The 2001 census statistics used are based on local authority areas but do not specifically identify Free Church or Episcopal adherents. They were pirates, extracting tribute from the coasts of Ireland and one of their kings was Indech mac Dé Domnand (i.e. People still living can recall being beaten for speaking Gaelic in school. The islands' total population was 26,502 at the 2001 census, and the 2011 figure was 27,684. [39][109], The work of the Napier Commission and the Congested Districts Board, and the passing of the Crofting Act of 1886 helped, but social unrest continued. Figure 1: Estimated Population in Outer Hebrides 2009-2019. The British government's strategy was to estrange the clan chiefs from their kinsmen and turn their descendants into English-speaking landlords whose main concern was the revenues their estates brought rather than the welfare of those who lived on them. & Ralston, Ian B.M. About the Outer Hebrides. [62][63] The Callanish Stones, dating from about 2900 BC, are the finest example of a stone circle in Scotland, the 13 primary monoliths of between one and five metres high creating a circle about 13 metres (43 ft) in diameter. [7] It incorporates Lewis in the north and Harris in the south, both of which are frequently referred to as individual islands, although they are connected by land. The best known find from this time is the Lewis chessmen, which date from the mid 12th century. [134], National Rail services are available for onward journeys, from stations at Oban and Mallaig, which has direct services to Glasgow. With 59.3% of Gaelic speakers or a total of 15,723 speakers, this made the Outer Hebrides the most strongly coherent Gaelic speaking area in Scotland. The remains of 350 men, women and children were buried in the dunes behind the beach and a small cairn and monument marks the site.[140]. [12][41][42] This means that all the inhabited islands are now connected to at least one other island by a land transport route. The sandstone at Broad Bay was once thought to be Torridonian or Old Red Sandstone. The "Mingulay Boat Song", although evocative of island life, was written after the abandonment of the island in 1938[47] and Taransay hosted the BBC television series Castaway 2000. [45] On Barra Head, for example, Historic Scotland have identified eighty-three archaeological sites on the island, the majority being of a pre-medieval date. [110] Nonetheless emigration and military service became the choice of many[111] and the archipelago's populations continued to dwindle throughout the late 19th and 20th centuries. "[60] There are gales one day in six at the Butt of Lewis and small fish are blown onto the grass on top of 190 metre (620 ft) high cliffs at Barra Head during winter storms. The history of the Outer Hebrides begins with the melting of the ice-sheets and the arrival of Mesolithic Man. [59] Winds are a key feature of the climate and even in summer there are almost constant breezes. The colonists tried again in 1605 with the same result but a third attempt in 1607 was more successful, and in due course Stornoway became a Burgh of Barony. The Hebrides are the most beautiful part of the British Isles. For the parliamentary constituencies, see, Murray (1973) notes that "Western Isles" has tended to mean "Outer Hebrides" since the creation of the. Eriskay is an island in the Outer Hebrides. [23][24] South Uist is considered the best place in the UK for the aquatic plant Slender Naiad, which is a European Protected Species. Figure 4: Age structure of the Outer Hebrides, 2009 and 2019. The northern island is Lewis and Harris.South of Lewis and Harris is a series of islands, such as South Uist, Benbecula and North Uist.The Outer Herides includes a number of even smaller islands. There are also small Episcopalian congregations in Lewis and Harris and the Outer Hebrides are part of the Diocese of Argyll and The Isles in both the Episcopalian and Catholic traditions. [147] Fèis Bharraigh began in 1981 with the aim of developing the practice and study of the Gaelic language, literature, music, drama and culture on the islands of Barra and Vatersay. The Outer Hebrides. The oldest links in the Outer Hebrides, it was designed by Old Tom Morris. The graph below illustrates the net migration and natural change estimated for the population between June 2009 and June 2019. [25][26], There has been considerable controversy over hedgehogs on the Uists. [103] For example, Colonel Gordon of Cluny, owner of Barra, South Uist and Benbecula, evicted thousands of islanders using trickery and cruelty and even offered to sell Barra to the government as a penal colony. [31], The bumblebee Bombus jonellus var. Cumulatively, the 15 inhabited islands that make up the Outer Hebrides have a total population … The largest island of the Outer Hebrides is Lewis and Harris, and the other large islands are North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist, and Barra.Several smaller islands surround the main islands, and about 40 miles (65 km) northwest of the main chain is the St. Kilda island group. So the next time you are up in the Outer Hebrides, please use our facts to impress and educate your fellow travellers! This celebrated, interconnected chain of Atlantic islands of the north west coast of Scotland caters for thrill seekers and chill seekers alike. Over the same period, Orkney saw an increase of 6.4%, Shetland an increase of 0.5%, while Scotland overall saw an increase of 4.4%. [74], Other early written references include the flight of the Nemed people from Ireland to Domon, which is mentioned in the 12th-century Lebor Gabála Érenn and a 13th-century poem concerning Raghnall mac Gofraidh, then the heir to the throne of Mann and the Isles, who is said to have "broken the gate of Magh Domhna". Outer Hebrides • Total population was 26,830 in 2018, a decrease of 3.1% from 2011. • Population density (9 people per sq. 2: The Outer Hebrides has sustainable economic growth and all our people have access to appropriate employment opportunities. [Note 5] This made the Western Isles the Scottish council area with the smallest percentage of non-religious in the population. The Western Isles, including Stornoway, are defined by Highlands and Islands Enterprise as an economically "Fragile Area" and they have an estimated trade deficit of some £163.4 million. Indech, son of the goddess Domnu, who ruled over the deep seas). [77], The individual island and place names in the Outer Hebrides have mixed Gaelic and Norse origins. 73 kilometres (45 mi) to the west of Lewis lies St Kilda, now uninhabited except for a small military base. The Western Isles is a member of the International Island Games Association. Over the last ten years (between 2009 and 2019) in the Outer Hebrides there has been a decrease of 700 persons (-2.6%). p. 17. [112] In July 1906 grazing land on Vatersay was raided by landless men from Barra and its isles. As figure 4 illustrates, the greatest decline by age group has occurred in the 30-44 year category (from representing 18.8% of the population …