The Hebrides, islands of character

The Celtic soul on the edge of the Atlantic

Stretching for 240 km along the border of north-western Europe, the Inner and Outer Hebrides rise up off the west coast of Scotland. These lands at the ends of the earth are rich with stories shrouded in mystery, shores buffeted by the ocean, and picturesque landscapes.

Through the mists of the Isle of Skye

The gateway to the Inner Hebrides, the Isle of Skye imposes its raw majesty. The largest island in the archipelago unfurls a grandiose fresco, where the sharp peaks of the Cuillin Hills cleave the changing skies, and haunting moors, shrouded in mist, undulate around the shores of secret lochs. A wonderfully poetic atmosphere, a true immersion in the wild heart of Scotland. 

In Portree, be captivated by its vivid palette of colourful facades, whose reflections dance on the calm waters of this small harbour full of character. It is the ideal starting point for exploring the legends of Skye, beginning with The Old Man of Storr, a 50-metre-high basalt sentinel guarding the Trotternish ridge. Then walk in the footsteps of the MacLeod clan, whose  rich and enduring story is inseparable from Dunvegan Castle.

The gentle silence of the Isle of Mull

Further south, in contrast to the epic grandeur of Skye, the unique tranquillity of Mull offers some of the archipelago’s most little-known landscapes. A land of contradictions dominated by the summit of Ben More, its coastline is home to some astonishing wildlife, including golden eagles who soar over the lochs, and otters that you might be lucky enough to spot playing along the shore.

In its capital, Tobermory, the legend of a Spanish galleon and its lost treasure lies dormant in the bay, in the shadow of its famous pastel-coloured waterfront. But Mull also offers the opportunity to set off for the island of Staffa. This cathedral of basalt is home to Fingal’s cave, whose spectacular acoustics inspired Mendelssohn to write his overture, The Hebrides. As you observe the roaring backwash that powers this organ of stone, you will be able to touch – and hear – the genesis of this work.

Iona, the cradle of Christianity

Imagine a tiny sliver of earth becoming the spiritual heart of an entire nation. It was in Iona that the missionary Colomba landed from Ireland in the sixth century to found the monastery that was to change Scottish history. Today, the abbey, built on these same foundations, perpetuates their silent majesty.

And it was because the island had become a spiritual beacon that it was chosen by kings… Walk this sacred land, the necropolis of the ancient lords of Scotland – the legendary Macbeth is said to be buried here. Tall Celtic crosses, like lacework in stone, watch over their past glories. And despite the iron and fire of the Viking raids, the island has retained its peaceful atmosphere.

An absolute masterpiece of medieval Christian art, the Book of Kells is one of the most beautiful manuscripts in the world. Its origins are closely linked to the tranquillity of Iona. It was here, around 800 AD, that monks began to create this treasure trove of illuminations. Threatened by Viking raids, they fled to Ireland, taking with them the unfinished work that would eventually find its final resting place in the monastery of Kells in Ireland.

Birdwatching on the Lunga volcano

A ‘green jewel in a peacock sea’, Lunga is the largest of the Treshnish Isles. Its basalt cliffs surround a moorland plateau on which you can still make out the remains of blackhouses, poignant reminders of a bygone era. Now uninhabited by humans, the island has become a favourite breeding site for thousands of seabirds. 

The puffins, masters of this place, seem to show no fear, observing visitors with curiosity, their multicoloured beaks shining in the sun. All around you, guillemots, razorbills and fulmars perch on the rocky ledges, while lower down, colonies of seals bask on the rocks.

A stroll through Canna, the ‘Garden of the Hebrides’

A nickname that owes nothing to chance… On Canna, the same basalt that carves out the steep cliffs elsewhere has been patiently transformed here into exceptionally fertile soil. The isle’s unique lushness made it the former ‘granary’ of the Hebrides. Today, it is a haven of greenery planted with rare trees.

Exploring the island will take you to the summit of Càrn a’Ghaill, from where the 360° panorama is breathtaking. But Canna has something even more unusual in store: Compass Hill. This volcanic promontory has such a high iron content that ships’ compasses go wild, literally losing their bearings. A fascinating geological curiosity to discover.

The mystery of the Calanais standing stones

Change of scale, change of atmosphere. Welcome to Lewis and Harris, Scotland’s largest island and gateway to the Outer Hebrides. It is a land with two faces: to the north, Lewis reveals its lunar-like landscapes – immense peat moors battered by the winds. While to the south, Harris responds with its rugged mountains and lagoon-blue beaches. 

It’s here that one of Europe’s greatest mysteries is found: the Calanais (or Callanish) Standing Stones Thirteen monoliths of gneiss rock erected in the shape of a Celtic cross almost 5,000 years ago. Is it a lunar observatory? A religious sanctuary? The secret remains. At sunset, when their shadows extend across the moor, these stone giants seem to come to life, watching over the island for all eternity.

Harris Tweed is more than a fabric – it is the soul of the isle in woven form. It is the only textile in the world to be protected by an Act of Parliament, which guarantees that every metre is spun, dyed and woven by hand by craftspeople living in the Outer Hebrides.

The magic of its colours comes from a wool that is dyed before it is spun and captures all the shades of the landscape: the purple of the heather, the grey of the rocks, the blue-green of the lochs. This unique expertise is authenticated by its certification mark, the Orb surmounted by the Maltese cross.

Hirta, the isle of the bird people

The outermost archipelago of the Hebrides, bordering the Atlantic ocean, is St Kilda, a place of poignant beauty. On Hirta, its main island, you are walking in the footsteps of a vanished community. In 1930, at their own request, the last remaining inhabitants were evacuated, as their ancestral way of life, based on hunting seabirds, was no longer tenable in the face of isolation.

The abandoned village and its ruins create an arresting atmosphere. The landscape is dotted with enigmatic cleitean: stone food stores built by the ‘bird people’ to preserve their precious harvest. Today, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is the kingdom of the gannets, whose colonies cover the cliffs in a white mantle. A poignant encounter between human history and the power of nature.

The shadows across the moors, the waves crashing against the cliffs, the stinging rain… To soak up the soul of the Hebrides, immerse yourself in Peter May’s Lewis Trilogy. The author spent five years on the Isle of Lewis, making this unforgiving natural environment the central character of his detective novels.

Photos credits: ©iStock / ©StudioPONANT/Laurence Fischer/Joanna Marchi/Emmy Apoux/Morgane Monneret/Soa Lesport/Margot Sib/Ophélie Bleunven

Explore the wild nature of the Hebrides