Outer Hebrides

The Outer Hebrides — Lewis, Harris, North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist, Barra, and the smaller islands between them — stretch for 200km off the Atlantic coast of Scotland. The climate is oceanic: mild, wet, and intensely windy. The light in summer, especially on the west coast beaches, has a quality that photographers call "silver light" — soft, diffuse, and flattering in a way that mainland Scotland rarely achieves. The machair (pronounced "mah-har"), the wildflower-rich coastal grassland that forms behind the beaches, is one of the rarest habitats in Europe and in June is carpeted with wildflowers.

Lewis and Harris are technically one island but function as two. Lewis in the north is flatter, dominated by peat moorland, and home to Stornoway — the islands' only town. Harris in the south is mountainous: the Clisham (799m) is the highest point in the Outer Hebrides and the hill walking around it is genuinely spectacular. The Harris beaches — Luskentyre, Scarista, Seilebost — are among the finest in Britain. The contrast between the rocky grey east coast of Harris and the white-sand-and-turquoise-water west coast is startling.

Getting here requires planning. The CalMac ferry from Ullapool to Stornoway (2h45m) or from Uig on Skye to Tarbert, Harris (1h40m) both need to be booked well in advance in summer. The islands themselves are strung together by causeways and bridges, with a CalMac ferry service for the gaps. Sunday ferry services are limited — the Sabbath is still observed in Lewis and Harris in a way that surprises visitors who arrive expecting the mainland attitude to Sundays.