The Western Isles are also known as the Hebrides and are made up of Lewis, Harris, Scalpay, Berneray, North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist, Barra, Eriskay, Vatersay, Taransay and St Kilda. 

They stretch 130 miles from the Butt of Lewis to Barra Head and each place is distinctive, with its' own tale to tell.

This is where Gaelic is the most strongly spoken and the Gaelic culture is alive and well. 

The area has been lived in for 6,000 years and is home to many ancient sites such as the Standing Stones of Callanish Standing Stones, which are actually older than those at Stonehenge. 

The island of Taransay is probably most recently known as the setting for Castaway, when a group of people sampled the harsh reality of remote island life during 2000. 

South Uist is the place for lovers of the Gaelic language and culture. And the nearby island of Eriskay is the place made famous by Compton Mackenzie in the book Whisky Galore. 

Like the other islands of Scotland the Western Isles are a haven for rare birds, wildlife and flowers.