I live in the Outer Hebrides AMA

[WeeFreeWhiskyGalore]

We chain up the play park swings on a Sunday

No Waitrose/Asda/Amazon Prime/deliveroo

On a clear day you can see Canada (if you squint...)

A four bedroom house sells for £130k

No one locks their doors

There's definitely no heatwave here

Disappointed to hear about the ratio if men to women, as I'm very much woman's woman and would be needing to make all new friends. Prob sexist, sorry.

Can you grow much fruit and veg in your gardens there? Or does the climate not really allow for it? Do people from the mainland who move to the islands tend to stay, or move back after a few years? Are the midges as bad on the islands as on the mainland? Do you have a proper supermarket or just smaller shops? Is there a decent Indian takeaway?

Does everyone own wellies?

Is there much poverty? Do people have far to travel to the job centre? What if someone runs out of money, has no phone and is too far from anyone else?

Do most dcs learn a musical instrument?

Are there many sports teams?

Lots of veg is grown here. Most areas have an agricultural show in the summer and you compete with your neighbours to have the best fruit, veg, flowers etc. If you want to grow tender things like tomatoes or cucumbers you need a greenhouse or a polycrub. Polytunnels quite often get blown away so polycrubs are becoming more popular.

Two proper (albeit slightly smaller than typical mainland ones) supermarkets in Stornoway (main town on Lewis) but not so much the further south you go.

Midgies are pretty fierce although not so much the last couple of years so perhaps that's changing.

Indian takeaway in Stornoway and a really good Thai restaurant and a very decent Vietnamese mobile food stall. Also some Chinese restaurants, Italian as well as high end Scottish. Again the further south you go the fewer restaurants there are although there are some absolutely amazing places in Harris. The Scalpay Bistro is phenomenal. The local produce is spectacular. Uig Lodge smoked salmon, Stornoway black pudding, the Uists have a couple of excellent smokeries too. Smoked scallops are wonderful.

So enjoying this thread. Thank you!

Everyone has wellies. Or wet feet.

Lots of music here. Lots of songwriters too. There's a fantastic music festival in July in Stornoway (Hebridean Celtic Festival) and another in Barra (Barrafest). There are summer music schools (called Feis) in most areas. The kids go to play instruments and do Gaelic drama etc. Cuts in school budgets mean there is less music instruction now which is a worry.

Poverty.

I don't know the statistics exactly but I think unemployment is slightly lower than the mainland but wages are definitely lower here too. People tend to have a patchwork of jobs. A fair bit will be without the knowledge of the tax man I suspect. It's all hard graft sort of jobs - fishing, crofting, weaving. People who are earning big money will be offshore in oil or wind or they'll be away at sea with the merchant navy. Loads of guys I was at school with went off to do that. The NHS and the Council are the main source of employment for most people I think.

weefreewhiskygalore ive just passed my test and ive always wanted to go to the outer hebrides, are there any dog friendly places to stay with said dog and a 3yo that loves beaches? Coming from just outside stirling and i envisiage gorgeous scenery from leaving the ochil hills to the hebrides being bonnie scotland after all

Loads but places get booked up well in advance. Try Port of Ness on Lewis. I know someone who stayed there recently with a dog and kids.

Thank you very much. It wouldnt be til next summer as i want to be confident in my car before a long drive. I will have a look :)

My old neighbours in Glasgow were from Lewis, you probably know them!They were 'wee free' and she used to make the Sunday dinner and wash the stairs on a Saturday night because it's wasn't the done thing on the Sabbath. They were Gaelic speakers and we'd have a laugh with them and ask them 'What's the Gaelic for post office or Caledonian McBrayne?'

What's the English for

Cricket
Fillet
Jodhpurs
Ketchup
Ballet
Rucksack
Glitch
Patio
Chocolate
Moped
Banjo
Safari
Bicker
None of which are English

Or indeed

Ben
Galore
Slogan
Trousers
Whisky
Shindig

All of which are Gaelic

Is stornoway the most busy island then? As in more like the mainland?

Stornoway isn't an island, it's the county town (and only town if it comes to that!). It's on Lewis.

Suggests that the local government authorities pay MUCH too much heed to the church
This is entirely true. But only wrt the protestant sects. I'm RC and live in a Catholic area but still can't buy alcohol on the days when the Church of Scotland has communion (only twice a year or so though) because the local licensing laws forbid it.

I don't think Stornoway is like the mainland. It's easier to get shopping than the rest of the Hebrides but it's a very small town by mainland standards. I think there's probably more going on in terms of restaurants, sports, arts and culture than other towns of its size simply because of the location but really it's pretty titchy. Doesn't stop the inhabitants being very proud of it though . Stornowegians are horrified by the rest of the Isle of Lewis. There's a general belief that nothing good will come of going to Lochs/the Westside/Ness/Uig etc. As far as Harris and the rest of the chain of islands...! There be dragons!