Scottish Natural Heritage|access-date=2018-01-17}}</ref> and are considered to represent the type of scenic beauty "popularly associated with Scotland and for which it is renowned".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Environment/Countryside/Heritage/Areas|title=Countryside and Landscape in Scotland - National Scenic Areas|publisher=Scottish Government|date=2017-07-04|access-date=2018-01-31|archive-date=31 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180131201226/http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Environment/Countryside/Heritage/Areas|url-status=dead}}</ref> The three NSA within the Outer Hebrides are:

*[[South Lewis, Harris and North Uist National Scenic Area]] covers the mountainous south west of [[Isle of Lewis|Lewis]], all of [[Harris, Outer Hebrides|Harris]], the [[Sound of Harris]] and the northern part of [[North Uist]].<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.snh.org.uk/pdfs/publications/scotlandsscenicareas/Part2WesternIsles2.pdf| title=South Lewis, Harris and North Uist NSA| publisher=[[Scottish Natural Heritage|SNH]]| access-date=2009-08-30| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214164446/http://www.snh.org.uk/pdfs/publications/scotlandsscenicareas/Part2WesternIsles2.pdf| archive-date=14 February 2012| url-status=dead}}</ref>
*An area of the south west coast of [[South Uist]] is designated as the ''South Uist Machair National Scenic Area''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gov.scot/Resource/Doc/921/0109905.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.gov.scot/Resource/Doc/921/0109905.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|title=South Uist Machair NSA 1:50,000 map|publisher=Scottish Natural Heritage|date=2010-12-20|access-date=2018-06-07}}</ref>
*The archipelago of [[St Kilda, Scotland|St Kilda]] is also listed as an NSA, alongside many other conservation designations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gateway.snh.gov.uk/sitelink/searchmap.jsp|title=Sitelink Map Search|publisher=Scottish Natural Heritage|access-date=2018-06-11}}</ref>

=== Flora and fauna ===
{{Main|Flora and fauna of the Outer Hebrides}}
[[File:Benbecula Ruabhal View.jpg|thumb|left|The open landscapes of [[Benbecula]]]]
[[File:Baghmor.jpg|thumb|{{lang|gd|Bàgh Mòr}}, [[Grimsay]]]]
Much of the archipelago is a protected habitat, including both the islands and the surrounding waters. There are 53 [[Sites of Special Scientific Interest]] of which the largest are Loch an Duin, North Uist ({{convert |151|sqkm|acre}}) and North Harris ({{convert |127|sqkm|acre}}).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/cxdir/strategiespolicies/witps/appendix1.asp |title=Western Isles Transitional Programme Strategy |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629195106/http://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/cxdir/strategiespolicies/witps/appendix1.asp |archive-date=29 June 2011 |website=Comhairle nan Eilean Siar |access-date=19 May 2010}}</ref><ref>Rotary Club (1995) p. 10</ref> [[South Uist]] is considered the best place in the UK for the aquatic plant [[Najas flexilis|Slender Naiad]], which is a [[European Protected Species]].<ref>[http://www.jncc.gov.uk/protectedsites/SACselection/species.asp?FeatureIntCode=S1833 "Higher plant species: 1833 Slender naiad"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101013171830/http://www.jncc.gov.uk/ProtectedSites/SACselection/species.asp?FeatureIntCode=S1833 |date=13 October 2010 }} JNCC. Retrieved 29 July 2007.</ref><ref>[http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1994/Uksi_19942716_en_10.htm "Statutory Instrument 1994 No. 2716 "] Office of Public Sector Information.  Retrieved 5 July 2010.</ref>

There has been considerable controversy over [[European hedgehog|hedgehog]]s on the Uists. Hedgehogs are not native to the islands but were introduced in the 1970s to reduce garden pests. Their spread posed a threat to the eggs of ground-nesting wading birds. In 2003 Scottish Natural Heritage undertook culls of hedgehogs in the area, but these were halted in 2007; trapped animals are now relocated to the mainland.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thehedgehog.co.uk/campaign.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020808001943/http://www.thehedgehog.co.uk/campaign.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=8 August 2002 |title=Campaign to stop the slaughter of over 5000 Hedgehogs on the Island of Uist |publisher=Epping Forest Hedgehog Rescue |access-date=1 January 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last = Ross | first = John | date = 21 February 2007 | title = Hedgehogs saved from the syringe as controversial Uist cull called off | location = Edinburgh | work=[[The Scotsman]]}}</ref>

Nationally important populations of breeding waders are present in the Outer Hebrides, including [[common redshank]], [[dunlin]], [[Northern lapwing|lapwing]] and [[ringed plover]]. The islands also provide a habitat for other important species such as [[Corn crake|corncrake]], [[hen harrier]], [[golden eagle]] and [[European otter|otter]]. Offshore, [[basking shark]] and various species of whale and dolphin can often be seen,<ref>[http://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/biodiversity/planningprocess.asp#biodiversity "Western Isles Biodiversity: Biodiversity Audit - Main report"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091029050723/http://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/biodiversity/planningprocess.asp#biodiversity |date=29 October 2009 }} Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. Retrieved 5 July 2010.</ref> and the remoter islands' seabird populations are of international significance. [[St Kilda, Scotland|St Kilda]] has 60,000&nbsp;[[northern gannet]]s, amounting to 24% of the world population; 49,000&nbsp;breeding pairs of [[Leach's storm-petrel|Leach's petrel]], up to 90% of the European population; and 136,000&nbsp;pairs of [[Atlantic puffin|puffin]] and 67,000&nbsp;[[northern fulmar]] pairs, about 30% and 13% of the respective UK totals.<ref>Benvie (2004) pp. 116, 121, 132&ndash;34</ref> [[Mingulay]] is an important breeding ground for [[razorbill]]s, with 9,514&nbsp;pairs, 6.3% of the European population.<ref name=NTSbirds>{{cite web |url=http://www.nts-seabirds.org.uk/properties/mingulay/mingulay_breeding.aspx/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060622052146/http://nts-seabirds.org.uk/properties/mingulay/mingulay_breeding.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=22 June 2006 |title=Mingulay birds |publisher=National Trust for Scotland |access-date=16 February 2007 }}</ref>

The [[bumblebee]] [[Bombus jonellus|''Bombus jonellus'' var. ''hebridensis'']] is [[endemism|endemic]] to the Hebrides and there are local variants of the [[dark green fritillary]] and [[green-veined white]] butterflies.<ref>Thompson (1968) p. 21</ref>  The [[St Kilda wren]] is a subspecies of [[Eurasian wren|wren]] whose range is confined to the islands whose name it bears.<ref>Maclean (1972) p. 21</ref>

== Population ==
[[File:LewsCastle.jpg|thumb|[[Lews Castle]], [[Stornoway]]]]
{{main|List of Outer Hebrides}}
{{Historical populations
|type =
|footnote =<ref name=NRS>{{cite web |title=Statistical Bulletins |url=http://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/statistical-bulletins}} {{cite web |title=2011 Census: First Results on Population and Household Estimates for Scotland - Release 1C (Part Two) |url=http://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/documents/censusresults/release1c/rel1c2sb.pdf |publisher=[[National Records of Scotland]] |date=15 August 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/factfile/population/ |title=Factfile - Population of Outer Hebrides |access-date=10 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170910220714/http://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/factfile/population/ |archive-date=10 September 2017 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/factfile/documents/OHFactCards2012.pdf| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923205035/http://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/factfile/documents/OHFactCards2012.pdf |archive-date=23 September 2015 |title= Outer Hebrides Facts | access-date = 27 July 2014| url-status = dead}}</ref>
|1861 | 36319
|1901 | 46172
|1951 | 35591
|1961 | 32609
|1971 | 29891
|1981 | 30702
|1991 | 29600
|2001 | 26502
|2011 | 27684
|2022 | 26140
}}

The islands' total population was 26,502 at the 2001 census, and the 2011 figure was 27,684.<ref name=NRS /> During the same period [[List of Scottish islands|Scottish island]] populations as a whole grew by 4% to 103,702.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-23711202 "Scotland's 2011 census: Island living on the rise"]. BBC News. Retrieved 18 August 2013.</ref> By {{UK subdivision statistics year}} the population was {{UK subdivision population|GSS=S12000013}}.<ref name="popstats" /> The largest settlement in the Outer Hebrides is [[Stornoway]] on Lewis,<ref name=Pop11>[http://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/factfile/population/ "Factfile:Population"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170910220714/http://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/factfile/population/ |date=10 September 2017 }}. {{lang|gd|Comhairle nan Eilean Siar}}. Retrieved 20 July 2013.</ref><ref name=GRO>{{cite web |publisher=General Register Office for Scotland |date=28 November 2003 |url=http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/census/censushm/occpapers/occasional-paper-10/index.html |title=Scotland's Census 2001 Statistics for Inhabited Islands |access-date=26 February 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120407021425/http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/files2/stats/occasional-papers/occ-paper-10-inhabited-islands.pdf |archive-date=7 April 2012}}</ref> which has a population of about 8,100.<ref>Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 296</ref>

The population estimate for 2019 was 26,720 according to a Comhairle nan Eilean Siar report which added that "the population of the Outer Hebrides is ageing" and that "young adults [...] leave the islands for further education or employment purposes". Of the total population, 6,953 people reside in the "Stornoway settlement Laxdale (Lacasdal), Sandwick (Sanndabhaig) and Newmarket" with the balance distributed over 280 townships.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/strategy-performance-and-research/outer-hebrides-factfile/population/overview/| title = Overview| access-date = 18 February 2021| archive-date = 7 October 2022| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20221007021641/https://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/strategy-performance-and-research/outer-hebrides-factfile/population/overview/| url-status = dead}}</ref>

In addition to the major North Ford (''{{lang|gd|Oitir Mhòr}}'') and South Ford causeways that connect North Uist to Benbecula via the northern of the [[Grimsay]]s, and another causeway from Benbecula to South Uist, several other islands are linked by smaller causeways or bridges. [[Great Bernera]] and [[Scalpay, Outer Hebrides|Scalpay]] have bridge connections to Lewis and Harris respectively, with causeways linking [[Baleshare]] and [[Berneray, North Uist|Berneray]] to North Uist; [[Eriskay]] to South Uist; {{lang|gd|[[Flodaigh]]}}, {{lang|gd|[[Seana Bhaile]]}} and the southern [[Grimsay, South East Benbecula|Grimsay]] to Benbecula; and the [[Vatersay Causeway]] linking [[Vatersay]] to Barra.<ref name=OS>[http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/getamap/ "Get-a-map"]. [[Ordnance Survey]]. Retrieved 1–15 August 2009.</ref><ref name=calmac>[http://www.shipsofcalmac.co.uk/h_hebrides1.asp "Fleet Histories"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170711041045/http://www.shipsofcalmac.co.uk/h_hebrides1.asp |date=11 July 2017 }} [[Caledonian MacBrayne]]. Retrieved 3 August 2009.</ref><ref>Haswell-Smith (2004) pp. 205, 253</ref> This means that all the inhabited islands are now connected to at least one other island by a land transport route.

[[File:Scots Gaelic speakers in the 2011 census.png|thumb|upright=0.8|Geographic distribution of Gaelic speakers in Scotland (2011)]]
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!colspan=2|Island name
!colspan=2|Population
!rowspan=2|2011 Gaelic<br />speakers<ref name="bbc.co.uk">{{cite news |language=gd |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/naidheachdan/24954480 |title=Crìonadh mòr sa Ghàidhlig anns na h-Eileanan |trans-title=A significant decline in Gaelic in the Outer Hebrides |date=15 November 2013 |department=Naidheachdan [News] |publisher=BBC}}</ref>
|-
!English
!Gaelic
!2011<ref name=NRS/>
!2001<ref name=GRO/>
|-
| rowspan=2 | [[Lewis and Harris]]
| ''{{lang|gd|Leòdhas}}''
| rowspan=2 | {{nts|21031}}
| {{nts|18500}}<br />([[Isle of Lewis|Lewis]])
| 
{| class="wikitable"
! Parish !!Speakers
|-
| {{lang|gd|[[Stornoway|Steòrnabhagh]]}} || 43%  (5,492)
|-
| {{lang|gd|[[Barvas|Barabhas]]}} || 64%  (2,037)
|-
| {{lang|gd|[[North Lochs|Ceann a Tuath nan Loch]]}} || 53%  (942)
|-
| {{lang|gd|[[Uig, Lewis|Ùig]]}} || 56%  (873)
|-
! Total !! 49%  (9,344)
|}
|-
| ''{{lang|gd|Na Hearadh}}''
| {{nts|1916}}<br />([[Harris, Scotland|Harris]])
| 60%  (1,212)
|-
| [[South Uist]]
| ''{{lang|gd|Uibhist a Deas}}''
| {{nts|1754}}
| {{nts|1818}}
| 60%  (1,888 incl. Benbecula)
|-
| [[North Uist]]
| ''{{lang|gd|Uibhist a Tuath}}''
| {{nts|1254}}
| {{nts|1271}}
| 61%  (887)
|-
| [[Benbecula]]
| ''{{lang|gd|Beinn nam Fadhla}}''
| {{nts|1303}}
| {{nts|1219}}
|60%  (1,888 with South Uist)
|-
| [[Barra]]
| ''{{lang|gd|Barraigh}}''
| {{nts|1174}}
| {{nts|1078}}
| 62%  (761)
|-
| Others
|
| {{nts|1168}}
| {{nts|700}}
| 13% (156)
|-
!Total
!
! {{nts|27684}}
! {{nts|26502}}
! 52% (14,248)
|}

== Uninhabited islands ==
[[File:View south from Heaval.jpg|thumb|View of the [[Barra Isles]] from [[Heaval]]. The village of [[Castlebay]] is in the foreground, with [[Vatersay]], and the uninhabited islands of [[Sandray]], [[Pabbay, Barra, Scotland|Pabbay]], [[Mingulay]] and [[Barra Head|Berneray]] beyond.]]

There are more than fifty uninhabited islands greater in size than {{convert|40|ha|acre}} in the Outer Hebrides, including the [[Barra Isles]], [[Flannan Isles]], [[Monach Islands]], the [[Shiant Islands]] and the islands of {{lang|gd|Loch Ròg}}.<ref>Haswell-Smith (2004) pp. 206, 262</ref> In common with the other main island chains of Scotland, many of the more remote islands were abandoned during the 19th and 20th centuries, in some cases after continuous habitation since the prehistoric period. More than 35 such islands have been identified in the Outer Hebrides alone.<ref>Haswell-Smith (2004) various pages</ref> On Barra Head, for example, [[Historic Scotland]] have identified eighty-three archaeological sites on the island, the majority being of a pre-medieval date. In the 18th century, the population was over fifty, but the last native islanders had left by 1931.  The island became completely uninhabited by 1980 with the automation of the lighthouse.<ref>Haswell-Smith (2004) pp.&nbsp;207–209</ref>

Some of the smaller islands continue to contribute to modern culture. The "[[Mingulay Boat Song]]", although evocative of island life, was written after the abandonment of the island in 1938<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20010210204347/http://chivalry.com/cantaria/lyrics/mingulay.htm "Mingulay Boat Song"] Cantaria. Retrieved 26 December 2006.</ref> and [[Taransay]] hosted the [[BBC]] television series ''[[Castaway 2000]]''. Others have played a part in Scottish history. On 4 May 1746, the "Young Pretender" [[Charles Edward Stuart]] hid on {{lang|gd|[[Eilean Liubhaird]]}} with some of his men for four days whilst [[Royal Navy]] vessels patrolled the Minch.<ref>Haswell-Smith (2004) pp. 282–83</ref>

Smaller isles and [[skerry|skerries]] and other island groups pepper the [[North Atlantic]] surrounding the main islands. Some are not geologically part of the Outer Hebrides, but are administratively and in most cases culturally, part of {{lang|gd|Comhairle nan Eilean Siar}}. {{convert|73|km|mi}} to the west of Lewis lies [[St Kilda, Scotland|St Kilda]], now uninhabited except for a small military base.<ref>Thompson (1968) pp.&nbsp;187–89</ref> A similar distance to the north of Lewis are [[North Rona]] and {{lang|gd|[[Sula Sgeir]]}}, two small and remote islands. While Rona used to support a small population who grew grain and raised cattle, {{lang|gd|Sula Sgeir}} is an inhospitable rock.  Thousands of [[northern gannet]]s nest here, and by special arrangement some of their young, known as ''{{lang|gd|gugas}}'', are harvested annually by the men of [[Ness, Outer Hebrides|Ness]].<ref>Thompson (1968) pp.&nbsp;182–85</ref> The status of [[Rockall]], which is {{convert|367|km|mi}} to the west of North Uist and which the [[Island of Rockall Act 1972]] decreed to be a part of the Western Isles, remains a matter of international dispute.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/D/0268/D.0268.197311010090.html |title=Oral Questions to the Minister of Foreign Affairs |publisher=[[Dáil Éireann]] |date=1 November 1973 |access-date=17 January 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060822145436/http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/D/0268/D.0268.197311010090.html |archive-date=22 August 2006 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=MacDonald |first=Fraser |year=2006 |title=The last outpost of Empire: Rockall and the Cold War |journal=Journal of Historical Geography |volume=32 |issue=3 |pages=627–647 |url=http://www.landfood.unimelb.edu.au |access-date=8 February 2010 |doi=10.1016/j.jhg.2005.10.009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100210121856/http://www.landfood.unimelb.edu.au/ |archive-date=10 February 2010 |df=dmy-all |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==Settlements==
{{Location map+|Scotland Outer Hebrides
 |caption={{left|The largest settlements in the Outer Hebrides.}}
 |float=right
 |width=500
 |places =
  {{Location map~|Scotland Outer Hebrides|coordinates = {{coord|58.209|-6.387|}}|position=left|label='''[[Stornoway]]'''|label_size=}}
  {{Location map~|Scotland Outer Hebrides|coordinates = {{coord|58.233|-6.390|}}|position=top|label='''[[Newmarket, Lewis|Newmarket]]'''|label_size=}}
  {{Location map~|Scotland Outer Hebrides|coordinates = {{coord|58.206|-6.355|}}|position=bottom|label='''{{pad|1.8em}}[[Sandwick, Lewis|{{nowrap|Sandwick}}]]'''|label_size=}}
  {{Location map~|Scotland Outer Hebrides|coordinates = {{coord|57.473|-7.378|}}|position=left|label='''[[Balivanich]]'''|label_size=}}
  {{Location map~|Scotland Outer Hebrides|coordinates = {{coord|57.899|-6.808|}}|position=right|label='''[[Tarbert, Harris|Tarbert]]'''|label_size=}}
  {{Location map~|Scotland Outer Hebrides|coordinates = {{coord|57.602|-7.164|}}|position=right|label='''[[Lochmaddy]]'''|label_size=}}
  {{Location map~|Scotland Outer Hebrides|coordinates = {{coord|57.154|-7.309|}}|position=right|label='''[[Lochboisdale]]'''|label_size=}}
  {{Location map~|Scotland Outer Hebrides|coordinates = {{coord|56.955|-7.486|}}|position=bottom|label='''[[Castlebay]]'''|label_size=}}

<!-- Bordering council areas -->
  {{Location map~|Scotland Outer Hebrides|coordinates = {{coord|57.2|-6.25|}}|position=left|label=''[[Highland, Scotland#Settlements|Highland council area]]''|marksize=0|label_size=120}}
}}

A 2018 development plan<ref name="ohldp-2018">{{cite web| author = Comhairle nan Eilean Siar| year = 2018| title = Outer Hebrides Local Development Plan, November 2018| url = https://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/media/12598/ohldp-adopted-plan.pdf| pages = 9–10| access-date = 30 Aug 2023| archive-date = 30 August 2023| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230830211642/https://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/media/12598/ohldp-adopted-plan.pdf| url-status = dead}}</ref> divides the Outer Hebrides settlements into four types: [[Stornoway|Stornoway core]], main settlements, rural settlements and outwith settlements. The main settlements are [[Tarbert, Harris|Tarbert]], [[Lochmaddy]], [[Balivanich]], [[Lochboisdale]]/[[Daliburgh]], [[Castlebay|Greater Castlebay]] and greater Stornoway (excluding Stornoway core).

Combining with data from the [[National Records of Scotland]], the principal settlements are:
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Settlement
!Population<br />({{Scottish settlement population citation|year}})<ref name="auto">{{Scottish settlement population citation}}</ref>
|-
|[[Stornoway]]{{efn|name=stornoway-settlement-area|Part of the ''Stornoway settlement'' area<ref name="Overview">{{Cite web|title=Overview|url=https://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/strategy-performance-and-research/outer-hebrides-factfile/population/overview/|access-date=2021-12-13|website=www.cne-siar.gov.uk|language=en-gb|archive-date=7 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221007021641/https://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/strategy-performance-and-research/outer-hebrides-factfile/population/overview/|url-status=dead}}</ref> which has a population of ca. 6,953 (2020).}}
|{{Scottish locality population|name|POP=Steòrnabhagh (Stornoway)}}
|-
|[[Newmarket, Lewis|Newmarket]],{{efn|name=stornoway-settlement-area}} [[Laxdale]]{{efn|name=stornoway-settlement-area}} and [[Marybank, Lewis|Marybank]]
|{{Scottish locality population|name|POP=Margaidh Ùr, Lacasdal and Bruach Mairi (Newmarket, Laxdale and Marybank)}}
|-
|[[Sandwick, Lewis|Sandwick]]{{efn|name=stornoway-settlement-area}} 
|{{Scottish locality population|name|POP=Sanndabhaig (Sandwick)}}
|-
|[[Balivanich]]
|{{Scottish locality population|name|POP=Baile a'Mhanaich (Balivanich)}}
|-
|[[Tarbert, Harris|Tarbert]]
|< 500{{efn|name=notlisted|Not listed in mid-2020 census, indicating a population of less than 500.}}
|-
|[[Lochmaddy]]
|< 500{{efn|name=notlisted}}
|-
|[[Lochboisdale]]/[[Daliburgh]]
|< 500{{efn|name=notlisted}}
|-
|[[Castlebay]]
|< 500{{efn|name=notlisted}}
|-
|}
{{notelist}}

The dispersed settlements consisting of rural settlements and outwith settlements account for about two-thirds of the population of the council area, since the total population of the table is about 9,000.

== Geology ==
[[File:Hebridean Terrane.png|thumb|left|Geological map of the [[Hebridean terrane]]]]
[[File:Barra Head Lighthouse cliffs.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.50|alt=A small white building is barely visible on top of dark and imposing cliffs with deep blue water at their base.|The "[[Lewisian complex|Old Boy]]" — the [[gneiss]] cliffs of {{lang|gd|Sloc na Bèiste}}, [[Barra Head]], the southernmost point of the Outer Hebrides]]

Most of the islands have a bedrock formed from [[Lewisian complex|Lewisian gneiss]]. These are amongst the oldest rocks in Europe, having been formed in the [[Precambrian]] period up to three billion years ago. In addition to the Outer Hebrides, they form basement deposits on the Scottish mainland west of the [[Moine Thrust Belt|Moine Thrust]] and on the islands of [[Coll]] and [[Tiree]].<ref>Gillen (2003) p. 44</ref> These rocks are largely igneous in origin, mixed with metamorphosed [[marble]], [[quartzite]] and [[mica schist]] and intruded by later basaltic [[Dyke (geology)|dykes]] and granite magma.<ref>McKirdy ''et al.'' (2007) p. 95</ref> The gneiss's delicate pink colours are exposed throughout the islands and it is sometimes referred to by geologists as "The Old Boy".<ref name="Murray 1966 p. 2">Murray (1966) p. 2</ref>{{#tag:ref |Lewisian gneiss is sometimes described as the oldest rock found in Europe, but trondhjemite gneiss recently measured at Siurua in Finland has been dated to 3.4–3.5 Ga.<ref>{{cite conference |author1=Lalli, Katja |author2=Huhma, Hannu |year=2005 |url=http://arkisto.gtk.fi/idc5/idc5_pre_excursion/idc5_pre_excursion_pages_57_58.pdf |title=The oldes ''(sic)'' rock of Europe at Siurua |conference=Fifth International Dyke Conference |location=Rovaniemi, Finland |access-date=9 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720182359/http://arkisto.gtk.fi/idc5/idc5_pre_excursion/idc5_pre_excursion_pages_57_58.pdf |archive-date=20 July 2011}}</ref>|group="Note"}}

Granite intrusions are found in the parish of [[Barvas]] in west Lewis, and another forms the summit plateau of the mountain [[Roineabhal]] in Harris. The granite here is [[anorthosite]], and is similar in composition to rocks found in the mountains of the [[Moon]]. There are relatively small outcrops of [[Triassic]] sandstone at [[Broad Bay (Western Isles)|Broad Bay]] near Stornoway. The Shiant Islands and St Kilda are formed from much later tertiary [[basalt]] and basalt and [[gabbro]]s respectively. The sandstone at Broad Bay was once thought to be [[Torridonian]] or [[Old Red Sandstone]].<ref name="Thompson 1968 p. 13"/><ref>Gillen (2003) p. 42</ref><ref>McKirdy ''et al.'' (2007) p. 94</ref>

== Climate ==

The Outer Hebrides have a cool temperate climate that is remarkably mild and steady for such a northerly [[latitude]], due to the influence of the [[North Atlantic Current]]. The average temperature is 6&nbsp;°C (44&nbsp;°F) in January and 14&nbsp;°C (57&nbsp;°F) in summer. The average annual rainfall in Lewis is {{convert|1100|mm|in}} and sunshine hours range from 1,100 to 1,200 per year. The summer days are relatively long and May to August is the driest period.<ref>Thompson (1968) pp.&nbsp;24–26</ref> Winds are a key feature of the climate and even in summer there are almost constant breezes. According to the writer [[W. H. Murray]] if a visitor asks an islander for a weather forecast "he will not, like a mainlander answer dry, wet or sunny, but quote you a figure from the [[Beaufort Scale]]."<ref>Murray (1973) p. 79</ref> There are gales one day in six at the [[Butt of Lewis]] and small fish are blown onto the grass on top of 190&nbsp;metre (620&nbsp;ft) high cliffs at [[Barra Head]] during winter storms.<ref>Murray (1973) pp.&nbsp;79–81</ref>

== Prehistory ==
[[File:Calanais Standing Stones 20090610 01.jpg|thumb|The [[Callanish Stones]]]]

The Hebrides were originally settled in the [[Mesolithic|Mesolithic era]] and have a diversity of important [[prehistory|prehistoric]] sites. {{lang|gd|[[Eilean Dòmhnuill]]}} in {{lang|gd|Loch Olabhat}} on [[North Uist]] was constructed around 3200–2800 BC and may be Scotland's earliest [[crannog]] (a type of artificial island).<ref>Armit (1998) p. 34</ref><ref>Crone, B.A. (1993) "Crannogs and chronologies" ''Proceedings of the Society of Antiquarians of Scotland''. '''123''' pp.&nbsp;245–54</ref> The [[Callanish Stones]], dating from about 2900 BC, are the finest example of a [[stone circle]] in Scotland, the 13 primary [[monolith]]s of between one and five metres high creating a circle about {{convert|13|m|ft}} in diameter.<ref>Li (2005) p. 509</ref><ref>Murray (1973) p. 122</ref><ref>{{Historic Environment Scotland|cat=PLA |desc=Lewis, Callanish, '{{lang|gd|tursachan|nocat=y}}' |num=4169 |num2=NB23SW 3 |access-date=18 June 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=[[Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland]] |url=http://www.rcahms.gov.uk/pls/portal/newcanmore.details_gis?inumlink=4169 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120806192501/http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/4169/details/lewis+callanish+tursachan/ |archive-date=6 August 2012 |title=Lewis, Callanish, '{{lang|gd|Tursachan|nocat=y}}' |access-date=21 April 2008}}</ref> {{lang|gd|[[Cladh Hallan]]}} on [[South Uist]], the only site in the UK where prehistoric [[mummy|mummies]] have been found, and the impressive ruins of [[Dun Carloway]] {{lang|gd|[[broch]]}} on Lewis both date from the [[Iron Age]].<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/archaeology/mummies_cladhhallan_01.shtml "Mummification in Bronze Age Britain"] BBC History. Retrieved 11 February 2008.</ref><ref>[http://www.shef.ac.uk/archaeology/research/cladh-hallan "The Prehistoric Village at {{lang|gd|Cladh Hallan|nocat=y}}"]. University of Sheffield. Retrieved 21 February 2008.</ref><ref>[http://www.archaeology.co.uk/the-timeline-of-britain/valtos-brochs-and-wheelhouses.htm "AD 200 — Valtos: brochs and wheelhouses"] archaeology.co.uk Retrieved 1 August 2009.</ref>

== History ==
{{main|History of the Outer Hebrides}}
In Scotland, the Celtic [[Iron Age]] way of life, often troubled but never extinguished by Rome, re-asserted itself when the legions abandoned any permanent occupation in 211 AD.<ref>Hanson (2003) p. 198</ref> Hanson (2003) writes: "For many years it has been almost axiomatic in studies of the period that the Roman conquest must have had some major medium or long-term impact on Scotland. On present evidence that cannot be substantiated either in terms of environment, economy, or, indeed, society. The impact appears to have been very limited. The general picture remains one of broad continuity, not of disruption&nbsp;... The Roman presence in Scotland was little more than a series of brief interludes within a longer continuum of indigenous development."<ref>Hanson (2003) p. 216</ref> The Romans' direct impact on the Highlands and Islands was scant and there is no evidence that they ever actually landed in the Outer Hebrides.<ref>Hunter (2000) pp.&nbsp;38–39</ref>

The later [[Iron Age]] inhabitants of the northern and western Hebrides were probably [[Pict]]ish, although the historical record is sparse. Hunter (2000) states that in relation to King [[Bridei I of the Picts]] in the sixth century AD: "As for Shetland, Orkney, Skye and the Western Isles, their inhabitants, most of whom appear to have been Pictish in culture and speech at this time, are likely to have regarded Bridei as a fairly distant presence."<ref>Hunter (2000) pp. 44, 49</ref> The island of Pabbay is the site of the Pabbay Stone, the only extant [[Pictish stones|Pictish symbol stone]] in the Outer Hebrides. This 6th century [[stele]] shows a flower, V-rod and lunar crescent to which has been added a later and somewhat crude cross.<ref>Miers (2008) p. 367</ref>

=== Norse control ===
[[File:Kingdom of Mann and the Isles-en.svg|thumb|Location of the [[Kingdom of the Isles]] at the end of the eleventh century]]

[[Viking]] raids began on Scottish shores towards the end of the 8th century AD and the Hebrides came under Norse control and settlement during the ensuing decades, especially following the success of [[Harald I of Norway|Harald Fairhair]] at the [[Battle of Hafrsfjord]] in 872.<ref>Hunter (2000) p. 74</ref><ref>Rotary Club (1995) p. 12</ref> In the Western Isles [[Ketill Flatnose]] was the dominant figure of the mid 9th century, by which time he had amassed a substantial island realm and made a variety of alliances with other [[Norsemen|Norse]] leaders. These princelings nominally owed allegiance to the Norwegian crown, although in practice the latter's control was fairly limited.<ref>Hunter (2000) p. 78</ref> Norse control of the Hebrides was formalised in 1098 when [[Edgar, King of Scotland]] formally signed the islands over to [[Magnus III of Norway]].<ref name=H102>Hunter (2000) p. 102</ref> The Scottish acceptance of Magnus III as King of the Isles came after the Norwegian king had conquered [[Orkney]], the Hebrides and the [[Isle of Man]] in a swift campaign earlier the same year, directed against the local Norwegian leaders of the various islands‘ petty kingdoms. By capturing the islands Magnus imposed a more direct royal control, although at a price. His [[skald]] Bjorn Cripplehand recorded that in Lewis "fire played high in the heaven" as "flame spouted from the houses" and that in the Uists "the king dyed his sword red in blood".<ref name=H102/> Thompson (1968) provides a more literal translation: "Fire played in the fig-trees of Liodhus; it mounted up to heaven. Far and wide the people were driven to flight. The fire gushed out of the houses".<ref name="Thompson 1968 39">Thompson (1968) p 39</ref>

The Hebrides were now part of Kingdom of the Isles, whose rulers were themselves vassals of the Kings of Norway. The Kingdom had two parts: the ''{{lang|non|Suðr-eyjar}}'' or South Isles encompassing the [[Hebrides]] and the [[Isle of Man]]; and the ''{{lang|non|Norðr-eyjar}}'' or North Isles of Orkney and [[Shetland]]. This situation lasted until the partitioning of the Western Isles in 1156, at which time the Outer Hebrides remained under Norwegian control while the Inner Hebrides broke out under [[Somerled]], the Norse-Celtic kinsman of the Manx royal house.<ref>[https://thevikingworld.pbworks.com/The-Kingdom-of-Mann-and-the-Isles "The Kingdom of Mann and the Isles"] thevikingworld.com Retrieved 6 July 2010.</ref>

Following the ill-fated 1263 expedition of [[Haakon IV of Norway]], the Outer Hebrides along with the Isle of Man, were yielded to the Kingdom of Scotland a result of the 1266 [[Treaty of Perth]].<ref>Hunter (2000) pp.&nbsp;109–111</ref> Although their contribution to the islands can still be found in personal and placenames, the archaeological record of the Norse period is very limited. The best known find from this time is the [[Lewis chessmen]], which date from the mid 12th century.<ref>Thompson (1968) p. 37</ref>

=== Scots rule ===
[[File:Kisimul Castle.jpg|thumb|left|[[Kisimul Castle]], the ancient seat of [[Clan MacNeil]], [[Castlebay]], [[Barra]]]]

As the Norse era drew to a close the [[Old Norse|Norse-speaking]] princes were gradually replaced by Gaelic-speaking [[Scottish clan|clan]] chiefs including the [[Clan MacLeod|MacLeods]] of Lewis and Harris, the [[Clan Donald|MacDonalds]] of the [[Uist]]s and [[Clan MacNeil|MacNeil of Barra]].<ref name="Thompson 1968 39"/><ref>Rotary Club (1995) pp. 27, 30</ref>{{#tag:ref|The transitional relationships between Norse and Gaelic-speaking rulers are complex. The ''{{lang|gd|[[Norse–Gaels|Gall-Ghàidhels]]}}'' who dominated much of the Irish Sea region and western Scotland at this time were of joint Gaelic and Scandinavian origin. When Somerled wrested the southern Inner Hebrides from [[Godred II Olafsson|Godred the Black]] in 1156, this was the beginnings of a break with nominal Norse rule in the Hebrides. Godred remained the ruler of Mann and the Outer Hebrides, but two years later Somerled's invasion of the former caused him to flee to Norway. Norse control was further weakened in the ensuring century, but the Hebrides were not formally ceded by Norway until 1266.<ref>Gregory (1881) pp.&nbsp;13–15, 20-21</ref><ref>Downham (2007) pp.&nbsp;174–75.</ref> The transitions from one language to another are also complex. For example, many Scandinavian sources from this period of time typically refer to individuals as having a Scandinavian first name and a Gaelic by-name.<ref>Gammeltoft, Peder "Scandinavian Naming-Systems in the Hebrides: A Way of Understanding how the Scandinavians were in Contact with Gaels and Picts?" in Ballin Smith ''et al.'' (2007) p. 480</ref>|group="Note"}} This transition did little to relieve the islands of internecine strife although by the early 14th century the MacDonald [[Lord of the Isles|Lords of the Isles]], based on [[Islay]], were in theory these chiefs' feudal superiors and managed to exert some control.<ref>Hunter (2000) pp. 127, 166</ref>

The growing threat that Clan Donald posed to the Scottish crown led to the forcible dissolution of the Lordship of the Isles by [[James IV of Scotland|James IV]] in 1493, but although the king had the power to subdue the organised military might of the Hebrides, he and his immediate successors lacked the will or ability to provide an alternative form of governance.<ref>Hunter (2000) p. 143</ref> The [[House of Stuart]]'s attempts to control the Outer Hebrides were then at first desultory and little more than punitive expeditions. In 1506 the [[Marquess of Huntly|Earl of Huntly]] besieged and captured Stornoway Castle using cannon. In 1540 [[James V of Scotland|James V]] himself conducted a royal tour, forcing the clan chiefs to accompany him. There followed a period of peace, but all too soon the clans were at loggerheads again.<ref>Thompson (1968) pp.&nbsp;40–41</ref>

In 1598 King [[James VI of Scotland|James VI]] authorised some "[[Fife Adventurers|Gentleman Adventurers" from Fife]] to civilise the "most barbarous Isle of Lewis". Initially successful, the colonists were driven out by local forces commanded by Murdoch and Neil MacLeod, who based their forces on {{lang|gd|[[Bearasaigh]]}} in {{lang|gd|Loch Ròg}}. The colonists tried again in 1605 with the same result but a third attempt in 1607 was more successful, and in due course Stornoway became a [[Burgh of barony|Burgh of Barony]].<ref>Rotary Club (1995) pp.&nbsp;12–13</ref><ref>Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 312</ref> By this time Lewis was held by the Mackenzies of Kintail, (later the [[Earl of Seaforth|Earls of Seaforth]]), who pursued a more enlightened approach, investing in fishing in particular. The historian W. C. MacKenzie was moved to write:<ref>Thompson (1968) p. 41. It is not clear from the text which of MacKenzie's five books quoted in the bibliography spanning the years 1903–52 the quote is taken from.</ref>

{{ blockquote
| At the end of the 17th century, the picture we have of Lewis that of a people pursuing their avocation in peace, but not in plenty. The Seaforths&nbsp;..., besides establishing orderly Government in the island.. had done a great deal to rescue the people from the slough of ignorance and incivility in which they found themselves immersed. But in the sphere of economics their policy apparently was of little service to the community.
}}

The Seaforth's royalist inclinations led to Lewis becoming garrisoned during the [[Wars of the Three Kingdoms]] by [[Oliver Cromwell|Cromwell's]] troops, who destroyed the old castle in Stornoway and in 1645 Lewismen fought on the royalist side at the [[Battle of Auldearn]].<ref name=R42>Thompson (1968) pp.&nbsp;41–42</ref> A new era of Hebridean involvement in the affairs of the wider world was about to commence.

=== British era ===
[[File:Old School house Mingulay.jpg|thumb|left|Abandoned school house, [[Mingulay]]]]

With the implementation of the [[Treaty of Union]] in 1707 the Hebrides became part of the new [[Kingdom of Great Britain]], but the clans' loyalties to a distant monarch were not strong. A considerable number of islandmen "came out" in support of the Jacobite [[Earl of Mar]] in the [[Jacobite rising of 1715|"15"]] although the response to the [[Jacobite rising of 1745|1745 rising]] was muted.<ref name=R42/> Nonetheless, the aftermath of the decisive [[Battle of Culloden]], which effectively ended Jacobite hopes of a Stuart restoration, was widely felt. The British government's strategy was to estrange the clan chiefs from their kinsmen and turn their descendants into English-speaking landlords whose main concern was the revenues their estates brought rather than the welfare of those who lived on them. This may have brought peace to the islands, but in the following century it came at a terrible price.

The [[Highland Clearances]] of the 19th century destroyed communities throughout the [[Highlands and Islands]] as the human populations were evicted and replaced with sheep farms.<ref>Hunter (2000) p. 212</ref> For example, Colonel [[John Gordon (soldier)|Gordon]] of [[Cluny Castle|Cluny]], owner of Barra, South Uist and Benbecula, evicted thousands of islanders using trickery and cruelty, and even offered to sell Barra to the government as a penal colony.<ref>Rotary Club (1995) p. 31</ref> Islands such as {{lang|gd|italic=unset|[[Fuaigh Mòr]]}} were completely cleared of their populations and even today the subject is recalled with bitterness and resentment in some areas.<ref>Haswell-Smith (2004) pp.&nbsp;306–07</ref> The position was exacerbated by the failure of the islands' [[kelp]] industry, which had thriven from the 18th century until the end of the [[Napoleonic Wars]] in 1815<ref>Hunter (2000) pp. 247, 262</ref> and large scale emigration became endemic. For example, hundreds left North Uist for [[Cape Breton]], [[Nova Scotia]].<ref>Lawson, Bill (10 September 1999) [http://globalgenealogy.com/globalgazette/gazbl/gazbl35.htm "From The Outer Hebrides to Cape Breton - Part II"]. globalgenealogy.com. Retrieved 14 October 2007.</ref> The pre-clearance population of the island had been almost 5,000, although by 1841 it had fallen to 3,870 and was only 2,349 by 1931.<ref>Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 236</ref><ref name="USNU"/>

The [[Highland potato famine]] (Gaiseadh a’ bhuntàta, in Scottish Gaelic), caused by a blight, started in 1846 and had a serious impact, because many islanders were crofters; potatoes were a staple of their diet.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://darachcroft.com/news/harris-tweed-and-the-highland-potato-famine |title=Harris Tweed and the Highland Potato Famine}}</ref> Violent riots became common.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/books/book-review-insurrection-james-hunter-1403805 |title=Book review, Insurrection, Scotland's Famine Winter, by James Hunter |date=30 October 2019}}</ref> Charities, encouraged by George Pole<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pressreader.com/uk/scottish-field/20200303/281569472715194 |title=Scotland's Potato Famine, 3 March 2020}}</ref> and others in the Commissariat (a military agency) encouraged charities to come to the rescue. The Free Church was particularly helpful, "delivering oatmeal to famine-affected families all across the West Highlands and Islands", according to one report. Another report states that the Church "was prompt in organising an efficient system of private charity across the Hebrides and on the Western seaboard. It cooperated with the Edinburgh and Glasgow Relief Committees".<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://journals.openedition.org/mimmoc/1763 |title=The Irish Famine in a Scottish Perspective 1845-1851 |year=2015 |doi=10.4000/mimmoc.1763 |last=Vaughan |first=Géraldine |journal=Mémoire(S), Identité(S), Marginalité(S) dans le Monde Occidental Contemporain |issue=12 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.electricscotland.com/history/scotland/chap10.htm |title=The Highland Tragedy}}</ref>

An interdenominational charity was in place by early 1847 and took the most significant role in famine relief.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rte.ie/history/the-great-irish-famine/2020/0716/1153640-the-other-famine-scotland-and-the-potato-blight/ |title=The other famine: Scotland and the potato blight 11 December 2020 |date=16 July 2020 |last=Hunter |first=James |website=[[RTÉ.ie]]}}</ref> Some landowners also provided a great deal of assistance, according to one history of the region: "MacLeod of Dunvegan bought in food for his people, some eight thousand of them" ... MacLean of Ardgour provided food, and introduced new crops into the area - peas, cabbages and carrots ... Sir James Matheson on Lewis spent £329,000 (Equivalent to £37,000,000 in 2024<ref>{{Cite web |title=Inflation calculator |url=https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/monetary-policy/inflation/inflation-calculator |access-date=2024-06-02 |website=www.bankofengland.co.uk |language=en}}</ref>)  on improving his lands, hoping to provide a more secure future for his people". The government of Britain provided some assistance, thanks to Sir [[Sir Charles Trevelyan, 1st Baronet|Charles Trevelyan]], who arranged for food distribution at Portree and Tobermory. The ''British Association for the Relief of Distress in Ireland and the Highlands and Islands of Scotland'' also helped as did donations received from North America.  The blight struck again over the next two years, requiring an extra tax on landowners to help feed the population. The British government began encouraging mass emigration.<ref>{{cite journal| url = https://journals.openedition.org/mimmoc/1763| title = The Irish Famine in a Scottish Perspective 1845-1851| year = 2015| doi = 10.4000/mimmoc.1763| last1 = Vaughan| first1 = Géraldine| journal = Mémoire(S), Identité(S), Marginalité(S) dans le Monde Occidental Contemporain| issue = 12| doi-access = free}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.electricscotland.com/history/scotland/chap10.htm| title = The Highland Tragedy}}</ref>

For those who remained new economic opportunities emerged through the export of cattle, commercial fishing and tourism. During the summer season in the 1860s and 1870s five thousand inhabitants of Lewis could be found in [[Wick, Highland|Wick]] on the mainland of Scotland, employed on the fishing boats and at the quaysides.<ref>Hunter (2000) p. 292</ref> Nonetheless, emigration and military service became the choice of many<ref>Hunter (2000) p. 343</ref> and the archipelago's populations continued to dwindle throughout the late 19th and 20th centuries. By 2001 the population of North Uist was only 1,271.<ref name=GRO /><ref name="USNU">[http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/northuist/northuist/index.html "North Uist ({{lang|gd|Uibhist a Tuath|nocat=y}})"] Undiscovered Scotland. Retrieved 8 July 2010.</ref>

The work of the [[Napier Commission]] and the [[Congested Districts Board (Scotland)|Congested Districts Board]], and the passing of the [[Crofters' Holdings (Scotland) Act 1886]] helped, but social unrest continued.<ref>Hunter (2000) p. 320</ref> In July 1906 grazing land on [[Vatersay]] was raided by landless men from Barra and its isles. [[Emily Gordon Cathcart|Lady Gordon Cathcart]] took legal action against the "raiders" but the visiting judge took the view that she had neglected her duties as a landowner and that "long indifference to the necessities of the cottars had gone far to drive them to exasperation".<ref>Buxton (1995) p. 125</ref> Millennia of continuous occupation notwithstanding, many of the remoter islands were abandoned — [[Mingulay]] in 1912, [[Hirta]] in 1930, and {{lang|gd|[[Ceann Iar]]}} in 1942 among them. This process involved a transition from these places being perceived as relatively self-sufficient agricultural economies<ref>See for example Hunter (2000) pp. 152–158</ref> to a view becoming held by both island residents and outsiders alike that they lacked the essential services of a modern industrial economy.<ref>See for example Maclean (1977) Chapter 10: "Arcady Despoiled" pp. 125–35</ref>

There were gradual economic improvements, among the most visible of which was the replacement of the traditional thatched [[blackhouse]] with accommodation of a more modern design.{{When|date=January 2023}} The creation of the [[Highlands and Islands Development Board]] and the discovery of substantial deposits of [[North Sea oil]] in 1965, the establishment of a unitary local authority for the islands in 1975 and more recently the [[renewable energy in Scotland|renewables sector]] have all contributed to a degree of economic stability in recent decades. The [[Arnish yard]] has had a chequered history but has been a significant employer in both the oil and renewables industries.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7136490.stm |title=Yard wins biggest wind tower job |work=[[BBC News Online]] |date=10 December 2007 |access-date=6 January 2011 }}</ref> {{lang|gd|Comhairle nan Eilean Siar}}, the local authority, employs 2,000 people, making it the largest employer in the Outer Hebrides.<ref>[http://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/services/jobs.asp?servicename=Jobs%20and%20careers&snlid=379 "Jobs and Careers"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101218102557/http://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/services/jobs.asp?servicename=Jobs%20and%20careers&snlid=379 |date=18 December 2010 }}. {{lang|gd|Comhairle nan Eilean Siar}}. Retrieved 6 January 2011.</ref> See also the "{{lang|gd|Innse Gall}} area plan 2010"<ref>[http://www.hie.co.uk/highlands-and-islands/area-information/outer-hebrides/ "Outer Hebrides/{{lang|gd|Innse Gall|nocat=y}} - area overview"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110203213705/http://www.hie.co.uk/highlands-and-islands/area-information/outer-hebrides/ |date=3 February 2011 }}. {{lang|gd|Innse Gall}} area plan 2010 (pdf) HIE. Retrieved 3 January 2011.</ref> and the {{lang|gd|Comhairle}}'s "Factfile – Economy".<ref name="FF"/>

== Economy ==
[[File:Stornoway Harbour.jpg|thumb|[[Stornoway]] Harbour]]

Modern commercial activities centre on tourism, [[crofting]], fishing, and weaving including the manufacture of [[Harris tweed]]. Crofting remains popular especially on [[Lewis and Harris]] (population 21,000) with over 920 active crofters according to a 2020 report: "with crofts ranging in size from as small as a single hectare to having access to thousands of hectares through the medium of community grazing". Crofters can apply for subsidy grants; some of these are intended to help them find other avenues to supplement their incomes.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.thescottishfarmer.co.uk/news/18353763.new-age-crofting-outer-hebrides/| title = A new age of crofting in the Outer Hebrides| date = 4 April 2020}}</ref> Some of the funding schemes available to crofters in the Hebrides include the "Basic Payment Scheme, the suckler beef support scheme, the upland sheep support scheme and the Less Favoured Area support scheme and the Crofting Agricultural Grant Scheme (CAGS), as of March 2020.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.fwi.co.uk/business/business-management/how-small-scale-crofters-in-scotland-survive-the-challenges| title = How small-scale crofters in the Hebrides survive the challenges| date = 27 March 2020}}</ref>

According to the Scottish Government, "tourism is by far and away the mainstay industry" of the Outer Hebrides, "generating £65m in economic value for the islands, sustaining around 1000 jobs" The report adds that the "islands receive 219,000 visitors per year".<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.scotland.org/live-in-scotland/where-to-live-in-scotland/the-outer-hebrides| title = The Outer Hebrides}}</ref>

Some of the larger islands have [[development trust]]s that support the local economy and, in striking contrast to the 19th and 20th century domination by absentee landlords, more than two thirds of the Western Isles population now lives on community-owned estates.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dtascot.org.uk/content/directory-of-members |title=Directory of Members |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100719214140/http://www.dtascot.org.uk/content/directory-of-members |archive-date=19 July 2010 |website=DTA Scotland |access-date=15 July 2007}}</ref><ref>"The quiet revolution". (19 January 2007) ''[[West Highland Free Press]]''. [[Broadford, Skye|Broadford]], Skye.</ref> However the economic position of the islands remains relatively precarious. The Western Isles, including Stornoway, are defined by [[Highlands and Islands Enterprise]] as an economically "Fragile Area" and they have an estimated trade deficit of some £163.4&nbsp;million. Overall, the area is relatively reliant on primary industries and the public sector, and fishing and fish farming in particular are vulnerable to environmental impacts, changing market pressures, and European legislation.<ref name=FF>[http://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/factfile/economy/index.asp "Factfile - Economy"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100323071423/http://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/factfile/economy/index.asp |date=23 March 2010 }} Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. Retrieved 4 July 2010.</ref>

There is some optimism about the possibility of future developments in, for example, renewable energy generation, tourism, and education, and after declines in the 20th century the population has stabilised since 2003, although it is ageing.<ref name=FF/><ref>[http://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/factfile/population/index.asp?snlid=3165 "Factfile - Population"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629195216/http://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/factfile/population/index.asp?snlid=3165 |date=29 June 2011 }} Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. Retrieved 4 July 2010.</ref> A 2019 report, using key assumptions, (mortality, fertility and migration) was less optimistic. It predicted that the population is "projected to fall to 22,709 by 2043"; that translates to a 16% decline, or 4,021 people, between 2018 and 2043.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/strategy-performance-and-research/outer-hebrides-factfile/population/population-projections/| title = Population Projections, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar}}{{Dead link|date=June 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

The UK's largest community-owned wind farm, Beinn Ghrideag, is located outside Stornoway, and operated by Point and Sandwick Trust (PST).<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.linkedin.com/company/point-and-sandwick-trust/about/| title = Point and Sandwick Trust, We built & run the UK's biggest community-owned wind farm using funds to provide local support to our island community}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.obantimes.co.uk/2021/02/17/renewables-recognition-for-point-and-sandwick-trust/| title = Renewables recognition for Point and Sandwick Trust| date = 17 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.welovestornoway.com/index.php/articles-auto-3/19477-award-hope-for-turbine-team| title = Award hope for turbine team| access-date = 17 February 2021| archive-date = 17 August 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210817171417/https://www.welovestornoway.com/index.php/articles-auto-3/19477-award-hope-for-turbine-team| url-status = dead}}</ref> Beinn Ghrideag is a 9 MW project (consisting of three 3 MW [[wind turbine]]s) that generates 30 GWh of electricity annually; its profits fund 80% of the Western Isles woodland project, which plants hundreds of thousands of native trees across the islands.<ref>Severin Carrell, [https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/aug/31/profits-from-community-windfarm-to-fund-a-million-native-trees-in-hebrides Profits from community windfarm to fund a million native trees in Hebrides], ''The Guardian'' (August 31, 2024).</ref>

The Isle of Lewis web site states that Stornoway's sheltered harbour has been important for centuries; it was named Steering Bay by [[Vikings]] who often visited.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.isle-of-lewis.com/areas/stornoway/#gallery-0/0/| title = Stornoway| date = 19 January 2012}}</ref> A December 2020 report stated that a new deep water terminal was to be developed, the Stornoway Deep Water Terminal, using a £49 million investment. The plan included berths for cruise ships as long as 360 meters, berths for large cargo vessels, and a freight ferry berth.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.gov.scot/news/investing-in-islands-infrastructure/| title = Investing in islands infrastructure}}</ref>

== Politics and local government ==
{{main|Comhairle nan Eilean Siar}}
[[File:Sir Edward Scott Junior Secondary School - geograph.org.uk - 1390447.jpg|thumb|left|Sir Edward Scott Secondary School, [[Tarbert, Harris|Tarbert, Isle of Harris]]]]
The local authority is [[Comhairle nan Eilean Siar]], based at the Council Offices in Stornoway. The council is often known locally simply as "the {{lang|gd|Comhairle}}" or ''{{lang|gd|a' Chomhairle}}''.<ref>{{cite web |date=January 2008 |url=http://www.w-isles.gov.uk/education/consultations/documents/DaliburghFutureStrategyConsultation.pdf |title=Review of Educational Provision and the Comhairle's Future Strategy for the Schools Estate: Daliburgh School, Isle of South Uist |publisher=Comhairle nan Eilean Siar Department of Education |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/5r6JOztWl?url=http://www.w-isles.gov.uk/education/consultations/documents/DaliburghFutureStrategyConsultation.pdf |archive-date=9 July 2010 |url-status=dead |access-date=1 June 2010}}</ref>

===Administrative history===
After the Scottish crown claimed control of the islands, they were included in [[Inverness-shire]]. In 1661 Inverness-shire was split, with the northern parts becoming a new county called [[Ross-shire]].<ref name="rps_1661_1_197">{{cite web |last1=Brown |first1=Keith |title=Act anent the shire of Ross |website=The Records of the Parliament of Scotland to 1707 |url=http://www.rps.ac.uk/trans/1661/1/197 |publisher=University of St Andrews |access-date=30 August 2024}}</ref> The interests of landowners influenced the boundary of the new county. [[Kenneth Mackenzie, 3rd Earl of Seaforth]], owned extensive lands in [[Ross, Scotland|Ross]] on the mainland and also owned the [[Isle of Lewis]]. Lewis was therefore included in Ross-shire, whereas the rest of the Outer Hebrides stayed in Inverness-shire (including [[Harris, Outer Hebrides|Harris]], despite it being part of the same island as Lewis).<ref name=Kennedy2014>{{cite book|last=Kennedy|first=Allan D.|title=Governing Gaeldom: The Scottish Highlands and the Restoration State, 1660-1688|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UjJnAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA155|access-date=30 August 2024 |date=2014|publisher=Brill|isbn=9789004269255|pages=155–156}}</ref> In 1889, Ross-shire merged with [[Cromartyshire]] to form a new county called [[Ross and Cromarty]].<ref>Keay and Keay (1994) pp. 542, 821</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Quarter-inch Administrative Areas Maps: Scotland Sheet 2, 1968 |url=https://maps.nls.uk/view/222075446 |website=National Library of Scotland |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=3 October 2024 |archive-date=7 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241007091134/https://maps.nls.uk/view/222075446 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Local government was reformed in 1975 under the [[Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973]], which replaced Scotland's counties, [[burgh]]s and [[landward district]]s. In most of Scotland a two-tier structure of upper-tier regions and lower-tier districts was used, but a single-tier structure of island areas was used for [[Orkney]], [[Shetland]] and the Outer Hebrides, the latter being named the Western Isles.<ref name=1973act>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973|year=1973|chapter=65|accessdate=17 April 2023}}</ref> Further local government reform in 1996 introduced single-tier council areas across all of Scotland. The councils of the three island areas created in 1975, including the Western Isles, continued to provide the same services after 1996, but their areas were redesignated as council areas.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994|year=1994|chapter=39|accessdate=17 April 2023}}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080516164424/http://www.ourscotland.co.uk/alphabeticindex/areas.htm "Areas of Scotland"] ourscotland.co.uk. Retrieved 1 June 2010.</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20091026033033/http://www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/content/index.php?action=view&id=3 "Place-names of Scotland"] scotlandsplaces.gov.uk. Retrieved 1 June 2010.</ref>

As part of the 1975 reforms the area was also made a [[Lieutenancy areas of Scotland|lieutenancy area]], represented by the [[Lord Lieutenant of the Western Isles]].<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=19660|page=617|date=2 May 1975|city=e}}</ref><ref name=1975order>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Lord-Lieutenants Order 1975|year=1975|number=428|access-date=1 September 2024}}</ref>

In 1998, following the [[Local Government (Gaelic Names) (Scotland) Act 1997]], the Western Isles Council formally changed the English language version of the council area's name from Western Isles to ''Na h-Eileanan an Iar'' (Gaelic for 'the Western Isles'), and the name of the council to ''Comhairle nan Eilean Siar'' ('Council of the Western Isles'), to be used in both English and Gaelic contexts.<ref>{{cite web |title=Historical information on changes to electoral arrangements of Local authorities, Parliamentary areas and European Parliamentary boundaries |url=https://docs.os.uk/os-downloads/addressing-and-location/boundary-line/boundary-line-downloads |website=Boundary-Line Downloads |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=25 August 2025}} (See downloadable [https://1897589978-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FcNpJpLP8RROUaWVQo5ea%2Fuploads%2FwKAeeIvHz0AhpuZU7aaJ%2Fboundary-legislation-changes-from-1973.xls?alt=media&token=791e9948-3e7e-4606-bc19-e082fb7aee0c boundary-legislation-changes-from-1973.xls] spreadsheet.)</ref>

===Wider politics===
The name for the British Parliament constituency covering this area is {{lang|gd|[[Na h-Eileanan an Iar (UK Parliament constituency)|Na h-Eileanan an Iar]]}}, the seat being held by [[Torcuil Crichton]] MP since 2024, while the Scottish Parliament constituency for the area is {{lang|gd|[[Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Na h-Eileanan an Iar]]}}, the incumbent being [[Donald MacKinnon (Scottish politician)|Donald MacKinnon]] MSP.

During the [[2014 Scottish independence referendum]] the area voted against independence by a margin of 53.42% (10,544) to 46.58% (9,195) in favour on a turnout of 86.2%<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/events/scotland-decides/results |title=Scotland Decides: SCOTLAND VOTES NO: Should Scotland be an independent country?|publisher=BBC |date=2014-09-19 |access-date=2017-03-31}}</ref>

In 2022, as part of the [[Levelling up policy of the Boris Johnson government#White paper|Levelling Up White Paper]], an "Island Forum" was proposed, which would allow local policymakers and residents in the Outer Hebrides to work alongside their counterparts in [[Shetland]], [[Orkney]], [[Anglesey]] and the [[Isle of Wight]] on common issues, such as broadband connectivity, and provide a platform for them to communicate directly with the government on the challenges island communities face in terms of levelling up.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.shetnews.co.uk/2022/02/03/new-islands-forum-should-not-just-be-box-ticking-exercise/|title=New islands forum should not be 'box ticking exercise'|last=Cope|first=Chris|date=3 February 2021|work=[[The Shetland News]]|accessdate=17 February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2022/11-february/news/uk/gove-announces-levelling-up-forum-for-islands|title=Gove announces Levelling-up forum for islands|last=Paveley|first=Rebecca|date=11 February 2021|work=[[Church Times]]|accessdate=17 February 2022}}</ref>

== Scottish Gaelic language ==
{| class="wikitable floatright" style="width:280px; font-size:90%;"
|+ Pronunciation samples
! [[Scottish Gaelic]]
! Pronunciation
|-
| {{lang|gd|A' Chomhairle}}
| {{IPA|gd|ə ˈxõ.ərˠʎə||achomhairle.ogg}}
|-
| {{lang|gd|An t-Eilean Fada}}
| {{IPA|gd|əɲ tʰʲelan fat̪ə||anteileanfada.ogg}}
|-
| {{lang|gd|Comhairle nan Eilean Siar}}
| {{IPA|gd|ˈkʰõ.ərˠʎə nə ˈɲelan ˈʃiəɾ||comhairlenaneileansiar.ogg}}
|-
| {{lang|gd|guga}}
| {{IPA|gd|ˈkukə||guga.ogg}}
|-
| {{lang|gd|Innse Gall}}
| {{IPA|gd|ˈĩːʃə ˈkaulˠ̪||innsegall.ogg}}
|-
| {{lang|gd|Na h-Eileanan A-muigh}}
| {{IPA|gd|nə ˈhelanən əˈmuj||naheileananamuigh.ogg}}
|-
| {{lang|gd|Na h-Eileanan an Iar}}
| {{IPA|gd|nə ˈhelanən ə ˈɲiəɾ||naheileanananiar.ogg}}
|-
| {{lang|gd|Na h-Eileanan Siar}}
| {{IPA|gd|nə ˈhelanən ˈʃiəɾ||naheileanansiar.ogg}}
|-
| {{lang|gd|Oitir Mhòr}}
| {{IPA|gd|ˈɔʰtʲɪɾʲ ˈvoːɾ||oitirmhor.ogg}}
|-
| {{lang|gd|Sloc na Béiste}}
| {{IPA|gd|ˈs̪lˠ̪ɔʰk nə ˈpeːʃtʲə||slocnabeiste.ogg}}
|}

The Outer Hebrides have historically been a very strong [[Scottish Gaelic]] (''Gàidhlig'') speaking area. Both the 1901 and 1921 census reported that all parishes were over 75% Gaelic speaking, including areas of high population density such as Stornoway. However, the [[Education (Scotland) Act 1872]] mandated English-only education, and is now recognised as having dealt a major blow to the language. People still living can recall being beaten for speaking Gaelic in school.<ref>Wilson, Neil and Murphy, Alan "Destination Scotland". (pdf) Lonely Planet. p. 17. Retrieved 20 October 2012.</ref> By 1971 most areas were still more than 75% Gaelic speaking – with the exception of [[Stornoway]], [[Benbecula]] and [[South Uist]] at 50–74%.<ref name=Macpp>Mac an Tàilleir, Iain (2004) {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20101207211745/http://www.linguae-celticae.org/dateien/Gaelic_1901-2001.ppt ''1901–2001 Gaelic in the Census'']}} (PowerPoint) Linguae Celticae. Retrieved 1 June 2008</ref>

In the 2001 census, each island overall was over 50% Gaelic speaking – [[South Uist]] (71%), [[Harris, Outer Hebrides|Harris]] (69%), [[Barra]] (68%), [[North Uist]] (67%), [[Isle of Lewis|Lewis]] (56%) and [[Benbecula]] (56%). With 59.3% of Gaelic speakers or a total of 15,723 speakers, this made the Outer Hebrides the most strongly coherent Gaelic speaking area in Scotland.<ref name=Macpp/><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060925054749/http://www.cnag.org.uk/munghaidhlig/stats/gspeakcensus01.php "Census 2001 Scotland: Gaelic speakers by council area"] Comunn na Gàidhlig. Retrieved 28 May 2010.</ref>

Most areas were between 60 and 74% Gaelic speaking and the areas with the highest density of over 80% are [[Scalpay, Outer Hebrides|Scalpay near Harris]], [[Newtonferry]] and Kildonan, whilst [[Daliburgh]], Linshader, [[Eriskay]], [[Brue]], Boisdale, [[Harris, Outer Hebrides|West Harris]], [[Ardveenish]], Soval, [[Ness, Western Isles|Ness]], and [[Bragar]] all have more than 75%. The areas with the lowest density of speakers are Stornoway (44%), Braigh (41%), [[Melbost]] (41%), and [[Balivanich]] (37%).<ref name=Macpp/>

The [[Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005|Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act]] was enacted by the [[Scottish Parliament]] in 2005 to provide continuing support for the language.<ref name="about">{{cite web |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120228025405/http://www.gaidhlig.org.uk/bord/en/the-bord/government/the-gaelic-act.html |archive-date=28 February 2012 |url=http://www.gaidhlig.org.uk/bord/en/the-bord/government/the-gaelic-act.html |title=The Gaelic Language Act |publisher=Bòrd na Gàidhlig |access-date=12 May 2012}}</ref> However, by 2011 the overall percentage of Gaelic speakers in the Outer Hebrides had fallen to 52%, due to the increased presence of English-language residents.<ref>{{cite web |title=Statistical Bulletins |url=http://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/statistical-bulletins}} {{cite web |title=2011 Census: Key Results on Population, Ethnicity, Identity, Language, Religion, Health, Housing and Accommodation in Scotland - Release 2A |date=26 September 2013 |url=http://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/documents/censusresults/release1c/rel1c2sb.pdf |page=26 |publisher=[[National Records of Scotland]] |access-date=20 April 2014}}</ref>

The 2022 Scottish Census reported that out of 25,562 residents aged three and over, 11,780 (46.1%) considered themselves able to speak or read [[Scottish Gaelic|Gaelic]].<ref>[https://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/webapi/opentable?id=019a2022-ecdd-77ea-96ad-569f0c5b3786]</ref>

In modern Gaelic the islands are sometimes referred to collectively as ''{{lang|ga|An t-Eilean Fada}}'' (the Long Island)<ref name="Murray 1966 p. 2"/> or ''{{lang|ga|Na h-Eileanan a-Muigh}}'' (the Outer Isles).<ref>[http://www.southernhebrides.com/ "Welcome"] IslayInfo. Retrieved 12 May 2012.</ref>  ''{{lang|ga|Innse Gall}}'' (islands of the foreigners or strangers) is also heard occasionally, a name that was originally used by mainland [[Scottish Highlands|Highlanders]] when the islands were ruled by the Norse.<ref>Hunter (2000) p. 104</ref>

The individual island and place names in the Outer Hebrides have mixed Gaelic and Norse origins. Various Gaelic terms are used repeatedly:<ref name="MacanT">Mac an Tàilleir (2003) various pages.</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Gaelic root
! Derived forms
! Anglicised as
! Origin and meaning
|-
| {{lang|ga|-aigh}}
|
| -ay/-ey
| generally from the Norse ''{{lang|non|øy}}'' meaning "island"
|-
| {{lang|ga|beag}}
| {{lang|ga|bheag}}, {{lang|ga|bige}}, {{lang|ga|bhige}}, {{lang|ga|beaga}}, {{lang|ga|bheaga}}
| beg
| small
|-
| {{lang|ga|dearg}}
| {{lang|ga|dhearg}}, {{lang|ga|deirge}}, {{lang|ga|dheirge}}, {{lang|ga|deirg}}, {{lang|ga|dheirg}}, {{lang|ga|dearga}}, {{lang|ga|dhearga}}
| derg
| red
|-
| {{lang|ga|dubh}}
| {{lang|ga|dhubh}}, {{lang|ga|duibh}}, {{lang|ga|dhuibh}}, {{lang|ga|duibhe}}, {{lang|ga|dhuibhe}}, {{lang|ga|dubha}}, {{lang|ga|dhubha}}
|
| black; hidden
|-
| {{lang|ga|glas}}
| {{lang|ga|ghlas}}, {{lang|ga|glais}}, {{lang|ga|ghlais}}, {{lang|ga|glaise}}, {{lang|ga|ghlaise}}, {{lang|ga|glasa}}, {{lang|ga|ghlasa}}
|
| grey, green
|-
| {{lang|ga|ear}}
|
|
| east, eastern
|-
| {{lang|ga|eilean}}
| {{lang|ga|eilein}}, {{lang|ga|eileanan}}
|
| island
|-
| {{lang|ga|iar}}
|
|
| west, western
|-
| {{lang|ga|mòr}}
| {{lang|ga|mhòr}}, {{lang|ga|mòire}}, {{lang|ga|mhòire}}, {{lang|ga|mòra}}, {{lang|ga|mhòra}}, {{lang|ga|mòir}}, {{lang|ga|mhòir}}
| more
| big, great
|-
| {{lang|ga|rubha}}
| {{lang|ga|rubhannan}}
|
| promontory
|-
| {{lang|ga|sgeir}}
| {{lang|ga|sgeirean}}
| skerry
| skerry; often refers to a rock or rocks that lie submerged at high tide. From Old Norse ''sker''.
|}

There are also [[list of islands called Oronsay|several islands called ''{{lang|ga|Orasaigh|nocat=y}}'']] from the Norse ''{{lang|non|Örfirirsey}}'' meaning "tidal" or "ebb island".<ref name =MacanT/>
=== Other languages ===
The 2022 Scottish Census reported that out of 25,559 residents aged three and over, 4,169 (16.3%) considered themselves able to speak or read the [[Scots language]].<ref>[https://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/webapi/opentable?id=019a1a62-eab8-76fc-98d0-f7e8423a5077]</ref>

== Transport ==
[[File:Leaving Lochmaddy - geograph.org.uk - 929584.jpg|thumb|right|[[Caledonian MacBrayne]] ferry [[MV Hebrides|MV ''Hebrides'']] leaving [[Lochmaddy]], [[North Uist]], en route for [[Skye]]]]

Scheduled [[ferry]] services between the Outer Hebrides and the Scottish mainland and Inner Hebrides operate on the following routes:

* [[Oban]] to [[Castlebay]] on [[Barra]]
*[[Oban]] to [[Lochboisdale]] on [[South Uist]] (winter only)
*[[Mallaig]] to [[Lochboisdale]] on [[South Uist]]
* [[Uig, Snizort|Uig]] on [[Isle of Skye|Skye]] to [[Tarbert, Harris|Tarbert]] on [[Harris, Outer Hebrides|Harris]]
* [[Uig, Snizort|Uig]] on [[Isle of Skye|Skye]] to [[Lochmaddy]] on [[North Uist]]
* [[Ullapool]] to [[Stornoway, Outer Hebrides|Stornoway]] on [[Isle of Lewis|Lewis]]
* [[Tiree]] to [[Castlebay]], [[Barra]] (summer only)

Other ferries operate between some of the islands.<ref>[http://www.calmac.co.uk/ "Home"]. [[Caledonian MacBrayne]]. Retrieved 12 May 2012.</ref>

National Rail services are available for onward journeys, from stations at [[Oban railway station|Oban]] and [[Mallaig railway station|Mallaig]], which has direct services to Glasgow. However, parliamentary approval notwithstanding, plans in the 1890s to lay [[Garve and Ullapool Railway|a railway connection to Ullapool]] were unable to obtain sufficient funding.<ref>[https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1892/may/31/garve-and-ullapool-railway-bill-by-order "Garve and Ullapool Railway Bill"] Hansard. Retrieved 26 September 2008.</ref>

There are scheduled flights from [[Stornoway Airport|Stornoway]], [[Benbecula Airport|Benbecula]] and [[Barra Airport|Barra]] airports both inter-island and to the mainland. Barra's airport is claimed to be the only one in the world to have scheduled flights landing on a beach. At high water the runways are under the sea so flight times vary with the tide.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.hial.co.uk/barra-airport.html| title=Barra Airport| publisher=Highlands and Islands Airports Limited| access-date=6 April 2009| archive-date=22 March 2009| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090322030628/http://www.hial.co.uk/barra-airport.html| url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/barra/airport/index.html| title=Barra Airport| publisher=Undiscovered Scotland| access-date=8 July 2010}}</ref>
[[File:Bus na Comhairle Optare Solo YJ14BDY is seen in Sandwick in May 2020.jpg|alt=|thumb|Bus Na Comhairle Optare Solo YJ14 BDY seen in Sandwick, May 2020]]

===Bus na Comhairle===
'''Bus na Comhairle''' (meaning "Bus of the Council") is the council-owned local bus company of the Western Isles. The company serves the Broadbay area of Lewis with 7 buses: 6 Optare Solos and 1 ADL Enviro 200.

=== Shipwrecks ===
[[File:Admiralty-yacht-HMS-Iolaire-ship-Amalthaea-1908.jpg|thumb|right|The [[British Admiralty|Admiralty]] yacht [[HMY Iolaire|HMS ''Iolaire'']]]]

The archipelago is exposed to wind and tide, and [[lighthouse]]s are sited as an aid to navigation at locations from Barra Head in the south to the Butt of Lewis in the north.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nlb.org.uk/LighthouseLibrary/Main/ |title=Lighthouse Library |publisher=Northern Lighthouse Board |access-date=16 April 2016}}</ref> There are numerous sites of wrecked ships, and the [[Flannan Isles]] are the location of an enduring mystery that occurred in December 1900, when all three lighthouse keepers vanished without trace.<ref>Haswell-Smith (2004) pp.&nbsp;329–31</ref>

''Annie Jane'', a three-masted immigrant ship out of [[Liverpool]] bound for [[Montreal|Montreal, Canada]], struck rocks off the West Beach of Vatersay during a storm on Tuesday 28 September 1853. Within ten minutes the ship began to founder and break up, casting 450 people into the sea. In spite of the conditions, islanders tried to rescue the passengers and crew. The remains of 350 men, women and children were buried in the dunes behind the beach and a small cairn and monument marks the site.<ref>{{Historic Environment Scotland|cat=PLA |num=102881 |num2=NL69NW 8001 |desc=Annie Jane: Bagh Siar, Vatersay, Atlantic |fewer-links=yes |access-date=18 June 2025}}</ref>

The tiny Beasts of Holm off the east coast of Lewis were the site of the sinking of {{ship|HMS|Iolaire }} during the first few hours of 1919,<ref>Thompson (1968) p. 76</ref> one of the worst maritime disasters in United Kingdom waters during the 20th century. [[Calvay]] in the Sound of Barra provided the inspiration for [[Compton Mackenzie]]'s novel ''[[Whisky Galore (novel)|Whisky Galore]]'' after the {{ship|SS|Politician}} ran aground there with a cargo of [[single malt whisky]] in 1941.

== Culture ==
{{main|Religion in the Outer Hebrides}}

[[Christianity]] has deep roots in the Western Isles, but owing mainly to the different allegiances of the clans in the past, the people in the northern islands (Lewis, Harris, North Uist) have historically been predominantly [[Presbyterianism|Presbyterian]], and those of the southern islands (Benbecula, South Uist, Barra) predominantly [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]].<ref>Clegg, E.J. [https://books.google.com/books?id=U6WhkmvI324C&pg=PA86 "Fertility and Development in the Outer Hebrides; The Confounding Effcets <!-- sic --> of Religion"] in Malhotra (1992) p. 88</ref>

At the time of the 2001 Census, 42% of the population identified themselves as being affiliated with the [[Church of Scotland]], with 13% Roman Catholic and 28% with other Christian churches. Many of this last group belong to the [[Free Church of Scotland (post 1900)|Free Church of Scotland]], known for its strict observance of the [[Sabbath in Christianity|Sabbath]].<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-12224469 "Sunday ferry for Harris opposed by Lord's Day society"] (19 January 2011) BBC News. Retrieved 7 March 2011.</ref> 11% stated that they had no religion.{{#tag:ref| The 2001 census statistics used are based on local authority areas but do not specifically identify Free Church or Episcopal adherents. 4% of the respondents did not answer this census question and the total for all other religions combined is 1 per cent.<ref>Pacione, Michael (2005) "The Geography of Religious Affiliation in Scotland". ''The Professional Geographer'' '''57(2)'''. Oxford. Blackwell.</ref>|group="Note"}} This made the Western Isles the Scottish council area with the smallest percentage of non-religious in the population. There are also small [[Scottish Episcopal Church|Episcopalian]] congregations in Lewis and Harris, and the Outer Hebrides are part of the [[Diocese of Argyll and The Isles (Episcopal)|Diocese of Argyll and The Isles]] in both the Episcopalian and Catholic traditions.<ref>[http://www.argyllandtheisles.org.uk/ "Diocese of Argyll and The Isles"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100325205614/http://www.argyllandtheisles.org.uk/ |date=25 March 2010 }} argyllandtheisles.org.uk. Retrieved 16 June 2010.</ref><ref>[http://www.dioceseofargyllandtheisles.org/ "RC Diocese of Argyll and the Isles"] dioceseofargyllandtheisles.org Retrieved 16 June 2010.</ref>

[[Gaelic music]] is popular in the islands and the Lewis and Harris Traditional Music Society plays an active role in promoting the genre.<ref name= RC39>Rotary Club (1995) p. 39</ref> [[Fèis Bharraigh]] began in 1981 with the aim of developing the practice and study of the Gaelic language, literature, music, drama and culture on the islands of Barra and Vatersay. This two-week festival has inspired 43 other ''feisean'' throughout Scotland.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110710233709/http://www.feisbharraigh.com/history.html "History"] Feis Bharraigh. Retrieved 4 July 2010.</ref> The Lewis [[Great Highland Bagpipe|Pipe Band]] was founded in 1904 and the Lewis and Harris Piping Society in 1977.<ref name= RC39/>

Outdoor activities including [[Rugby football|rugby]], football, [[golf]], [[shinty]], fishing, riding, canoeing, athletics, and multi-sports are popular in the Western Isles. The Hebridean Challenge is an adventure race, run in five daily stages, which takes place along the length of the islands and includes hill and road running, road and [[mountain biking]], short sea swims and demanding sea kayaking sections. There are four main sports centres: ''Ionad Spors Leodhais'' in Stornoway, which has a 25 m swimming pool; Harris Sports Centre; [[Lionacleit]] Sports Centre on Benbecula; and [[Castlebay]] Sports Centre on Barra. The Western Isles is a member of the [[International Island Games Association]].<ref>[http://www.islandgames.net/cms/member_profile_12408.html "Member Profile: Western Isles"] IIGA. Retrieved 4 July 2010.</ref><!-- The IGA source thinks Lionacleit Sports Centre is on North Uist, but other sources place it at Sgoil Lionacleit, Benbecula--><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/school/lionacleit/about_us.htm |title=Sgoil Lionacleit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303230834/http://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/school/lionacleit/about_us.htm |archive-date=3 March 2016 |url-status=dead |website=Comhairle nan Eilean Siar |access-date=4 July 2010}}</ref>

[[South Uist]] is home to the [[Askernish Golf Course]]. The oldest links in the Outer Hebrides, it was designed by [[Old Tom Morris]]. Although it was in use until the 1930s, its existence was largely forgotten until 2005 and it is now being restored to Morris's original design.<ref>[http://www.storasuibhist.com/askernish/ "Askernish Golf Course"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716150459/http://www.storasuibhist.com/askernish/ |date=16 July 2011 }} Storas Uibhist. Retrieved 4 July 2010.</ref><ref>{{cite news |work=New Yorker |date=20 April 2009 |url=http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/04/20/090420fa_fact_owen |author=David Owen |title=The Ghost Course|access-date=4 July 2010}}</ref>

== Places of interest ==
{{div col |colwidth=20em}}
* [[Amhuinnsuidhe Castle]]
* [[An Lanntair]]
* [[Arnol|Arnol Blackhouse]]
* [[Barra Airport]]
* [[Callanish Stones]]
* [[Dun Carloway]]
* [[Garenin]]
* [[Kisimul Castle]]
* [[Lewis Loom Centre]]
* [[Lews Castle]]
* [[St Clement's Church, Rodel|St. Clement's Church]]
* [[St. Kilda, Scotland|St. Kilda]]
* [[Teampall Mholuaidh|St Moluag's Church]]
{{div col end}}

== See also ==
{{div col |colwidth=25em}}
* [[Constitutional status of Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles]]
* [[Hebridean Myths and Legends]]
* [[Leod]]
* [[List of Category A listed buildings in the Western Isles]]
* [[List of places in the Western Isles]]
* [[List of rulers of the Kingdom of the Isles]]
* [[List of islands of Scotland]]
* [[Ljótólfr]]
* [[Solar eclipse of 1 May 1185]]
* [[2012 Comhairle nan Eilean Siar election]]
* [[Virtual Hebrides]]
{{div col end}}

== Notes ==
{{reflist|group="Note"}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Sources ==
{{refbegin|30em}}
* Armit, Ian (1998) ''Scotland's Hidden History''. Tempus (in association with Historic Scotland). {{ISBN|0-7486-6067-4}}
* Ballin Smith, B. and Banks, I. (eds) (2002) ''In the Shadow of the Brochs, the Iron Age in Scotland''. Stroud. Tempus. {{ISBN|0-7524-2517-X}}
* Ballin Smith, Beverley; Taylor, Simon; Williams, Gareth (eds) (2007) ''West Over Sea: Studies in Scandinavian Sea-Borne Expansion and Settlement Before 1300''. Leiden. Koninklijke Brill. {{ISBN|978-90-04-15893-1}}
* Benvie, Neil (2004) ''Scotland's Wildlife''. London. Aurum Press. {{ISBN|1-85410-978-2}}
* Buxton, Ben (1995) ''Mingulay: An Island and Its People''. Edinburgh. Birlinn. {{ISBN|1-874744-24-6}}
* Downham, Clare (2007) ''Viking Kings of Britain and Ireland: The Dynasty of Ívarr to A.D. 1014''. Edinburgh. Dunedin Academic Press. {{ISBN|978-1-903765-89-0}}
* Gillen, Con (2003) ''Geology and landscapes of Scotland''. Harpenden. Terra Publishing. {{ISBN|1-903544-09-2}}
* Gregory, Donald (1881) ''The History of the Western Highlands and Isles of Scotland 1493–1625.'' Edinburgh. Birlinn. 2008 reprint – originally published by Thomas D. Morrison. {{ISBN|1-904607-57-8}}
* Hanson, William S. "The Roman Presence: Brief Interludes", in Edwards, Kevin J. & Ralston, Ian B.M. (Eds) (2003) ''Scotland After the Ice Age: Environment, Archaeology and History, 8000 BC – AD 1000''. Edinburgh. Edinburgh University Press.
* Haswell-Smith, Hamish. (2004) ''The Scottish Islands''. Edinburgh. Canongate. {{ISBN|1-84195-454-3}}
* [[James Hunter (historian)|Hunter, James]] (2000) ''Last of the Free: A History of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland''. Edinburgh. Mainstream. {{ISBN|1-84018-376-4}}
* Keay, J. & Keay, J. (1994) ''[[Collins Encyclopaedia of Scotland]]''. London. HarperCollins. {{ISBN|0-00-255082-2}}
* {{cite web |author=Mac an Tàilleir, Iain |year=2003 |title=Ainmean-àite le buidheachas do dh' Iain Mac an Tailleir / Place-names collected by Iain Mac an Tailleir |url=http://www.parliament.scot/gd/visitandlearn/40900.aspx |website=The [[Scottish Parliament]] / Pàrlamaid na h-Alba |access-date=26 August 2012 |archive-date=6 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210306142906/http://www.parliament.scot/gd/visitandlearn/40900.aspx |url-status=dead }} {{cite web |title=A'Chleit – Butt of Lewis |url=http://www.parliament.scot/Gaelic/placenamesA-B.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.parliament.scot/Gaelic/placenamesA-B.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live }} {{cite web |title=Cabaan – Eyre |url=http://www.parliament.scot/Gaelic/placenamesC-E.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.parliament.scot/Gaelic/placenamesC-E.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live }} {{cite web |title=Faddoch – Jura |url=http://www.parliament.scot/Gaelic/placenamesF-J.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.parliament.scot/Gaelic/placenamesF-J.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live }} {{cite web |title=Kallin – Ovie |url=http://www.parliament.scot/Gaelic/placenamesK-O.pdf |access-date=9 March 2018 |archive-date=16 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116011540/http://www.parliament.scot/Gaelic/placenamesK-O.pdf |url-status=dead }} {{cite web |title=Pabay – Yoker |url=http://www.parliament.scot/Gaelic/placenamesP-Z.pdf |access-date=9 March 2018 |archive-date=26 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160526191311/http://www.parliament.scot/Gaelic/placenamesP-Z.pdf |url-status=dead }} 
* McKirdy, Alan Gordon, John & Crofts, Roger (2007) ''Land of Mountain and Flood: The Geology and Landforms of Scotland''. Edinburgh. Birlinn. {{ISBN|978-1-84158-357-0}}
* Maclean, Charles (1977) ''Island on the Edge of the World: the Story of St. Kilda''. Edinburgh. Canongate. {{ISBN|0-903937-41-7}}
* Malhotra, R. (1992) ''Anthropology of Development: Commemoration Volume in Honour of Professor I.P. Singh''. New Delhi. Mittal. {{ISBN|81-7099-328-8}}
* Li, Martin (2005) [https://books.google.com/books?id=SKvBKzuwuo8C&pg=RA2-PA509 ''Adventure Guide to Scotland'']. Hunter Publishing. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
* Miers, Mary (2008) ''The Western Seaboard: An Illustrated Architectural Guide.'' The Rutland Press. {{ISBN|978-1-873190-29-6}}
* {{cite book |author1=Murray, John |author2=Pullar, Laurence |year=1910 |title=Bathymetrical Survey of the Fresh-Water Lochs of Scotland, 1897–1909 |url=https://maps.nls.uk/bathymetric/index.html |location=Edinburgh |publisher=Challenger Office |via=National Library of Scotland |access-date=8 March 2018 |archive-date=10 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230610110442/https://maps.nls.uk/bathymetric/index.html |url-status=dead }}
* [[W. H. Murray|Murray, W.H.]] (1966) ''The Hebrides''. London. Heinemann.
* Murray, W.H. (1973) ''The Islands of Western Scotland: the Inner and Outer Hebrides.'' London. Eyre Methuen. {{ISBN|0-413-30380-2}}
* Ross, David (2005) ''Scotland – History of a Nation''. Lomond. {{ISBN|0-947782-58-3}}
* Rotary Club of Stornoway (1995) ''The Outer Hebrides Handbook and Guide''. Machynlleth. Kittiwake. {{ISBN|0-9511003-5-1}}
* Thompson, Francis (1968) ''Harris and Lewis, Outer Hebrides''. Newton Abbot. David & Charles. {{ISBN|0-7153-4260-6}}
* [[William J. Watson|Watson, W. J.]] (1994) ''The Celtic Place-Names of Scotland''. Edinburgh; Birlinn. {{ISBN|1-84158-323-5}}. First published 1926.
{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{oscoor gbx|NG 01544 85552}}
{{commons category|Outer Hebrides}}
{{Wikivoyage}}

* [http://www.stornoway-portauthority.com/ Stornoway Port Authority] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230601154205/http://stornoway-portauthority.com/ |date=1 June 2023 }}
* [http://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/ Comhairle nan Eilean Siar]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070310150414/http://www.scrol.gov.uk/scrol/browser/profile.jsp?profile=Population&mainArea=Eilean+Siar&mainLevel=CouncilArea 2001 Census Results for the Outer Hebrides]
* [http://www.mactv.co.uk/ MacTV]
* [http://www.reefnet.co.uk/ Reefnet]
* [http://www.hebrides.com/ Hebrides.com] Photographic website from ex-Eolas Sam Maynard
* [http://www.visithebrides.com/ www.visithebrides.com] Western Isles Tourist Board site from Reefnet
* [http://www.virtualhebrides.com/ Virtual Hebrides.com] Content from the VH, which went its own way and became Virtual Scotland.
* [http://www.hebrides.ca/ hebrides.ca] Home of the Quebec-Hebridean Scots who were cleared from Lewis to Quebec 1838–1920s

{{Coord|57.76|-7.02|display=title|region:GB-ELS_scale:500000}} 


{{Navboxes
| title = Outer Hebrides
| list =
{{Na h-Eileanan Siar places}}
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{{Sound of Barra}}
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{{Loch Maddy}}
{{Loch Ròg}}
{{Prehistoric Western Isles}}
{{Na h-Eileanan Siar elections}}
{{Wards of Na h-Eileanan Siar}}
}}

{{Scotland subdivisions}}
{{Former local government regions of Scotland}}
{{Scottish provinces}}
{{Hebrides}}
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{{Kings of the Isles}}
{{Lords of the Isles}}
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{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Outer Hebrides}}
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[[Category:Hebrides|.]]
[[Category:Archipelagoes of Scotland]]
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