Scotland

Holidays in The Outer Hebrides are really something to remember. Rarely, if ever, these days are you likely to find such a pleasant place where your children can play freely while unattended. In today’s, often hostile, environment it is indeed rare to meet one nice person after the other but in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland you will find that the vast majority of folk are the type of people that would be a ‘Good Samaritan’, the type of person who would stop to help if your groceries fell to the floor (rather than walk on by like so many do now).

I used the religious analogy for the simple reason that everybody can relate to this Bible story and the fact that the Church (and faith) in the Hebrides is still the most important thing in most people’s lives. How often do we see a Christian on a television series that is kind hearted, polite and has other such qualities but then is portrayed as something of a lunatic? Too often really and it must really upset those that live by the Bible. When you visit the Outer Hebrides of Scotland for a holiday (or vacation) if you stay on the Isle of Lewis or the Isle of Harris (and any of the nearby small islands) you will very quickly discover that in this part of the world many of the shops and businesses remain closed on a Sunday. Although this has relaxed a little on Lewis & Harris in recent years, it still manages to catch a few visitors out. If you are planning a holiday in the Outer Hebrides always keep this in mind and make sure that you purchase any provisions you will need on the Saturday.

I find that I have always enjoyed the Sundays. Even when I lived on the Isle of Scalpay, a small island just off the Isle of Harris, where you could hear a pin drop on the Sunday, I thoroughly enjoyed the peace and quiet. Although Scalpay is now connected to Harris via a single track bridge, when myself and my family lived there you needed to catch a ferry to get across. On the Sunday (known as the Sabbath) there was no ferry so you knew that you were not going to be getting any visitors. Surprisingly this was a real bonus and it meant that there would also be no visitors racing around the island. Although there are now ferries running on a Sunday it is important to note that the main ferry to Harris does not. So, if you are planning a holiday to Harris you should always remember that you will, more than likely, have to travel home on Saturday or Monday.

Over the years many folk have campaigned to have Sunday ferries but, until very recently, it could safely be argued that the vast majority of islanders were against Sunday sailings. In the 1980’s the CalMac ferry company attempted to run a ferry on the Sabbath and the local fishermen blockaded Tarbert (where it docks). It was such a powerful event that it made the main BBC news across the whole of the United Kingdom. Unfortunately, because the item was limited, it was impossible to give a fair view of the reasons why there was such uproar and the general impression given was one which could be compared to my point at the beginning of this article, let’s just say it appeared a little strange to the average person in the South of England. More recently there have been objections and small demonstrations against Sunday sailing (and flights to/from Stornoway on Lewis) but nothing like the past and the ferry at Leverburgh on South Harris usually sails without incident.

Now the Hebrides are known for a great many things and taking holidays in the Outer Hebrides is becoming increasingly popular. Each year more and more people choose to holiday in the Outer Hebrides/Western Isles than the previous year. Maybe some day there will be frequent sailings and flights on a Sunday and this will further boost tourism to the islands but until then the Sunday Sabbath of the Hebrides will remain a day for rest and contemplation. If you do not indulge in such religious matters you can simply head off to one of the many wonderful beaches on the west coast or visit one of the many historical sites such as the standing stones at Calanais or Dùn Chàrlabhaigh Broch. Whatever you decide to do I am sure that you will discover that holidays in the Outer Hebrides are wonderful, especially on Sundays.