Scotland

Now I know I have written a few articles here about the Outer Hebrides and I have a category of the same name but should I have named the islands the Western Isles or ‘na h-Eileanan Siar’? For some time now visitors to the islands (which are found off the west coast of Scotland a little further out than the Isle of Skye) have faced the confusion caused by them having two names. Yes these islands are known as both the Outer Hebrides and the Western Isles. While most know them as the former it is actually the later that is the correct postal address for mail. However, following a recent, and extremely expensive, study commissioned by the Western Isles Council it was decided that, from now on, they will concentrate on using the term ‘Outer Hebrides’ rather than the ‘Western Isles’. Unfortunately there is still major confusion with even the local TV weather broadcasts using one term one day then the other the next, even by the same weatherman!

What are we to do? As a writer who regularly writes about this beautiful part of the world am I to write one article about the Outer Hebrides then write another just substituting every mention of the place with Western Isles? I already own a number of sites dedicated to reporting about the Outer Hebrides but do I also need to build similar sites about the Western Isles of Scotland? Because the search engines are software driven how are they to know that the two names refer to the same place? I suppose they can figure a close association between the two but do they actually know it to be the same place – somehow I think not.

Even though it must be a couple of years since the Council decided to stop using the term Western Isles it remains in widespread use. I suppose it would be too greater job and a ridiculous waste of cash to rename all of the government bodies and quangos to match or would it? After spending a ridiculously large amount of money on carrying out a survey on the very question (said to be at least a few hundred thousand UK pounds) the local council has failed to take any of the results into consideration – other than an obligatory nod to them.

I suppose that the status quo will remain while the British post office continues to use Western Isles as the correct postal address the confusion will remain. However why have the council failed to even discuss this problem in the last few years? Even Visit Scotland and the Tourist Council recognised the need to use the word Hebrides in any official publication or web sites at a very early stage. Even more strange when you consider how often these official bodies fail to get it right.

So what are we to do? Should I search for Western Isles accommodation, Hebrides accommodation or Outer Hebrides accommodation when looking for a place to stay?

Confusing to say the least!

A rather short post for me this one but I dare not say any more as I am likely to get pretty angry and say something I may later regret :-O