Western Isles

People at Glenshee Ski Centre

Highland school closures in full as snow and ice warnings extended

The project will see the complete overhaul of the existing 3.4km road, originally constructed in the 1970s.

Single-track road on picturesque island to become bigger carriageway

Sorcha Groundsell leads the cast of the UK's first high-end Gaelic language drama series An t-Eilean.

BBC reveal first look & cast of Gaelic drama An T-Eilean (The Island)

Members of the public and pro-independence supporters gathered to pay their respects outside the public memorial service for former first minister Alex Salmond on Saturday (Picture: Jane Barlow - Pool/Getty Images)

'Clueless and disinterested': Why former SNP MP has joined Alba party

The new affordable homes at Scalasaig on Colonsaig signal a 'turning point' in the balance of housing on the island which has a high intensity of second homes and holiday properties.

Scottish island at a 'turning point' as holiday homes outnumbered

David Muir, a crofter in the Outer Hebrides which is home to the Machair

The geese that won't migrate: An island battle to save unique crop

An aerial shot of the new monument, na Dorsan.

Island community celebrates 100 years since they got their land back

The Outer Hebrides is worth visiting just as much as Guatemala's Volcán de Fuego, one of the world's most active volcanoes (Picture: Johan Ordonez)

National Geographic helps remind us just how beautiful Scotland can be Scotsman comment

Stornoway.

The solution to save Scottish islands council facing £20m black hole

Thousands of people are due to descend on Oban from Friday for the 2024 The Royal National Mòd

The 'roaring pub scene', bands and craic behind the 'prim' Gaelic Mòd

Gearrannan Blackhouse Village on the Isle Of Lewis (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP)

Anger on Scottish island over government snub to major tourist site

Outgoing Colleges Scotland chief executive Shona Struthers

SNP must show 'future' plan for Scotland colleges after 'shocking' 17% fund cuts

Skiffs moored at Tarbert in Kintyre where Norwegian King Magnus Olafsson visited in 1098.

Following the journey of a kilted Viking king by a Scottish loch

Small fishing boats on a foggy morning in Berneray, North Uist, where Fish has made his home. Picture: Getty Images

Rock star Fish on turning down reality TV show on his island croft

A new clifftop centre on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis will tell the story of St Kilda (pictured) across the water.

How new £6m clifftop centre holds the answer to island depopulation

Gordon Brown: Scottish initiative is example to the world Gordon Brown

Lord of the Isles

Fire on CalMac ferry halts sailings on island route for three days

A boat looking across towards the Isle of Arran, which lies within one of the highest rated council areas in Scotland

The 10 best council areas to live in Scotland

A new township for high ground on the isle of Barra could meet the double challenge of climate change and housing shortages, it has been claimed. PIC: Hugh Vennables/geograph.org

New township for Scottish island could 'beat rising sea levels'

Scotland’s summer: Washout or late starter?

Real oil rigs such as Ninian Central, Beryl Alpha and various Brent platforms inspired Still Wakes The Deep's fictional Beira D.

Exclusive Oil rig horror game with ‘uniquely Scottish story’ to feature Gaelic

The last Scottish census was in 2011.

New census figures show migration is helping to sustain the Scottish population

A flat fare trial is planned for an area of Scotland. (Photo by FirstGroup)

Flat fare bus trial announced by Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop

As lairds salivate over £127m of public money, radical land reform is stymied Brian Wilson

Ben Nevis looms over the wreck of the Golden Harvest fishing boat on the banks of Loch Linnhe near Fort William in the western Highlands. Picture: Jane Barlow/PA Wire

Yellow weather warnings issued for snow and ice for parts of Scotland

Torcuil Crichton is the Labour Party candidate in the Western Isles.

Can Labour win in the Western Isles at the next general election?

SNP's Fergus Ewing during First Minster's Questions

SNP rebel urges party not to stand in expelled MP's seat

The Edinburgh International Book Festival

Arts agency seeks to increase appearance of Gaelic writers at book festivals

Exclusive Angus MacNeil says treatment of Fergus Ewing makes ‘Judas look like an amateur’

SNP’s circular firing squad looks set to claim another victim Alistair Carmichael

Former SNP MP Angus MacNeil. Picture: PA

Former SNP MP labels SNP independence move as 'clueless political manoeuvre'

Angus MacNeil MP has been expelled from the SNP.

Angus MacNeil to stand as independent after expulsion from the SNP

Kate Forbes. Picture: Jane Barlow/PA

Kate Forbes says she dodged a bullet by losing SNP leadership bid

Angus MacNeil MP has been expelled from the SNP.

Angus MacNeil MP expelled from the SNP

Angus MacNeil will not take back the whip when his suspension ends.

Angus MacNeil won't take whip back and says SNP not 'serious about independence'

Stornoway, Lewis and Harris

Hebrideans warned about the dangers of taking drugs on the mainland

SNP MP Mhairi Black suggested Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden was set to lose his seat in the House of Commons (Picture: House of Commons/UK Parliament)

Mhairi Black shows the jokes are not all on the SNP as party meltdown continues

A total of 77,150 patients had to go outside of their own health board area for treatment in the last five years

Scottish patient had to travel 320 miles for NHS treatment, figures show

The Hebrides are far from Scotland in ways that reach beyond geography, says reader (Picture: Adobe)

Scotsman Letters: It’s time Gaeldom broke away from Scotland

SNP MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar Alasdair Allan said housing is the big factor in retaining people on the island (Jane Barlow/PA)

Western Isles sees substantial drop in birth rate

Plans to close at least ten per cent of Scottish inshore waters to all forms of fishing are a scandal (Picture: Steve Parson/PA)

SNP's centralising mentality has put a curse on Scotland – Brian Wilson

Keeping a look out to see when the next ferry is coming

It's all been a bit wild in the Western Isles this week

About this time last year I travelled from Edinburgh to North Uist for work and took my mum along with me for the ride.

Gearrannan Blackhouse Village, Isle of Lewis, Scotland, UK

Ad Feature Spring Travel: Western Isles magic

Culross, Fife

In full: Spring Travel 2023

Sightings of the stonechat in spring carried particular superstitions in Scotland. PIC: Ziva & Amir/Flickr/CC.

Spring equinox: the ancient beliefs of the new season in Scotland

Gravitis space port first commercial rocket launch Historic first for UK as commercial rocket launch takes place in Outer Hebrides A historic UK first has taken place in the Outer Hebrides today (Thursday) with a unique commercial rocket launch conducted by a wholly-owned British company and a Scottish spaceport team. Spaceport 1 joined forces with East Anglian firm Gravitilab Aerospace Services on the launch of flight test vehicle 'ADA', named after Ada Lovelace, the 19th century English mathematician who is considered the world's first computer programmer. ADA took off from Benbecula Airport marking a successful launch for Spaceport 1, the consortium led by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council), which aims to open at Scolpaig, North Uist, in 2022. From this base, commercial sub-orbital space launches will begin to take place from within the UK. The landmark moment represents the first success for this unique commercial partnership between Spaceport 1 and Gravitilab, providing proper physical evidence of how companies can work together commercially under the new Government space framework to deliver a successful rocket launch from the UK. It is a significant step in the history of Gravitilab, which aims to make space more accessible by providing reliable and affordable microgravity research and testing services. ADA is the company's first rocket designed to offer this, and the sub-orbital launch at Benbecula Airport is part of the company's ongoing development programme. It also comes just weeks after the Government's new framework to regulate the space industry came into force. This framework has the potential to thrust Scotland and the UK into the global forefront of the growing space sector making spaceport developments and space launches a reality. For Spaceport 1, this offers the opportunity to become a working, viable commercial spaceport, as it looks to complete its site by 2022, with full commercial operations commencing in the same year

'Game-changing' £100m deal for islands is signed

Keeping the fires burning over Hogmanay was considered paramount with bad fortune predicted for those who let their hearths dim over New Year. PIC: Flickr.

Hogmanay: Scotland enters the traditional 12 'daft days' for New Year

Living in Scalpay, Harris, a little island in the Western Isles, nine-year-old Chirsty Bella keeps herself busy by doing little jobs like selling eggs from the family croft and learning Scottish Highland dance.

BBC show to follow a girl’s dream of making her own Harris tweed

Chaidh còig phròiseactan a cheadachadh gu lèir

Dh’fhaodar saoghal ùr a thighinn leis a’ chabal mara

While strict quotas are intended to maintain stock numbers, mackerel and other species of fish are being hauled from the seas in their tens of thousands.

What future for Scotland's sea fishing industry as our seas empty?

Conservationists fear thousands of gannets are among bird flu casualties. Picture: Ilona Amos

Bird flu find sparks Western Isle restrictions

Ballot boxes at the Glasgow City Council count at the Emirates Arena, in Glasgow, in the local government elections (Photo: Jane Barlow).

We cannot afford to forget about fixing gender representation in local councils

This stunning underwater footage shows a pod of around 40 dolphins swimming through transparent waters off the coast of Mull. Tour guide Martin Keivers, 60, used an underwater camera to film as he took a boat out on Thursday.

Stunning underwater footage shows dolphins off the coast of Scotland

The Lewis yard, now known as Harland & Wolff (Arnish) following its acquisition in February 2021, will fabricate eight ground anchor and A-space frames for the Greenland firm. Picture: John Maher

Western Isles fabrication yard lands key contract for Greenland mining firm

A satellite image issued by the Met Office of the UK from above showing the vast areas that have been affected by the prolonged dry conditions, leaving the parched land turning from green to yellow and brown. Picture: Met Office/Crown Copyright/PA Wire

Scotland to meet 'heatwave' criteria as temperatures could hit 30C

MV Hebrides docks at Tarbert, Harris, Outer Hebrides

CalMac's staff 'deeply sorry' for ferry disruption, says managing director

The Scotsman Top Stories

Scotland has failed to meet its latest target for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, the latest official figures show. Picture: John Giles/PA Wire

Fail: Scotland misses climate target

Pro-independence protesters with Scottish Saltire flags (top) march for Scottish independence. Picture: Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images

Yousaf: Growing popular support for Yes the only way to Scottish independence

Nadine Dorries. Picture: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

SNP MP cleared of bullying Nadine Dorries

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