   #copyright

Outer Hebrides

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Geography of Great
Britain

           Na h-Eileanan Siar
   (The Western Isles)
                Location
     Image:ScotlandWesternIsles.png
                Geography
   Area           Ranked 7th
    -Total        3,071 km²
    -% Water       ?
   Admin HQ       Stornoway
                  (Steòrnabhagh)
   ISO 3166-2     GB-ELS
   ONS code       00RJ
              Demographics
   Population     Ranked 30th
    -Total (2005) 26,370
    - Density     9 / km²
                Politics
        Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
   http://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/
   Control        Independent
   MPs
                    * Angus MacNeil

   MSPs
                    * Alasdair Morrison

                Scotland

          Western Isles redirects here. The term "Western Isles" is
          becoming more common since its adoption as the English language
          name of the local government area. A traditional usage referring
          to the whole of the Hebrides can still occasionally be heard in
          Scottish speech

   The Outer Hebrides or Western Isles ( officially known by the Gaelic
   name, Na h-Eileanan Siar) comprise an island chain off the west coast
   of Scotland. They form part of the Hebrides, separated from the
   Scottish mainland and from the Inner Hebrides by the stormy stretch of
   water known as the Minch and the Little Minch. Most communities in the
   Outer Hebrides use the Scottish Gaelic language. The name for the UK
   Parliament constituency covering this area is Na h-Eileanan an Iar,
   whilst the Scottish Parliament constituency for the area continues to
   be officially known as Western Isles although it is almost always
   written as Western Isles (Eilean Siar). The islands were known as
   Suðreyjar ("Southern Islands"; cf. Suðrland) under Norwegian rule for
   about 200 years until sovereignty was transferred to Scotland in the
   Treaty of Perth in 1266, which followed the Battle of Largs three years
   earlier. Colloquially they are sometimes referred to collectively as An
   t-Eilean Fada or "The Long Island"; Na h-Eileanan a-Muigh (the Outer
   Isles) is also heard occasionally in Scottish Gaelic as is their proper
   Gaelic name Innse Gall.

Local government

   The Western Isles have been a unitary council area since 1975. In most
   of the rest of Scotland, however, similar unitary councils were not
   established until 1996. Since then the islands have formed one of the
   32 unitary council areas which now cover the whole of Scotland. The
   Western Isles council is officially known by its Gaelic name, Comhairle
   nan Eilean Siar, and known locally simply as 'the Comhairle' or 'a
   Chomhairle', having changed its name under the Local Government (Gaelic
   Names) (Scotland) Act 1997. The council has its base in Stornoway on
   Lewis.

   Lewis is in the north of the island group and forms part of the county
   of Ross-shire. The rest of the group, including Harris, is part of
   Inverness-shire. Between 1890 and 1975 administration was split, by the
   Lewis-Harris boundary, between the county councils of Ross and Cromarty
   (which covered Ross-shire and Cromartyshire) and Inverness-shire.

   The Western Isles is a member of the International Island Games
   Association.

Religion

   The Western Isles (particularly Lewis) have been described as the last
   bastion of fundamentalist Calvinism in Britain with large numbers of
   inhabitants belonging to the Free Church of Scotland or the still more
   conservative Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland. Services in the Free
   Church, the Free Presbyterian Church and some congregations of the
   Church of Scotland do not use instrumental music or any songs other
   than the metrical Psalms.

   It has also generally been considered unacceptable for people to appear
   in church improperly dressed, although this is slowly changing.
   Violations of this nature might include the failure by women to wear a
   hat, or trousers being worn instead of a skirt, or the wearing by
   worshippers of either sex of informal clothing such as jeans. The local
   council refused in December 2005 to conduct ceremonies for same-sex
   couples wishing to register under the Civil Partnerships Act 2004.

   In 2006 controversy arose over the decision of a local ferry company to
   sail to Harris on the Sabbath .

   The predominantly Roman Catholic islands of South Uist, Barra, and
   Benbecula are however less strict in their Sunday observance.

Islands

   The Hebrides (Outer Hebrides in brown)
   Enlarge
   The Hebrides (Outer Hebrides in brown)

   The main islands form an archipelago, which with their smaller
   surrounding islands are sometimes known poetically as the Long Isle.
   The major islands include Lewis and Harris, North Uist, Benbecula,
   South Uist and Barra.

Populated islands

   Island                        Population (2001 census)
   Lewis and Harris              19,918
   South Uist                    1,818
   North Uist                    1,271
   Benbecula                     1,219
   Barra                         1,078
   Scalpay                       322
   Great Bernera                 233
   Grimsay                       201
   Berneray, North Uist          136
   Eriskay                       133
   Vatersay                      94
   Baleshare                     49
   Grimsay, South East Benbecula 19
   Flodda, Benbecula             11

Unpopulated islands

   The unpopulated islands include:
     * Barra Isles, Boreray
     * Calvay, Campay
     * Eilean Chaluim Chille, Eilean Iubhard, Eilean Kearstay, Eileanan
       Iasgaich, Ensay
     * Fiaray, Floday, Flodday, Floddaybeg, Floddaymore, Fuday, Fuiay
     * Gighay, Gilsay, Groay
     * Hellisay, Hermetray
     * Killegray, Kirkibost
     * Lingay, Little Bernera
     * Mealasta Island, Mingulay
     * Opsay, Oronsay, Orosay
     * Pabbay near Harris, Pabbay Mór
     * Ronay
     * Seaforth Island, Scaravay, Scarp, Scotasay, Shiant Islands,
       Shillay, Soay Beag, Soay Mór, Stockinish Island, Stromay, Stuley,
       Sursay
     * Tahay, Taransay
     * Vacsay, Vallay, Vuia Beg, Vuia Mór
     * Wiay

   Small islands and island groups pepper the North Atlantic surrounding
   the main island group:

   To the west lie the Monach Islands, Flannan Isles, St Kilda and
   Rockall, in increasing order of distance. The status of Rockall as part
   of the United Kingdom remains a matter of international dispute.

   To the north lie North Rona and Sula Sgeir, two small and remote
   islands. Not often included as part of the Outer Hebrides, they
   nevertheless come under the administration of the Western Isles
   district.

The Hebrides under Norse control

   The Outer and Inner Hebrides came under Norse control and settlement
   before the 9th century AD. The Norse control of the Hebrides was
   formalized in 1098 when Edgar of Scotland formally signed the islands
   over to Magnus III of Norway. The Scottish acceptance of Magnus III as
   King of the Isles came after the Norwegian king had conquered the
   Orkney Islands, the Hebrides and the Isle of Man in a swift campaign
   earlier the same year, directed against the local Norwegian leaders of
   the various islands. By capturing the islands Magnus III subdued the
   Norsemen who had seized the islands centuries earlier and imposed a
   more direct royal control.

   The Norwegian control of both the Inner and Outer Hebrides would see
   almost constant warfare until being ultimately resolved by the
   partitioning of the Western Isles in 1156. The Outer Hebrides would
   remain under the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles while the Inner Hebrides
   broke out under Somerled, the Norse-Celtic kinsman of both Lulach and
   the Manx royal house. Although the Inner Hebrides, from 1156 known as
   the Kingdom of the Hebrides, was still nominally was under the
   sovereignty of Norway, the leaders were Scottish in language and
   culture rather than Norse.

   After his victory of 1156, Somerled went on two years later to seize
   control over the Isle of Man itself, and become the last King of the
   Isle of Man and the Isles to rule over all the islands the kingdom had
   once included. After Somerled's death in 1164 the rulers of Mann would
   only be in control of the Outer Hebrides.

   As a result of the 1266 Treaty of Perth the Outer Hebrides, along with
   the Isle of Man, were yielded to the Kingdom of Scotland.

Ferries

   Uig - Tarbert ferry
   Enlarge
   Uig - Tarbert ferry

   Scheduled Ferry services between the Outer Hebrides and the Scottish
   Mainland and Inner Hebrides operate on the following routes:
     * Oban to Castlebay on Barra and Lochboisdale on South Uist
     * Uig on Skye to Tarbert on Harris
     * Uig on Skye to Lochmaddy on North Uist
     * Ullapool to Stornoway on Lewis
     * Tiree to Castlebay, Barra (summer only)

   Other ferries operate between some of the islands.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outer_Hebrides"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
