The Outer Hebrides is a chain of more than 100 islands and small skerries located about west of mainland Scotland. There are 15 inhabited islands in this archipelago, which is also known as the Western Isles and archaically as the Long Isle ().
Lewis and Harris is the largest island in Scotland and the third largest in the British Isles, after Great Britain and Ireland.Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 262. It incorporates Lewis in the north and Harris in the south, both of which are frequently referred to as individual islands, although they are joined by a land border. The largest settlement in Lewis and in the Outer Hebrides is Stornoway.
To the south across the Sound of Harris lie the Uists and Benbecula, which were joined by a series of causeways constructed between 1940 and 1960 to improve transport links."Fleet Histories" Caledonian MacBrayne. Retrieved 3 August 2009. Further south are Barra and the smaller Barra Isles, whose southernmost extremity is Barra Head. There are other outliers with cultural links to the Outer Hebrides that are not part of the archipelago itself. These include the St Kilda group, which are quite distinct geologically and no longer inhabited,Haswell-Smith (2004) pp. 313–331 lists these islands in "Section 9: The Atlantic Outliers". Sula Sgeir and North Rona to the north and isolated Rockall, which is to the west of North Uist.
The islands of Scotland's west coast are known collectively as the Hebrides and the Outer Hebrides are separated from the Inner Hebrides by The Minch to the north and the Sea of the Hebrides to the south. The Outer Hebrides are administered by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and had a population of 26,140 in 2022. The Outer Hebrides have historically been a strong Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) speaking area. Despite recent declines, in the 2001 census more than 50% of the resident population in each island was able to speak Gaelic, for an overall total of 15,842 speakers throughout the archipelago.Mac an Tàilleir, Iain 1901–2001 Gaelic in the Census, PowerPoint Presentation made available via . Retrieved 1 June 2008. The modern economy centres on tourism, crofting, fishing, and weaving, the latter of which includes the manufacture of Harris tweed. The archipelago is exposed to wind and tide, and there are numerous lighthouses as an aid to navigation."Lighthouse Library" Northern Lighthouse Board. Retrieved 14 July 2007.
The definition of an island used in this list is that it is "land that is surrounded by seawater on a daily basis, but not necessarily at all stages of the tide, excluding human devices such as bridges and causeways".
Inhabited islands
The inhabited islands of the Outer Hebrides had a total population of 26,502 in 2001,General Register Office for Scotland (2003). 27,684 at the time of the 2011 census and was 26,140 in 2022.“Local Authority: Na h-Eileanan Siar”. Scotland’s Census. Scottish Government. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
The highest peaks of the islands have names deriving from both Gaelic and Old Norse indicating the historical importance of these two cultures. The archeological record for the period of Viking domination during the Early Historic period is however very limited, the Lewis chessmen being an exception.
In addition to the North Ford (Oitir Mhòr) and South Ford causeways that connect North and South Uist, Benbecula and the northern of the two Grimsays in the southern part of the island chain, several other islands are now connected by causeways and bridges. Great Bernera and Scalpay have bridge connections to Lewis and Harris respectively, Baleshare and Berneray are linked to North Uist, Eriskay to South Uist, Flodaigh, Seana Bhaile and the southern Grimsay to Benbecula, and Vatersay is connected to Barra by the Vatersay Causeway.Haswell-Smith (2004) pp. 205–253."Get-a-map" . Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 1–15 August 2009. This means that all of the inhabited islands are now connected to at least one other island by a land transport route.
+Inhabited islands of the Outer Hebrides Island Gaelic name Group Area (ha)Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 206 save those indicated with a separate footnote. Population Highest pointHaswell-Smith (2004) and Ordnance Survey maps. Blanks indicate that no name is recorded for this eminence. Height (m) Baleshare Am Baile Sear Uists and Benbecula Barra Barraigh Barra Heaval Benbecula Beinn nam Fadhla Uists and Benbecula Ruaval Berneray Beàrnaraigh Uists and Benbecula Beinn Shleibhe Boreray Boraraigh Uists and Benbecula Mullach Mòr Eilean a' Ghiorr Eilean a' Ghiorr Uists and Benbecula "Eilean a' Ghiorr". Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 1 July 2025. Eilean Leathann Eilean Leathann Uists and Benbecula "Eilean Leathann" . Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 2 July 2025. Eriskay Èirisgeigh Uists and Benbecula Ben Scrien Flodaigh Flodaigh Uists and Benbecula Great Bernera Beàrnaraigh Mòr Lewis (Loch Ròg) Grimsay (North) Griomasaigh Uists and Benbecula Grimsay (South) Griomasaigh Uists and Benbecula Killegray Ceileagraigh Sound of Harris Lewis and Harris Leòdhas agus na HearadhLewis and Harris Clisham North Uist Uibhist a Tuath Uists and Benbecula Eaval Scalpay Sgalpaigh na Hearadh Harris Beinn Scorabhaig Seana Bhaile Seana Bhaile Uists and Benbecula "Rick Livingstone's Tables of the Islands of Scotland" (pdf) Argyll Yacht Charters. Retrieved 12 December 2011. Cnoc Mòr South Uist Uibhist a Deas Uists and Benbecula Beinn Mhòr Vatersay Bhatarsaigh Barra Theiseabhal Mòr
Ensay, Kisimul Castle and Eilean na Cille are "included in the NRS statistical geography for inhabited islands but had no usual residents at the time of either the 2001 or 2011 censuses".
Uninhabited islands
This is a list of islands with an area greater than 25 hectares (approximately 37 acres). Records for the last date of settlement for the smaller uninhabited islands are incomplete, but most of the islands listed here would have been inhabited at some point during the Neolithic, Iron Age, Early Historic or Norse periods.
In common with the other main island chains of Scotland many of the more remote islands were abandoned during the 19th and 20th centuries, in some cases after continuous habitation since the prehistoric period. This process involved a transition from these places being perceived as relatively self-sufficient agricultural economiesSee for example Hunter (2000) pp. 152–158. to a view becoming held by both island residents and outsiders alike that the more remote islands lacked the essential services of a modern industrial economy.See for example Maclean (1977) Chapter 10: "Arcady Despoiled" pp. 125–35.
Some of the islands continue to contribute to modern culture. The "Mingulay Boat Song", although evocative of island life, was written after the abandonment of the island in 1938"Mingulay Boat Song" Cantaria. Retrieved 26 December 2006. and Taransay hosted the BBC television series ‘’Castaway 2000’’. Others have played a part in Scottish history. On 4 May 1746, Bonnie Prince Charlie hid on Eilean Liubhaird with some of his men for four days whilst Royal Navy vessels patrolled the Minch. They camped under a sail stretched over a "low pitiful hut" while it rained torrentially.Haswell-Smith (2004) pp. 282–83.
The difficulties of definition are considerable in some cases. For example, Haswell-Smith (2004) treats Eileanan Iasgaich as a single island of 50 ha, although during high tides it becomes several tidal islets—none of which is ever connected to the "mainland" of South Uist. Despite its name Eilean an Taighe (English: "house island") in the Shiant Islands does not qualify for inclusion as it is connected to Garbh Eilean by a natural isthmus.
+Uninhabited islands of the Outer Herbides Island Gaelic name Group Area (ha)Haswell-Smith (2004) and Ordnance Survey maps for islands <40 ha (100 acres) unless otherwise stated. Last inhabited Highest point Height (m) Barra Head or Berneray Beàrnaraigh Cheann Bharraigh Barra Isles 1980 Sotan Calbhaigh CalbhaighSouth Uist Unknown Ceabhaigh Ceabhaigh Lewis (Loch Ròg) 25 Ceallasaigh Beag Ceallasaigh Beag Loch Maddy Ceallasaigh Mòr Ceallasaigh Mòr Loch Maddy Ceann Ear An Ceann EarMonach Islands 1931–33 Ceann Iar An Ceann IarMonach Islands 1931–33 Cnoc Bharr Eilean Chaluim Chille Eilean Chaluim Chille Lewis (Loch Erisort) Creag Mhor Eilean Chearstaidh Eilean Chearstaigh Lewis (Loch Ròg) Eileanan Iasgaich Eileanan Iasgaich South Uist Eilean Liubhaird Eilean Liubhaird Lewis (Loch Sealg) Eilean Mhealasta Eilean Mhealasta Lewis (Park) 1823 Cnoc Àrd Eilean Mhuire Eilean Mhuire Shiant Islands 30 Ensay Easaigh Sound of Harris 1971 Fiaraidh Fiaraigh Sound of Barra Flodaigh Flodaigh Lewis (Loch Ròg) 391827 Flodaigh Mòr Flodaigh Mòr North Uist Flodday Flodaigh Barra Isles Flodday Flodaigh Sound of Barra 1851 Fodragaigh Fodragaigh Benbecula Unknown Fuaigh Beag Fuaigh Beag Lewis (Loch Ròg) 351827 Fuaigh Mòr Fuaigh Mòr Lewis (Loch Ròg) 1840s Mullach na Beinne Fuday Fuideigh Sound of Barra 1901 Mullach Neacail Fuiay Fuidheigh Sound of Barra Garbh Eilean Garbh Eilean Shiant Islands 1901 Mullach Buidhe Gighay Gioghaigh Sound of Barra Mullach a' Chàrnain Groaigh GroaighSound of Harris Unknown Hellisay TheiliseighSound of Barra 1890 Beinn a' Chàrnain Hermetray Theàrnatraigh Sound of Harris 1840s Compass Knoll Kirkibost Eilean Chirceboist North Uist Lingeigh Lingeigh Barra Isles Little Bernera Beàrnaraigh Beag Lewis (Loch Ròg) 1861 Tordal Mingulay Miùghalaigh Barra Isles 1912 Càrnan Muldoanich Maol Dòmhnaich Barra Isles Maol Dòmhnaich Orosay Orasaigh Sound of Barra c. 30 Oronsay Orasaigh North Uist Pabbay Pabaigh Barra Isles 1911–20 An Tobha Pabbay Pabaigh Harris 1970s Beinn a' Chàrnain Pabaigh Mòr Pabaigh Mòr Lewis (Loch Ròg) 1827 Beinn Mhòr Ronay Rònaigh North Uist 1920s Beinn á Charnain Sandray Sanndraigh Barra Isles 1934 Carn Ghaltair Scarp An SgarpHarris 1971 Sròn Romul Seaforth Island Eilean Shìophoirt Lewis (Loch Seaforth) Sgeotasaigh Sgeotasaigh Harris (East Loch Tarbert) 1921 Sibhinis Sibhinis Monach Islands Shillay Siolaigh North Uist Soay Mor Sòdhaigh Mòr Harris 1890s Stromay Stròmaigh Sound of Harris Stockinish Island Eilean Stocainis Harris Stuley Stulaigh South Uist Sursaigh SursaighSound of Harris Unknown Tahay Taghaigh Sound of Harris 1850s Taransay TarasaighHarris 1974 Ben Raah Trialabreac Trialabreac Benbecula Unknown Torogaigh TorogaighSound of Harris Unknown Vacsay Bhacasaigh Lewis (Loch Ròg) 1869 Vallay BhàlaighNorth Uist Ceann Uachdarach Wiay Fuidheigh Benbecula 1901 Beinn a' Tuath
The Eileanan Chearabhaigh are a complex group of islets off the east coast of Benbecula, the area of which changes as the tides rise and fall. The total area is circa 49 hectares and largest part that might be considered to be a genuine island is circa 32 hectares.Estimate from Ordnance Survey Maps.
Smaller islets and skerries
Smaller islands, tidal islets only separated at higher stages of the tide, and skerries that are only exposed at lower stages of the tide pepper the North Atlantic surrounding the main islands. This is a continuing list of these smaller Outer Hebridean islands.
Many of them are obscure and few have ever been inhabited. Nonetheless, some have a significant degree of notability. The islet on which Kisimul Castle stands is the ancient seat of Clan MacNeil and Shillay in the Monach Isles had a staffed lighthouse until 1942. The tiny Beasts of Holm of the east coast of Lewis were the site of the sinking of the Iolaire during the first few hours of 1919, one of the worst maritime disasters in United Kingdom waters during the 20th century. Calvay in the Sound of Barra provided the inspiration for Compton MacKenzie's 1947 novel Whiskey Galore after the ran aground there with a cargo of whisky. Unusually for an island without permanent inhabitation, Eilean na Cille () is connected to Grimsay (south) by a causeway.