The Outer Hebrides are a chain of islands off the north-western coast of Scotland in the United Kingdom. They are also known as the Western Isles and the 'Long Island'. Fifteen of the islands are inhabited, with a further 50 accessible but uninhabited.
Explore the best of the Hebrides on an island-hopping holiday and experience a Scottish adventure! The Isle of Lewis (Eilean Leodhais) is the largest and is scattered with ancient sites of world renown such as the Neolithic 'Callanish Stones', the Norse Mill House and the Pictish Carloway Broch which is a roundhouse. Visitors to the island can enjoy the thrill of adventure activities abseiling, kayaking and surfing whilst dolphins, seals, whales and sharks are often seen in the harbour.
The Isle of Harris (Na Hearadh) offers diverse landscapes ranging from rocky to gently beautiful, with sloping sandy beaches and imposing mountains as a backdrop! The Harris Hills are where you'll find great fishing, golfing, cycling and adrenalin sports.
The Isle of North Uist (Uist a Tuath) is a destination of rolling hills, freshwater lochs and stunning beaches. This beautiful small island has a thriving community linked by a causeway from the Island of Berneray. If you're a bird enthusiast, this is the spot for you. The RSPB reserve on the west coast attracts diver and wader birds and the many lochs make it an anglers' paradise. The views are spectacular and great for walking, cruising, kayaking and wildlife. Other islands to explore in the Outer Hebrides include the Isle of Benbecula, South Uist, Barra and St Kilda's.
Why not check beaches nearby as we have 23 beaches in Outer Hebrides, or have a look at our list of Outer Hebrides dog friendly beaches, or even our United Kingdom Blue Flag beach list.
Outer Hebrides Coast Search Bar
Where would you like to go? Use our search bar to search across all our local listings, ideal for finding that nearest spot to visit:
Want some ideas on where to visit?
Every favourite location must be visited for the first time. Want some ideas, why not check out the below small selection of coastal locations, including beaches, activities, things to see and do, places to stay and eat:
- Luskentyre beach has been named as one of the top ten beaches in the world, a spectacular combination of beautiful white sand stretching for miles against a backdrop of calm blue waters and an unspoilt shell sand bay.Get to the beach by taking the narrow road along the north side of the bay and parking at the end near the cemetery. The beach can be reached by walking through the dunes. Stop and admire the fantastic view across the bay to the Island of Taransay.Car park and public toilets with disabled facilities.
- Reef Beach sits by Kneep on the Isle of lewis. The beach is a sandy wide beach great for shell-seekers. In summer you can also soak up the lovely display of ‘machair’, the carpet of glorious wildflowers renowned in this part of the world. Behind the beach the dunes give way to cliffs, giving you magnificent views over the bay. This beach is a great spot for swimming in the calm blue waters or why not just enjoy a picnic on the sands.
- Tiumpan Head Lighthouse is located on the most easterly point of the Isle of Lewis and the headland juts into the waters between the island and the Scottish mainland. Built in 1900 by the Stevenson brothers, the white-painted lighthouse is 21m in height. The light is now automated and two white flashes are exhibited every 15 seconds and they have a visibility range of 25 nautical miles. To reach the lighthouse, take the A866 past Stornoway Airport.
- Tolstra beach is a long white sandy beach on the Isle of Lewis. Parking spaces with toilets at the top end of the beach.
- West Bay or Bagh Siar on the Isle of Vatersay is an unspoilt white sandy bay. The Annie Jane, a three-masted immigrant ship out of Liverpool bound for Quebec, struck rocks off West Beach during a storm in September 1853. In spite of the conditions, islanders tried to rescue the passengers and crew, but only a few survived. A small cairn and monument mark the wreck site, an inscription reads: “On 28th September 1853 the ship Annie Jane with emigrants from Liverpool to Quebec was totally wrecked in this bay and threefourths of the crew and passengers numbering about 350 men women and children were drowned and their bodies interred here.” As well as this beach you can walk to Vatersay Bay (East) beach. Facilities at the beach include car parking, toilets and campsite.
- St Kilda is a dramatic landscape of exceptional cliffs and underwater scenery on a remote and uninhabited archipelago within Scotland’s Outer Hebrides in the north Atlantic off the west coast of the Scottish mainland. The archipelago renowned for its seabird breeding consists of the islands in size order of Hirta, Soay (‘sheep island’), Boreray (‘the fortified isle’) and the island of Dùn (‘fort’). Dùn protects Village Bay from the prevailing southwesterly winds, was at one time joined to Hirta by a natural arch. Smaller islets and stacks in the group include Stac an Armin (‘warrior’s stack’), Stac Lee (‘grey stack’) and Stac Levenish (‘stream’ or ‘torrent’). Hirta the largest island was the only one to be occupied with the last remaining people asking to be evacuated in August 1930 due to a lack of resources to survive on. The remains of 4 settlements are left, the structures are a mix of all ages that include a medieval village. Today over 1 million seabirds use the islands and St Kilda is a breeding ground for many important seabird species, including Atlantic Puffins, Northern Gannets, Leach’s Petrels, and Northern Fulmar. The heritage site is not just the islands but also the sea around them which is home to minke and killer whales, harbour porpoises, Risso’s dolphins, Atlantic white-sided dolphin, white-beaked dolphin and Atlantic Grey seals. Access to the islands is only by boat to the jetty in Village Bay, Hirta. Many tours options leaving from Skye and places like Oban and Mallaig. If you are intending to use your own boat then you will need to contact the Ranger on arrival. The only accommodation on the island is a small campsite
- The Barra Heritage & Cultural Centre can be found in Castlebay on Barra and is home to a fascinating collection of photos and mementoes which record the history of the island. The centre also features a craft shop and a restored thatched house, all run by the local historical society. In the summer, art exhibitions are held here and you can enjoy refreshments and home-baked goodies in the café. Other places of interest in Castlebay include Kisimul Castle and Barra Golf Club. The centre is open Monday to Saturday from April to October.
- Dun Carloway Broch is an Iron Age tower at Carloway on the Isle of Lewis. It is a spectacular example of a broch which means it is a structure built for defence purposes. The broch is really well preserved as in some parts the old wall reaches to 9m tall! Built during the 1st century BC, the broch was last inhabited around 1300 AD. Dun Carloway has a car park and visitor centre and can be found just 16 miles north west of Stornoway. Why not stop off at Lews Castle in Stornoway before heading to Carloway?
- Huisinish Beach is on the Isle of Harris in the Outer Hebrides. You’ll find it at the end of a 12-mile single track road you come across the beautiful Huisinish Beach in a secluded bay. This is a white sand beach overlooking the uninhabited Isle of Scarp and the Atlantic Ocean.
- Uig Sands is a very large sandy beach with rock pools great for family exploring and sports. But beware this is a remote location. This area is excellent for beach and coastal walks. Good for kiting and windsurfing and buggies at low tide although sand can get soft. Kitesurfers learning find this a good spot as at high tide it is very shallow and flat due to the shallow gradient. At low tides you can get some waves. Toilets, parking, camp by the beach.
- Bostadh Beach lies all white sparkling sand at the northern end of the island of Great Benera. Bernera is connected to the Isle of Lewis by a bridge. Bostadh beach, also known as Bosta Beach, is popular and has spectacular views of the rugged islands of Little Bernera, Flodday, Bearsay and Campay. There is also an Iron Age settlement here and a replica house is open to visitors during the summer months.
- For nearly 75 years the Barra Island lifeboat station has had an all weather lifeboat launched from Castlebay on the Isle of Barra
