Inner Hebrides

The Inner Hebrides are a large, scattered archipelago; what they have in common is their rugged, thinly populated terrain. Their land was always too poor for anything beyond subsistence farming, eked out with fishing. In the 19th century the population was systematically (and sometimes violently) evicted from their small farms by the landlords, and the land turned over to sheep-grazing and deer-stalking - the “Highland Clearances” still bewailed in local oral history. Later redevelopment schemes came to little; but in the 20th century tourism developed as transport and island accommodation improved. Gaelic culture and language did survive, though if you hear it spoken, it may just be a college lecturer from Wisconsin showing off.

A long weekend will do fine for any of the islands. Cross your fingers for the weather: when it’s good it’s glorious, when it’s poor it’s misery. Summer brings tourists and clouds of midges – think twice about camping if you react badly to bites. Winters are very quiet, and many facilities shut down when the clocks go back in October. At any time of year but especially October through to March you need to consider how you'd fare if your homeward ferry or flight was cancelled by bad weather.

For a first-time visit, the choice is between Skye (with Raasay), Mull (with Iona), Islay (with Jura) and Tiree (with Coll). These islands are large, with little or no public transport, and you need a car. Their "satellite" islands are easily visited as side-trips.

• 🌍 Skye (Gaelic: An t-Eilean Sgitheanach or Eilean a' Cheò) must stand first because of its spectacular mountain scenery, things to do and see, places to eat, drink and sleep, and accessibility. There’s no air service but it’s linked by toll-free bridge to the mainland, with buses and trains from Glasgow, and there’s also a ferry between Mallaig and Armadale. This makes Skye very touristy and crowded in summer, but it is a wonderful place, weather permitting. Portree is the main settlement.

If you’re driving to the Outer Hebrides, you probably need to travel via Skye and factor in an overnight stay. Then from Uig you take the ferry either to Tarbert for Harris and Lewis, or to Lochmaddy for the Uists. Skye is also the base for visiting the small island of Raasay (Gaelic: Ratharsair).

• 🌍 Mull (Muile) is scenic, and its main settlement of Tobermory is picture-perfect. The island scores highly on things to do and see, and places to eat, drink and sleep. It’s reached by a 45-minute ferry ride from Oban to Craignure; there’s no air service. The main attractions are in and around Tobermory, plus Duart Castle near Craignure. Mull is seldom crowded.

Iona (Ì Chaluim Chille) is reached via Mull: you drive across to Fionnphort and leave the car there, taking the short ferry to Iona and walking to the abbey. Boat trips also run from Mull to Fingal’s Cave on Staffa, to the Treshnish Islands, and to Ulva. Short ferry rides link Craignure with Lochaline on the Morvern peninsula, and Tobermory with Kilchoan on Ardnamurchan, alternative routes back towards Oban and Glasgow.

• 🌍 Islay (Ìle) is scenic round its coastline (the interior is a soggy heath), and has lots to do, see and especially to drink: it has an impressive number of whisky distilleries. It has flights from Glasgow, and ferries from Kennacraig in Argyll to Port Ellen on the east of the island and to Port Askaig on the north (some continuing to Colonsay); both take around two hours.

🌍 Jura (Diùra) is reached via Islay, by the short ferry crossing from Port Askaig. Jura is big but bleak.

• 🌍 Tiree (Tiriodh) has different scenery, being sandy and low-lying. So it’s more fertile and has a strong cultural history for its small size, and the stiff breezes deter the midges. It has flights from Glasgow and a four-hour ferry crossing from Oban. Two days a week there's a flight to Colonsay.

🌍 Coll (Cola) is more rugged and thinly populated. The ferry takes three hours from Oban, continuing to Tiree; there's also a flight connecting Coll to Tiree and Oban. So these two islands can easily be combined, though there isn’t a link every day.

These have far less in the way of facilities and sights, and you might not need a car, or indeed be allowed to bring one.

• 🌍 Colonsay (Colbhasa) is a small but charming island reached by a 2 hr 30 min ferry ride from Oban, or twice a week from Kennacraig via Port Askaig on Islay (3 hr 30 min). There's also a flight from Oban via Islay two days a week. At low tide, walk across the strand from Colonsay to the tidal island of Oronsay. Many visitors bring a car, but you can explore without one.
• The Small Isles consist of 🌍 Rùm, Eigg, Muck and Canna. They're usually admired from a distance, forming the dramatic view looking south from Skye. They have very limited accommodation and most visitors come on day trips, sailing from Mallaig (about 90 mins) or Arisaig. You're not allowed to bring a car to these islands, which only have about a mile of road each.
• 🌍 Lismore (Lios Mòr) has medieval ruins but is almost undeveloped for tourism. A day-trip from Oban will suffice.
• Seil, Luing, Easdale and Scarba are even smaller islands south of Oban, and Kerrara is just west. Think of these as individual farmsteads and holiday cottages that happen to be separated from the mainland by a short boat ride; in fact Seil is connected by a road bridge. Beyond Scarba lies the roaring maelstrom of the Corryvreckan.
• 🌍 Gigha (Giogha) away to the south is just a 15-minute ferry ride from the Kintyre peninsula. You’d probably visit as part of a tour of Argyll, leaving your car at the mainland pier and walking round the island. The main sights are Achamore Gardens and the Ogham Stone.
• Smaller still and smaller: the islands and coasts are fractal, so whatever you focus on, some even smaller place swims into view. Focus on Mull and you notice Ulva, and then the short channel separating it from Gometra, off which are . . . and so on. What they have in common is that they're uninhabited with no ferry, and they're protected as reserves for seabirds and other wildlife and habitat. So they're not "destinations", but summer boat-trips may visit them.

Several other major Scottish island groups are not part of the Inner Hebrides – they’re described on other pages. Chief of these are:

• The Outer Hebrides: Harris and Lewis are a single large island. Eriskay, North Uist, Benbecula and South Uist are effectively one island, being linked by road. Then Barra lies to the south. These are much barer and bleaker than the Inner Hebrides, with fewer sights and facilities. They can easily be combined with a visit to Skye, because a common access route is to drive across Skye and take the ferry from Uig.
• Northern Isles are the Orkney and Shetland Islands. They're quite different from the Hebrides and from each other, being Norse not Gaelic, with many well-preserved prehistoric remains. They're low-lying, treeless and breezy, with lots of amenities and sights.
• Firth of Clyde islands are Arran (the most charming), Bute, and Great Cumbrae. Pleasant, accessible, all can be done as day-trips from the Glasgow area, but that means they'll feel busy and touristy if you've just come from the Hebrides.
• St Kilda is not the name of an island, but a lonely archipelago miles out in the Atlantic. Hirta the largest is where you land to see the abandoned village. It's only visited on occasional boat trips, weather and sea conditions permitting.
• Knoydart is the "mainland island", the last populated region of Great Britain to have no road connection to the rest of the country. It's possible to hike there over the moors, but usually you take the ferry from Mallaig to the main village of Inverie.

You need a car on Skye, Mull, Islay and Jura; you probably need one on Tiree, Coll and Colonsay. These are large islands, with lonely miles, summer downpours, and midges, midges, midges. The few buses are either linking to incoming ferries, or for school run; so there's only one or two per day, not convenient for sight-seeing.

Walking or bicycle will do fine for the smaller isles.

• Duart Castle is near Mull's ferry port Craignure.
• Dunvegan Castle on Skye is in an impressive coastal setting. Several more lie in ruins.
• Kinloch Castle on Rùm is a huge Victorian country mansion. You can only admire it from outside, as it's fallen into disrepair.
• Best of the Hebridean scenery is along the Trotternish Peninsula on Skye.
• There are good birdwatching opportunities on the RSPB reserves on Mull, Islay and Coll.

• Plenty of good beaches, notably those on Tiree and Islay. Their west coasts are exposed to the Atlantic and good for windsurfing.
• Walking: and you can make full circuit of the smaller islands.
• Golf courses are on the sandy "machair" terrain of the larger islands.
• Bars in the larger settlements have live music, and village halls have occasional ceilidhs.
• Skye and Mull have Highland Games in summer, with much tartanry and bagpipe-blowing.

• Eating places, like accommodation, are individually run - there are almost no chain restaurants.
• In many places the hotel may be the only place to eat in the evening, with last orders as early as 8PM.
• The seafood including shellfish is often locally sourced.
• Some good cheeses are made on Mull.
• For self-catering fill up the car with supplies (and fuel) before leaving the mainland. All the islands have small stores, and there are Co-op supermarkets on Mull, Skye and Tiree.

Islay is ringed by whisky distilleries, producing peaty single malts. Laphroaig has the strongest peat taste, much appreciated by connoisseurs but maybe not the best for beginners.

Jura has a single distillery, producing a variety of single malts, some peated.

Mull has a distillery in Tobermory. Its whisky is sold as Ledaig (peaty) or Tobermory (smoother) brands.

On Skye there is the Talisker distillery at Carbost.

Small artisan gin distilleries are here and there.

There are breweries on Skye and Colonsay.

Island folk are friendly and honest, but what about the visitors? - those ruffians you took care not to sit near on the ferry, for instance? Take usual care of valuables.

The hills are of no great height, but you're on the same latitude as Newfoundland. Even midwinter is seldom subzero, but driving winds and rain can quickly drop your body temperature.

It's a choice of continuing west out to sea to the Outer Hebrides, or returning to the mainland.