There are many rare species of wildlife to be found from otters to golden eagles, to whales and basking sharks.

LEWIS is the largest of the islands and about half of the population live in the one and only town, Stornoway. The east coast is mainly sandy beaches and dunes while the Atlantic coast has a rigged form with many cliffs. With fishing and crofting being of importance on Lewis, hotels and restaurants make great use of local produce in their menus.

HARRIS is famous for its tweed cloth and is connected by land to Lewis so is not a true island in its own right. North Harris is fairly mountainous and sparsely populated and may become Scotland’s third national park. South Harris has many spectacular white sandy beaches with the beach at Scarista being a popular wind surfing venue.

NORTH UIST is a mainly flat island with many small lochs and white sandy beaches. There are many prehistoric structures including standing stones, cairns and stone circles.

BENBECULA is connected to North Uist by causeways and is again mainly flat with many lochs and much moorland.

SOUTH UIST is virtually one continuous beach on the west coast while the east coast is mountainous. It is the only place in Great Britain where prehistoric mummies have been found and there are many places or archaeological interest on the island. South Uist is connected to Benbecula and Eriskay by causeways.