The Isle of Staffa which name comes from Old Norse and means Pillar Island can be found six miles west of Mull. It's the vikings who gave the island it's name after seeing the many basalt columns. It was, however, Sir Joseph Banks in the late 18th century who named Staffa's main sea cavern "Fingal's Cave" from the Gaelic name "An Uamh Bhin" which means "the melodious cave". … [Read more...] about Fingals Cave
Southern Hebrides Blog
Alive New Skipinnish Song and Video
Music plays an important part in west of Scotland and the Southern Hebridean islands are home to some very famous bands. Take for instance Runrig, from the Isle of Skye, and closer to home bands like Skerryvore and Skipinnish, both from Tiree. Most folk with an interest in Scottish music know these bands and if you don't it's time to get to know them better. These three bands … [Read more...] about Alive New Skipinnish Song and Video
Amazing Oronsay Priory
I love it when a plan comes together, especially when previous attempts failed. As residents on Islay we should, in theory, get regular opportunities to visit our neighbouring Isle of Colonsay. However, it's not always easy to do this as the weather has to cooperate and the ferries too. Things get more complicated when Oronsay is involved as the tides have to be out on the … [Read more...] about Amazing Oronsay Priory
Views over the Southern Hebrides from other Islands
As most islands in the Southern Hebrides have hills it will be relatively simple to get good views of the neighbouring islands. But which hill should you climb to see the most islands of the Southern Hebrides? It would be somewhere in the centre and it has to be high so automatically I would assume that one of the Paps of Jura would qualify for the best all around views of the … [Read more...] about Views over the Southern Hebrides from other Islands
A new Southern Hebrides Website and Blog
When I started this website in 2009 the digital world looked somewhat different than today. The iPad had yet to be introduced and the use of smartphones was at the start of a success story. Now, only five years later, the way we look at websites and use mobile devices has changed dramatically. This means that this website needs to become more flexible and present itself in the … [Read more...] about A new Southern Hebrides Website and Blog