Hebrides Guide

Mull, the largest, is dominated by the former volcano Ben More (900 m) and is crossed by very narrow roads, served by rest areas. Landing at Craignure, you can admire nearby Duart Castle (13th century), an ancient stronghold of the Mac Lean clan, perched on a rocky outcrop, and Torosay Castle, framed by a splendid garden. The island’s highlight is, however, Tobermory, the capital town, with its charming harbor, brightly colored houses, and a dense parade of sails and rigging. The coastal road reaches Fionnport, from where you can take a boat to Iona, dominated by the evocative abbey complex in austere gray stone, founded by St. Columbanus (563 AD).
A very important place for the spread of Christianity in Scotland, where clan chiefs and Scottish kings have also been buried. The Outer Hebrides are about 64 km from the coast and represent a microcosm with strong Celtic and Presbyterian customs: road signs are written in Gaelic as well as English; and on weekends, public establishments (restaurants, shops, gas stations…) observe absolute rest. Beaten by wind in all seasons, inhabited more by sheep than by people (famous tweed is still woven on wooden looms in many farms and private houses) and crossed by very narrow and winding roads, these islands reveal landscapes and environments with a rugged but seductive charm. Lewis is the largest and is connected to Harris by a land isthmus; then come North and South Uist, Benbecula, and the small Barra.
Absolutely not to be missed are the Callanish Standing Stones, on the northwest side of Lewis, an astonishing archaeological site with a circular layout, scattered with eerie ritual monoliths, some up to 3 meters high, erected between 300 and 1500 BC. And the Carloway Broch, a structure vaguely shaped like a nuraghe, dating back to the Iron Age.