Just Back: Scotland’s Outer Hebrides
National Geographic Traveler Executive Editor Norie Quintos just got back from cycling the length of Scotland’s Outer Hebrides islands over four days on a small-group bicycle tour—and posting photos to Instagram along the way.
Here are some of the highlights from her trip:
Only a ferry ride away from the mainland, this archipelago feels far removed in time and temperament, with few tourists to mar one’s Outlander fantasies.
The Western Isles, as they’re called, lie on Europe’s edge, linked to North America geologically and to the Irish Gaels culturally.
Dotting the coast are glistening beaches, imposing headlands, and Neolithic sites that include the Calanais standing stones, older than Stonehenge.
I slept in quirky inns such as the Isle of Barra Beach Hotel, the supposed first refuge of the deposed shah of Iran in 1979, and visited shops where designers put mod spins on Harris tweed.
Aye, and I found enough clan castles, Iron Age brooch ruins, peat moors, and mach air grasslands to fill a romance novel.
Norie Quintos is the executive editor of National Geographic Traveler magazine. Follow her on Instagram @noriecicerone.
Reader question: Have you ever visited the Outer Hebrides? What was your favorite experience there?
Related Topics
You May Also Like
Go Further
Animals
- Behind the scenes at America’s biggest birding festivalBehind the scenes at America’s biggest birding festival
- How scientists are piecing together a sperm whale ‘alphabet’How scientists are piecing together a sperm whale ‘alphabet’
- Orangutan seen using plants to heal wound for first timeOrangutan seen using plants to heal wound for first time
- What La Palma's 'lava tubes' tell us about life on other planetsWhat La Palma's 'lava tubes' tell us about life on other planets
Environment
- The northernmost flower living at the top of the worldThe northernmost flower living at the top of the world
- This beautiful floating flower is wreaking havoc on NigeriaThis beautiful floating flower is wreaking havoc on Nigeria
- What the Aral Sea might teach us about life after disasterWhat the Aral Sea might teach us about life after disaster
- What La Palma's 'lava tubes' tell us about life on other planetsWhat La Palma's 'lava tubes' tell us about life on other planets
- How fungi form ‘fairy rings’ and inspire superstitionsHow fungi form ‘fairy rings’ and inspire superstitions
History & Culture
- This thriving society vanished into thin air. What happened?This thriving society vanished into thin air. What happened?
- These were the real rules of courtship in the ‘Bridgerton’ eraThese were the real rules of courtship in the ‘Bridgerton’ era
Science
- Is the 5-second rule true? Science finally has an answer.
- Science
- Gory Details
Is the 5-second rule true? Science finally has an answer. - E-bikes are good for the environment—but what about your health?E-bikes are good for the environment—but what about your health?
- Why trigger points cause so much pain—and how you can relieve itWhy trigger points cause so much pain—and how you can relieve it
Travel
- The best LGBTQ-friendly destinations for every travelerThe best LGBTQ-friendly destinations for every traveler
- 6 of the best active pursuits on Cape Cod and the Islands
- Paid Content
6 of the best active pursuits on Cape Cod and the Islands - The key to better mindfulness may be your public gardenThe key to better mindfulness may be your public garden