Isle Of Lewis

The beautiful Outer Hebrides – once a byword for remoteness – are more accessible than ever before

- Natasha Foges

The Outer Hebrides may be a far-flung speck on the map, but with new flights from London via Glasgow, this magical place of wild landscapes, ancient ruins and Gaelic culture is suddenly within much easier reach.

An otherworldly archipelago of over 100 islands off Scotland’s northwest coast, the Outer Hebrides consist of around a dozen inhabited islands, of which Lewis is the northernmost. The island offers wonderful contrasts: while the east coast is all rugged cliffs and small coves, the west is lined with vast powdery beaches lapped by crystal-clear water and fringed by verdant machair (grassland) carpeted with wildflowers.

The interior sees a diverse landscape of freshwater lochs, dramatic moorland and lunar-like panoramas. The terrain attracts an incredible array of birdlife, from golden eagles to migrant species such as whooper swan and golden eye duck.

Flights touch down in Stornoway, a little town of neat terraces and the recently restored, Victorian-era Lews Castle. Prize exhibit at the castle’s Museum nan Eilean (Museum of the Islands) is six of the world famous Lewis Chessmen, recently returned to the island of their discovery, on long-term loan from the British Museum. Unearthed in a sand dune in Uig Bay in the 19th century, the Chessmen are thought to date back 900 years. Sculpted from walrus ivory and whales’ teeth, they are famous for their characterful, comic facial expressions.