List of Outer Hebrides


The Outer Hebrides is a chain of more than 100 islands and small skerries located about west of mainland Scotland. There are 15 inhabited islands in this archipelago, which is also known as the Western Isles and archaically as the Long Isle.
Lewis and Harris is the largest island in Scotland and the third largest in the British Isles, after Great Britain and Ireland. It incorporates Lewis in the north and Harris in the south, both of which are frequently referred to as individual islands, although they are joined by a land border. The largest settlement in Lewis and in the Outer Hebrides is Stornoway.
To the south across the Sound of Harris lie the Uists and Benbecula, which were joined by a series of causeways constructed between 1940 and 1960 to improve transport links. Further south are Barra and the smaller Barra Isles, whose southernmost extremity is Barra Head. There are other outliers with cultural links to the Outer Hebrides that are not part of the archipelago itself. These include the St Kilda group, which are quite distinct geologically and no longer inhabited, Sula Sgeir and North Rona to the north and isolated Rockall, which is to the west of North Uist.
The islands of Scotland's west coast are known collectively as the Hebrides and the Outer Hebrides are separated from the Inner Hebrides by The Minch to the north and the Sea of the Hebrides to the south. The Outer Hebrides are administered by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and had a population of 26,502 in 2001. The Outer Hebrides have historically been a strong Scottish Gaelic speaking area. Despite recent declines, in the 2001 census more than 50% of the resident population in each island was able to speak Gaelic, for an overall total of 15,842 speakers throughout the archipelago. The modern economy centres on tourism, crofting, fishing, and weaving, the latter of which includes the manufacture of Harris tweed. The archipelago is exposed to wind and tide, and there are numerous lighthouses as an aid to navigation.
The definition of an island used in this list is that it is "land that is surrounded by seawater on a daily basis, but not necessarily at all stages of the tide, excluding human devices such as bridges and causeways".

Inhabited islands

The inhabited islands of the Outer Hebrides had a total population of 26,502 in 2001 and 27,684 at the time of the 2011 census.
The highest peaks of the islands have names deriving from both Gaelic and Old Norse indicating the historical importance of these two cultures. The archeological record for the period of Viking domination during the Early Historic period is however very limited, the Lewis chessmen being an exception.
In addition to the North Ford and South Ford causeways that connect North and South Uist, Benbecula and the northern of the two Grimsays in the southern part of the island chain, several other islands are now connected by causeways and bridges. Great Bernera and Scalpay have bridge connections to Lewis and Harris respectively, Baleshare and Berneray are linked to North Uist, Eriskay to South Uist, Flodaigh, Fraoch-eilean and the southern Grimsay to Benbecula, and Vatersay is connected to Barra by a causeway. This means that all of the inhabited islands are now connected to at least one other island by a land transport route.
IslandGaelic nameGroupArea PopulationHighest pointHeight
BaleshareAm Baile SearUists and Benbecula9105812
BarraBarraighBarra58751174Heaval383
BenbeculaBeinn nam FadhlaUists and Benbecula82031303Ruaval124
BernerayBeàrnaraighUists and Benbecula1010138Beinn Shleibhe93
EriskayÈirisgeighUists and Benbecula703143Ben Scrien185
FlodaighFlodaighUists and Benbecula145720
Fraoch-eileanFraoch-eileanUists and Benbecula55?Cnoc Mor11
Great BerneraBeàrnaraigh MòrLewis 212225287
Grimsay GriomasaighUists and Benbecula83316922
Grimsay GriomasaighUists and Benbecula1172020
Lewis and HarrisLeòdhas agus na HearadhLewis and Harris21789821031Clisham799
North UistUibhist a TuathUists and Benbecula303051254Eaval347
ScalpaySgalpaigh na HearadhHarris653291Beinn Scorabhaig104
South UistUibhist a DeasUists and Benbecula320261754Beinn Mhòr620
VatersayBhatarsaighBarra96090Theiseabhal Mòr190

Ensay, Kisimul Castle and Eilean na Cille are "included in the NRS statistical geography for inhabited islands but had no usual residents at the time of either the 2001 or 2011 censuses".

Uninhabited islands

This is a list of islands with an area greater than 25 hectares. Records for the last date of settlement for the smaller uninhabited islands are incomplete, but most of the islands listed here would have been inhabited at some point during the Neolithic, Iron Age, Early Historic or Norse periods.
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. This process involved a transition from these places being perceived as relatively self-sufficient agricultural economies to a view becoming held by both island residents and outsiders alike that the more remote islands lacked the essential services of a modern industrial economy.
Some of the 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 and Taransay hosted the BBC television series ‘’Castaway 2000’’. Others have played a part in Scottish history. On 4 May 1746, Bonnie Prince Charlie hid on Eilean Liubhaird with some of his men for four days whilst Royal Navy vessels patrolled the Minch. They camped under a sail stretched over a "low pitiful hut" while it rained torrentially.
The difficulties of definition are considerable in some cases. For example, Haswell-Smith treats Eileanan Iasgaich as a single island of 50 ha, although during high tides it becomes several tidal islets—none of which is ever connected to the "mainland" of South Uist. Despite its name Eilean an Taighe in the Shiant Islands does not qualify for inclusion as it is connected to Garbh Eilean by a natural isthmus.
IslandGaelic nameGroupArea Last inhabitedHighest pointHeight
Barra Head or BernerayBeàrnaraigh Cheann BharraighBarra Isles2041980Sotan193
BorerayBoraraighNorth Uist1981960sMullach Mòr56
CalbhaighCalbhaighSouth Uist26Unknown10
CeabhaighCeabhaighLewis 2520
Ceallasaigh BeagCeallasaigh BeagLoch Maddy5510
Ceallasaigh MòrCeallasaigh MòrLoch Maddy5510
Ceann EarAn Ceann EarMonach Islands2031931–3317
Ceann IarAn Ceann IarMonach Islands1541931–33Cnoc Bharr19
Eilean Chaluim ChilleEilean Chaluim ChilleLewis 85Creag Mhor43
Eilean ChearstaidhEilean Chearstaigh Lewis 7737
Eileanan IasgaichEileanan IasgaichSouth Uist5020
Eilean LiubhairdEilean LiubhairdLewis 12576
Eilean MhealastaEilean MhealastaLewis 1241823Cnoc Àrd77
Eilean MhuireEilean MhuireShiant Islands 3090
EnsayEasaighSound of Harris186197149
FiaraidhFiaraighSound of Barra4130
FlodaighFlodaighLewis 39182748
Flodaigh MòrFlodaigh MòrNorth Uist5828
FloddayFlodaighBarra Isles3543
FloddayFlodaighSound of Barra40185141
FodragaighFodragaigh Benbecula25Unknown10
Fuaigh BeagFuaigh BeagLewis 35182748
Fuaigh MòrFuaigh MòrLewis 841840sMullach na Beinne67
FudayFuideighSound of Barra2321901Mullach Neacail89
FuiayFuidheighSound of Barra84107
Garbh EileanGarbh EileanShiant Islands1431901Mullach Buidhe160
GighayGioghaighSound of Barra96Mullach a' Chàrnain95
GroaighGroaighSound of Harris28Unknown26
HellisayTheiliseighSound of Barra1421890Beinn a' Chàrnain72
HermetrayTheàrnatraighSound of Harris721840sCompass Knoll35
KillegrayCeileagraighSound of Harris1761970s45
KirkibostEilean ChirceboistNorth Uist20510
LingeighLingeighBarra Isles2783
Little BerneraBeàrnaraigh BeagLewis 1381861Tordal41
MingulayMiùghalaighBarra Isles6401912Càrnan273
MuldoanichMaol DòmhnaichBarra Isles78Maol Dòmhnaich153
OrosayOrasaighSound of Barrac. 3038
OronsayOrasaighNorth Uist8525
PabbayPabaighBarra Isles2501911–20An Tobha171
PabbayPabaighHarris8201970sBeinn a' Chàrnain196
Pabaigh MòrPabaigh MòrLewis 1011827Beinn Mhòr68
RonayRònaighNorth Uist5631920sBeinn á Charnain115
SandraySanndraighBarra Isles3851934Carn Ghaltair207
ScarpAn SgarpHarris10451971Sròn Romul308
Seaforth IslandEilean ShìophoirtLewis 273217
SgeotasaighSgeotasaighHarris 49192157
SibhinisSibhinisMonach Islands2815
ShillaySiolaighNorth Uist4779
Soay MorSòdhaigh MòrHarris451890s37
StromayStròmaighSound of Harris6616
Stockinish IslandEilean StocainisHarris4944
StuleyStulaighSouth Uist4540
SursaighSursaighSound of Harris30Unknown27
TahayTaghaighSound of Harris531850s65
TaransayTarasaighHarris14751974Ben Raah267
TrialabreacTrialabreac Benbecula25Unknown20
TorogaighTorogaighSound of Harris28Unknown13
VacsayBhacasaighLewis 41186934
VallayBhàlaighNorth Uist260Ceann Uachdarach38
WiayFuidheighBenbecula3751901Beinn a' Tuath102

The Eileanan Chearabhaigh are a complex group of islets off the east coast of Benbecula, the area of which changes as the tides rise and fall. The total area is circa 49 hectares and largest part that might be considered to be a genuine island is circa 32 hectares.

Smaller islets and skerries

Smaller islands, tidal islets only separated at higher stages of the tide, and skerries that are only exposed at lower stages of the tide pepper the North Atlantic surrounding the main islands. This is a continuing list of these smaller Outer Hebridean islands.
Many of them are obscure and few have ever been inhabited. Nonetheless, some have a significant degree of notability. The islet on which Kisimul Castle stands is the ancient seat of Clan MacNeil and Shillay in the Monach Isles had a manned lighthouse until 1942. The tiny Beasts of Holm of the east coast of Lewis were the site of the sinking of the Iolaire during the first few hours of 1919, 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 1947 novel Whiskey Galore after the ran aground there with a cargo of whisky. Unusually for an island without permanent inhabitation, Eilean na Cille is connected to Grimsay by a causeway.
Various Gaelic names are used repeatedly. The suffix ay or aigh or aidh is generally from the Norse øy meaning "island". Eilean also means "island". Beag and mòr mean "little" and "big" and are often found together. Sgeir is "skerry" and often refers to a rock or rocks that lie submerged at high tide. Dubh is "black", dearg is "red" and glas means "grey" or "green". Orasaigh is from the Norse Örfirirsey meaning "tidal" or "ebb island".
Smaller islands grouped geographically:

Barra and the Barra Isles

South west coast

Ceann Loch Resort to Aird Dhrolaige: Liongam, Staca Liath
There are various small archipelagos within the Outer Hebrides. These include:
NameLocation
Barra Isles
Flannan Isles
Monach Islands
Shiant Islands

The St Kilda group is west-northwest of North Uist.