The Western Isles (or Outer Hebrides) comprises a chain of 66 islands which extends 130 miles from Barra Head in the south to the Butt of Lewis in the north. The islands have a land area of 290,000 hectares and a coastline of 2,700 kms. Over 75% of the land is in crofting tenure and there are approximately 6,000 crofts.
The largest settlement is Stornoway with a population of around 9,000. Other centres of population including Tarbert, in Harris, Lochmaddy in North Uist, Balivanich in Benbecula, Lochboisdale in South Uist and Castlebay in Barra, all of which are main points of entry to or within the Western Isles. The remainder of the population is sparsely spread over a large area implying significant pressure on the quality and provision of services.
Living on the western periphery of Europe, the people of the Western Isles have always had to face the social and economic challenges inherent in cultures perceived as remote.
With a network of inter-island transport infrastructure and links to the UK mainland and onward, you can be in the heart of London or Europe within a few of hours. – or if you prefer, fly to Barra, on of our most southern islands, where your plane lands on the beach – something to be experienced.
With a land mass of around 3,000 square kilometers and a population of just over 26,500 the Western Isles supports 1,200 small and medium sized enterprise, with a high incidence of enterprenuership in the 1,900 people in self-employment.
|