A trips to the Outer Hebrides, Orkney & Shetland in Scotland offers the chance to enjoy an array of activities that make the most of stunning island coastlines and wildly beautiful interiors.
There is something wonderful about an island adventure, from the fun of the journey, across sea or by air, to the arrival and exploration of the get-away-from-it-all destination. An island also offers numerous, easily accessible possibilities for both coastal and inland activities.
Active things to do on the Outer Hebrides
The string of Outer Hebridean islands located in the North Atlantic, off Scotland’s north-west coast, are famed for their clear sea waters and spectacular sandy beaches, including Luskentyre and Huisinish on the isle of Harris and Vatersay beach on Barra. The airport on Barra uniquely boasts a beach as the runway, situated in the wide shallow bay of Traigh Mhòr.
One of the best ways to immerse yourself in the natural wonders of the Hebridean shoreline is by sea kayak. Whether you are a novice or an experienced paddler, there are many locations for enjoying this relaxing and peaceful pursuit. Paddlers will also relish the amazing opportunities for wildlife spotting, including the chance to see whales, dolphins and basking sharks.
You could take a kayak trip from Barra to the uninhabited island of Mingulay, where you may be lucky enough to hear the mystical sounds of seals singing. Other rewarding water-based sports to try in the Hebrides are snorkelling safaris and coasteering, both on the island of Barra.
The unique Atlantic weather system in this Scottish island archipelago creates hotspot destinations for outdoors pursuits that combine wind and waves, including surfing, windsurfing and kite-surfing. The western shores of Lewis, especially at Bragar, Eoropaidh and the secluded bay of Dail Beag, are popular with surfers.
Spectacular Uig Sands, on Lewis, is a spectacular place for kite surfing, as are the more sheltered waters around Vatersay Island. At low tide on the huge Harris beach of Scarista there is a lot of fun to be had in a windkart. This activity sees participants whizzing across the sand on a small yacht on wheels.
The Outer Hebrides also offer access by cruise boat or yacht to the isolated but stunningly located archipelago of St Kilda. Many people dream of making the journey to visit these unique National Trust owned-islands, which are famed for their cliffs and sea stacks. They form one of the most important seabird breeding stations in north-west Europe.
Inland in the Outer Hebrides there is a surprisingly varied landscape to explore. By road bike you could ride a total of 10 islands, linked to together by causeways and short ferry rides, on the new 185-mile waymarked Hebridean Way from Vatersay in the south to the Butt of Lewis. See: A guide to the Hebridean Way cycle route.
Lots to do on the Orkney islands
Further north, the myriad islands of Orkney provide a scenic playground for outdoors adventures. You could celebrate the 2017 Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology on Orkney Mainland with a kayak tour around the Churchill Barriers and several islands in the sheltered waters of Scapa Flow. The barriers were built in the 1940s as naval defences and now serve as island road links.
Divers flock to Scapa Flow to explore in one of the world’s best wreck diving spots. A 50-square mile lagoon hides sunken battleships, merchant trawlers and a fleet of German ships. Adventurers of all abilities will find companies in Orkney offering expert diving tuition or, fro the less experienced, snorkelling trips.
More of Orkney’s ancient heritage can be discovered by bicycle, pedalling between the fascinating archaeology sites at the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site. This incorporates the Ring of Brodgar stone circle, a chambered tomb at Maeshowe and the ancient settlement of Skara Brae.
Orkney is also popular among climbers, who come to tick off routes on coastal crags and cliffs, as well as the iconic 137m tall sea stack, the Old Man of Hoy.
Even more adventures on Shetland
Shetland is a haven for wildlife lovers, with sensational seabird colonies and amazing bird rarities. Fetlar, an island located to the east of the archipelago, is known as the Garden of Shetland thanks to a splendid array of some 300 species of flowering plant.
For spine-tingling memories, take an evening boat trip to the island of Mousa to see – and hear – storm petrels nesting in the world’s only complete broch.
Coasteering and kayaking are popular in many locations on the Shetland Isles, from sheltered bays to more rugged lengths of rocks and cliffs. The amazing geological landscape of these isles also provides plentiful places for rock climbing and abseiling, both at the shore and inland.
Once you have visited the islands of the Outer Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland you are sure to return time and again for more active fun.
Facts about the Outer Hebrides, Orkney & Shetland
- In the Uists, 17,000 pairs of wading birds come to breed every summer.
- More than 20 species of whales and dolphins, as well as basking sharks, have been recorded around the Hebrides.
- Formed 3000 million years ago, the Lewisian gneiss bedrock of the Outer Hebrides is the oldest rock type in Britain.
- Shetland is home to some 6000 special archaeological sites including the Old Scatness dig and Jarlshof.