The Outer Hebrides is made up of 119 individual islands and runs for 130 miles up the north west of the Scottish coastline out in the Atlantic Ocean. To get hear most people travel by ferry, a 1hr 30 minutes crossing from The Isle of Skye or you can get longer crossing from Ullapool which will take you direct to Stornoway the largest town on the island.

The wild Atlantic storms battering The Outer Hebrides coast line has created the most dynamic, hospitable & incredible cliffs mixed in with the most beautiful sandy beaches. Due to the lack of pollution and sewage in the water around this remote part of Scotland it creates an absolutely beautiful crystal clear aqua marine sea lapping up on to the bays, If it wasn’t was the Scottish temperature and the usual coastal westerly wind you would swear you where relaxing in the Bahamas.

This is an extremely peaceful and tranquil environment, mainly due to the isolation of the island environment and a relatively small population. If you are looking for a peaceful, relaxing trip then this is definitely the place for you. The population density on The Outer Hebrides is 9 people per km2, compared to 37,685 people per km2 in London.

The islands are rich with wildlife with many seabirds from gannets and puffins to the giants of the air with Golden and white tailed eagles soaring up over the mountains in the skies above. If you are out walking the coastline there is a fair chance you will see otters playing about in the seaweed looking for crabs to eat and if you are really lucky you could spot dolphins, basking sharks and for the eagles eyes you may spot killer whales. There is also plenty of red deer roaming the vast open areas of these magnificent islands.

Unfortunately like many parts of the west of Scotland there are millions of midges on the islands but with the usual westerly wind from the Atlantic you may be lucky. These little critters can’t fly in winds over 6mph, so check the weather before you out exploring this amazing part of Scotland.

There is an incredible 7,500 freshwater lochlans in the Outer Hebrides which is about 24% of the total for the whole of Scotland, giving the most amazing views and plenty of exciting areas to go and explore.

The Hebrides are also steeped in history with the Callanish Standing Stones, in my eyes one of the best collections of Neolithic stones you will every see. It is now believed that these stones were erected long before Stonehenge. There are also many other sites with standing stones, iron aged houses, incredible BlackHouses as well as some of the most amazing Brochs (large stone-walled houses which dated as far back as 500BC).

I normally finish most of my blogs with “this area is a must see and you can’t go wrong with a week or two exploring the area” and yet again I have to be a boring and just repeat myself. The Outer Hebrides is without doubt one of the most amazing, interesting and must see areas not only in Scotland but worldwide, The views, weather, activities and the islanders will together give you some of the most amazing memories you will keep forever.