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Scottish Hebrides

Sailing and enjoying wild coasts and old villages

When we talk about sailing on the Scottish waters at Sailing Ships, we mean primarily the waters around Hebrides. A number of ships sail wonderful trips in these waters. The Hebrides form a vast group of islands off the west coast of Scotland with a total area of ​​7285 km². The group consists of approximately 500 islands of which approximately 100 are inhabited. The largest islands are Lewis and Skye. Until 1266 the archipelago was part of the Norwegian kingdom, but after the end of the Scottish-Norwegian War, under the Treaty of Perth, they were handed over to Scotland. The Hebrides form the center of the Scottish Gaelic language area.

The Hebrides are divided into two groups. Inner Hebrides and Outer Hebrides. The term 'Western Islands' is often used to describe the Hebrides, but actually refers only to the Outer Hebrides. The turbulent strait separating the Inner Hebrides from the Outer Hebrides is called the Little Minch; the wider section to the north of this, separating Lewis from mainland Scotland, is the Minch. The wider section south of the Little Minch is the Hebrides Sea. The most remote archipelagos that also belong to the Hebrides are North Rona and Sula Sgeir to the north of Lewis, the Flannan Isles to the west of Lewis and Saint Kilda, to the west of North Uist. More than 300 km west of St. Kilda lies Rockall, but that rocky island is not counted as part of the Hebrides.

This wild area is beautiful for sailing, the landscape is varied and unspoilt. The Scottish waters offer peace and space. If you sail here, it is primarily nature that predominates. Enjoy rugged mountains with magnificent views or old castles, villages and abbeys. Nature is special on land, but you also look out at sea. Jan van Genten, guillemots, puffins regularly come your way, and you may also spot dolphins and whale sharks.

Sailing trips and sailing vacations Scotland

The combination of the special waterways and the islands makes the Hebrides the perfect sailing water for a shorter or longer sailing trip. There are multiple trips available on the site that sail through this area. In addition to these trips, there are about 200 other sailing trips every year for people traveling alone or small groups. As a stepping stone you can board in various ports in Europe and sail to the Wadden Islands, through the Norwegian fjords or the Mediterranean Sea. The fully arranged trips vary in length from 1 day to 3 weeks. If you cannot find the ideal ship or your dream trip, we are happy to help you via email, telephone or the chat program.