The Western Isles comprises the Outer Hebrides the islands of Lewis, Harris, North and South Uist, Benbecula, Barra, and associated small islands, including St Kilda and Rockall. The group of Islands offers the visitor plenty of areas to explore from wonderful beaches to incredible mountain walks all while enjoying the local hospitality and accommodation whether in a hotel inn or B&B.
The Western Isles Authority’s area, stretching from the Butt or Lewis at the north to Barra Head on the small island of Berneray (not to be confused with the Berneray north of North Uist) far to the south of Barra and taking in far distant ST Kilda and Rockall, covers 1,120 sq. meters of land area.
It is thus by far the largest of the Islands Authorities, it is also the only one which, under Local Government reorganization in I975, ‘started from scratch, Orkney and Shetland each had its own County Council with almost complete administrative machinery and staff ready to take over the new status, whereas the Western Isles, formerly administered by the County Councils of Ross and Cromarty (Lewis) and Inverness-shire (the rest of the islands) had none, except a few small, scattered District Councils of the old type answerable to the County Councils in Dingwall and Inverness.
- The Western Isles Geolocation Latitude 57.760757° N Longitude -7.0266447° E
- The Western Isles Map
- The Western Isles Routes & Tracks
- The Western Isles Weather Forecast
- The Western Isles Reviews
- The Western Isles Discussion Forum
The Western Isles, with the disparates of religion, industry and way of life spread down the ‘Long Island’ of 140 m., over many separate and sometimes individualistic islands, thus became, at least in Scotland, unique as a newly established authority with no administrative corps or buildings and only a few well experienced members of the former County Councils and some minor Local Government officials as a nucleus.
The Western Isles, now correctly so known, are therefore no longer just a group of islands described vaguely and romantically as ‘the Outer Hebrides’ somewhere off the west coast of Scotland, but an entity whose progress and ability to deal with a multitude of pressing problems will be watched with interest and encouragement from far beyond its very extensive shores. Frequent air and car-terry servicesare available.
