Sea of the Hebrides

The Sea of Hebrides is a portion of the North Atlantic Ocean, located off the coast of western Scotland, that contains an archipelago of about 500 islands known as the Hebrides. The Hebrides are separated into two groups, the Outer Hebrides and the Inner Hebrides, divided by the Little Minch Strait.

The Outer Hebrides are administered as the Eilean Siar (Western Isles) council area (pop., 2001: 26,502). The northern Inner Hebrides lie within the Highland council area, and the southern Inner Hebrides are part of Argyll and Bute council area.

Composed of more than 40 islands, only a few of which are inhabited, the Hebrides were originally settled by Celts. Norse raids, which led to Norse rule, began after the 8th century and lasted until 1266, when the islands were ceded to Scotland. Their economy centres on farming, fishing, and weaving, the latter noted especially for Harris tweed.