A large group of islands located in the north-west of Europe are called British. In addition to Great Britain and Ireland, the Hebrides Islands are also included in this archipelago. In the fall of 2015, they were heard by many, since on October 21 near the Hebrides the first training ballistic missile interception in Europe was carried out.
Northern Nature Reserve
The archipelago is located off the western coast of Scotland. The two chains in the Atlantic Ocean are separated by the Hebri Sea and the Nord-Minch and Little Minch straits. Slightly more than 500 rocky and mostly high islands and islets, of which only 100 are inhabited, are divided into the Outer Hebrides (one chain) and the Inner (second chain).
What is the surface of these northern lands? Of the total area equal to 7.2 thousand square meters. km, lakes own 1.6 thousand square meters. km The rest of the surface is mostly rocky or boggy. There are many peat bogs on the swampy plains. In addition, there are lava fields, there are troughs and carras - traces of ancient glaciation. On some islands, such as Skai, there are low mountains, slightly exceeding a height of 1000 meters above sea level.
Fans of severe beauty
The Hebrides, often referred to as the "archipelago on the edge of the earth", the "kingdom of wind and waves", are very impressive with the harsh northern beauty. The boulders blown by the winds took on amazing and bizarre shapes resembling gigantic sculptures that rose directly from the foamy waves. Not everyone likes this beauty, but tourism is one of the revenue items of the local budget, along with fisheries, agriculture and the oil industry.
UK region
Outer and Inner Hebrides have different administrative subordination. The Western Isles, or Nah-Helenan Shyar, are the Western, or Outer, Hebrides. Scotland, of which they are part, has owned these territories since 1266. According to the Perth Peace Treaty, the Outer Hebrides were transferred to it by Norway. This document ended the long rivalry between the two countries for the right over the islands.
The kingdom of Scotland itself was independent from 854 to 1707. But then it became a region of Great Britain and, judging by the recent referendum, freedom and independence will not be obtained soon. Based on this fact, all the islands related to Scotland are still part of the UK.
The most western Scottish islands
The western link of the archipelago, that is, the Outer Hebrides Islands, consists of 15 islands with a permanent population, and dozens of uninhabited land areas. The Western Isles are separated from the Inland Hebrides and Great Britain by the Hebrides Sea and the North Mintch Strait. This area includes an uninhabited rock located in the north. The right to Rockall is disputed by Scotland in Great Britain, Denmark, Ireland and Iceland. Lewis & Harris, Nord-Uist, Benbekyula, South Uist and Barra - the so-called largest parts of the archipelago, known as the Outer Hebrides.
Small Western Islands
In addition to the small cliffs rising from the waves and the skerries, this part includes the Flannah Islands, a small archipelago located 23 kilometers north of the largest land area of the Lewis and Gariss.
The Flann Islands have been uninhabited since 1971. Another deserted archipelago abandoned by the population in 1930 is located 64 km west of Nord Whist. It is called St. Kilda. Rhone and Sulisker are significantly remote islands from the bulk, and they also belong to the Outer Hebrides.
Local features
Of course, of the total tourist flow directed to Scotland, these 119 islands are the least visited. But if travelers get here, in one of the 32 regions of Scotland, they are waiting for the classic beauty of the north-west of this country. It means amazing castles of ancient Scottish families, white beaches, hills and wastelands, green meadows and thickets of undersized birch. The traditions of Gaelic Scotland and ancient taste preferences - strong alcohol and dense, hearty food are preserved here. But tourists can also attract bird markets, observing seal rookeries and whales.
Sights and artifacts
All the Hebrides are primarily famous for their gloomy monumental old castles, such as Kimisul and Dunstaffnage, Skipness and Danolly. The Benedictine monastery on Ion and the cathedral in Saddel are beautiful. On the islands, places of worship of ancient aboriginal cults have been preserved, the most prominent of which is Callanish. It is precisely located on the territory of the Outer Hebrides, on the island of Lewis.
This megalithic group is the largest Neolithic monument in the British Isles, although due to its remoteness it is not as famous as Stonehenge and Avebury. Here, on the largest land area of the Outer Hebrides in 1831, a unique artifact was found, known as the “Chess from Lewis Island”. They are 76 figures carved from walrus tusk, presumably in the 12th century by carvers from Trondheim (Nidaros), the third largest city in Norway.
The largest island of all Hebrides
It is necessary to clarify what Lewis Island is. This is one of the parts of the largest island of Lewis & Harris, whose area is 2179 square meters. km It so happened historically that the two regions, Lewis and Harris, are called islands separately, although this is not true.
The administrative center and largest settlement of the Outer Hebrides is Stornoway (population over 19,000). It is here that the large factory for the production of Harris Tweed, the local fabric, is located. There is an airport 4 km from Stornoway, which has direct flights with Glasgow and Edinburgh.
The amazing nature of the Hebrides (photos are attached to the material). It should be noted that on the island of Lewis there are alpine lakes. Their fresh water, flowing out, rushes into the ocean along wide rocky ledges. One such terrace called Grimerst is one of the main attractions of this island.
Inner Hebrides
The inland, or British, Hebrides Islands are located along the coast of Great Britain. The largest of them is Sky.
Under the same Perth Treaty, these islands also went to Scotland, but in 1707 they were taken from it and became part of the British kingdom. The total area related to the Inner Hebrides is 4,158 thousand square kilometers, the population living here permanently exceeds 19,000.
The most beautiful island
The largest of the Inner Hebrides is the aforementioned Isle of Skye with an area of 1,656 square meters. km This is followed by Mall (875), Islay (620) and so on. Sky is part of a small archipelago known as Askrib Island. An interesting object to visit is the tidal island of Sunday. A tidal area is a piece of land that is separated from a large land or neighboring island by an artificial or natural channel that disappears at low tide. And you can go to the very picturesque island of Kanna, located next to Sandy, at low tide, you can go through watts - coastal shallows, exposed with the outflow of water. The island of Aova with basaltic slopes is unusually beautiful. And how impressive is Dunvegan Castle, located on the Isle of Skye!
Most visited by tourists
The Hebrides (photos are presented in the article), and Sky especially, are very picturesque.
This island was connected in 1995 with a large land bridge. In addition, the ferry service connecting the port village of Mullay with the island is always at the disposal of tourists. Skye is called "Scotland in miniature." It should be noted that in this entire area of the British Isles the production of woolen fabrics - tweed - is developed. Therefore, the sheep from the wool of which it is made are found in large quantities here. The inland islands boast the Fingal Cave (Staffa Island). She was so impressed with Felix Mendelssohn who visited here in 1829 that he wrote a concert overture under the title “Hebrides, or Fingal's Cave”.
Hebrides Nature
As noted above, the region where the Hebrides Islands are located (the northern water area of the Atlantic Ocean) is very severe - the average January temperature is 4–6 degrees Celsius, and July –12–14. It often rains, rainfall is up to 2000 mm per year. Weather can change dramatically within half an hour. And, of course, constant winds blow here. As for the local flora and fauna, which is somewhat poor in comparison with the large British Isles, it boasts several species that are found only in this territory and are listed in the Red Book. This is a long-faced seal, and a nestling, a white-tailed eagle, an ordinary scrub.