The Inner Hebrides

The Inner Hebrides are a group of islands situated just off the West coast of Scotland (the Outer Hebrides being further North West). It is believed that the Hebrides were one of the first places in Great Britain to be settled with estimated being as far back as 8,500 BC. Although this is highly possible and indeed very likely as the climate was, at that time, very good for a wide variety of plant and animal life, the earliest evidence of prehistoric inhabitation (such as the standing stones at Calanais) point to around 3,000 BC. In 563 St Columba visited the Inner Hebrides and founded a monastery on the island of Iona which, for a long period of history, remained an incredibly important place to the Scottish kings and nobility (many Scottish kings are buried on Iona). Today the island remains popular with visitors wishing to visit the present monastery (below, right) and religious buildings.

The Isle of Skye and other islands of the Inner Hebrides are extremely popular tourist destinations. While many visitors are drawn to Skye because of the historic and romantic stories of Bonnie Prince Charlie more and more people are discovering the many other reasons why the Isle of Skye is truly superb for various types of vacation. Mountaineers and Munro Baggers love Skye because of it's wonderful Cuillins but the island is superb for a great many sports such as sailing and mountain biking.

Of all the islands of the Inner Hebrides most associated with the incredibly diverse flora and fauna is the Isle of Mull. Although whales are regularly spotted all around the Hebrides it is Mull which is most well known for whale spotting with several companies offering whale spotting trips. While you are visiting Iona, Mull or any of the other islands you should really consider a visit to the island of Staffa. It is on the island of Staffa that you will find one of the most awe inspiring, and most famous, natural sights in the Inner Hebrides, and possibly the whole of Scotland, Fingal's Cave.