home Feeder The Hebrides are an archipelago on the edge of the Earth. Where are the Hebrides located? One of the Inner Hebrides

The Hebrides are an archipelago on the edge of the Earth. Where are the Hebrides located? One of the Inner Hebrides

60 years ago, Michael Robson fell in love with a land he had never been before. Pictures in an illustrated magazine spurred the imagination of a Scottish boy accustomed to homeliness, and he began to rave about wild islands, towering in thorny ridges northwest of the Scottish coast. The Hebrides beckoned to Michael Robson, and, responding to their call, he at the first opportunity, first in school break, and then during the holidays, he left mainland Scotland and embarked on long journeys: on buses, steamboats, small ships - and then on foot throughout the archipelago. He got to the mountainous Isle of Skye, to the peat bogs and sea bays of the Lewis and Harris Islands, and then moved on, many kilometers across the ocean to a tiny rocky shore, from where a century earlier, leaving their stone houses, all the inhabitants left ...

"Some tourists find these places empty and cold," says Robson, "but they, in my opinion, are just not paying attention."

The Inner and Outer Hebrides are more than five hundred islands and islets. It is often foggy and rainy there, the winds blow almost continuously, and the sea elements around are so fickle that even the most experienced captain can experience fear. In these seas, everything is changeable: in an hour, the measured silky swaying of the waves of a piercing blue tropical color is replaced by a stormy invasion of lead foam shafts. For thousands of years, people have waged a fierce struggle for survival here. And yet, despite the harsh conditions, the Celts and Vikings, and after them the Scots and the British, sought to take possession of the local shores. Only a few dozen of the Hebrides are inhabited today. “It's a real challenge to fate,” says Robson. “To some tourists, these places seem empty and cold, but they, in my opinion, just look inattentively.” History has known times when the islands were not paid attention at all. And why? Samuel Johnson, the famous 18th-century London intellectual and madcap, said that the inhabitants of southern Britain knew no more about them than "of Borneo or Sumatra." If these islands were mentioned at all, it was necessarily in connection with the question of their development: what kind of grain should be grown there? What minerals to extract? How many people can individual lands feed, and what rent could they bring to landlords? Samuel Johnson himself mainly filled out the diary of his trip to the Hebrides with complaints about the difficulties and harsh conditions in which he had to live. Despite Johnson's grumbling, a new attitude to these far from paradise places soon took root. Scottish thinkers of the Enlightenment, especially the philosopher David Hume and the geologist James Hutton, in an attempt to rid their contemporaries of admiration for authority, insisted that the world should be studied from one's own experience, and not rely on the testimony of ancient geographers and saints. Enlighteners did not look at nature as a wild element, it was for them a textbook of life on Earth. And some of the most mysterious pages of this textbook were read in the Hebrides. In 1800, the naturalist Robert Jameson (later Charles Darwin studied with him at the University of Edinburgh) published a two-volume Mineralogy of the Scottish Isles. On the island of Islay, Jameson discovered deposits of shells that were located above the high tide line: “this proves,” he wrote, “that the sea receded from the land.” Modern scientists know that these prehistoric beaches, elevated 35 meters above sea level, are witnesses of the last ice age. As the glaciers that covered the island melted away 15,000 years ago, freeing it from its giant glacier cover, the land began to be exposed, and eventually the old coastline rose high and confidently above the sea. Of Skye, Jameson said that it may have "been subjected to monstrous vibrations at some remote period." barbed arc mountain range Black Cullin, rising 100 meters above sea level, is actually the remains of a volcano. Its outer features have long since vanished, revealing a deep magma crater that bubbled up here 60 million years ago. Perhaps the most impressive site in the Hebrides is the giant circle of stone pillars at Calanish on the shores of Lough Rogue on the Isle of Lewis. Erected 4500-4900 years ago, the Kalanish complex is probably much older than the central circle in the famous Stonehenge. There is very little reliable information about the builders of these structures, only their engineering skills are beyond doubt. The island is also littered with other standing stones, as well as burial mounds, ramparts, and strong Iron Age defenses, most of them from Lewis gneiss. The weathered ruins of stone houses are witnesses of fierce battles on land and pirate attacks from the sea. Peasants, shepherds and fishermen built them from thick blocks of gneiss, but time did not spare the stones either. The romance of these gloomy ruins found a lively response in the heart of the Scotsman Michael Robson, who was discussed at the beginning of the story. Old traditions, he says, "often fanciful or simply ridiculous, still carry a grain of truth." “Every valley remembers its battle, and every stream its song,” said Sir Walter Scott, who sang in his novels and poems wildlife Scotland. Even the purely rational Scottish naturalist Robert Jameson assured readers that he, too, "succumbed to the feelings that naturally arose in ... the soul at the sight of magnificent solitary landscapes that unexpectedly appeared before the eyes." Back then, British ingenuity fueled the nascent Industrial Revolution—and with it came noise, filth, and crowding. The world became more and more mechanistic and urbanized, and nature became a refuge, a place for reflection and a source of high inspiration, capable of transforming feelings and thoughts. The Hebrides were amazing. Their most remarkable, admittedly, landscape was discovered in 1772 by the English naturalist Joseph Banks. Heading to Iceland past the Hebrides, Banks stopped at the small island of Staffa and discovered in its southwestern part "absolutely unusual stone pillars." Now it is known about them that these are the remains of colossal volcanic eruptions, which about 60 million years ago began to break the bottom of the North Atlantic. The research team, which moved along the coast, was simply breathtaking from this spectacle. The most majestic was the huge sea cave, which Banks called Fingal's Cave. Fingal was the subject of an epic poem allegedly written by the ancient Gaelic bard Ossian - the British Homer - and translated by the Scot James MacPherson. Reviving a mythical past, this epic (which turned out, alas, for the most part to be MacPherson's own) ignited readers' romantic attraction to the misty and mystical shores of the British north. The wide entrance to Fingal's Cave, as high as a six-story house, leads into a cavity framed by many columns, which stretches 70 meters into the depths of the sea, where the echo echoes the roar of the waves. “Compared to this,” Banks argued, “man-made temples and palaces are insignificant!” Of course, the Englishman did not make any discovery: the Gaelic-speaking islanders have long heard the echo of roaring waves in this cave and called it Uam Binn, or Melodious Cave. However, the fame of Banks himself served to ensure that his report, in which the miracle of geology was associated with the fashionable poems of Ossian, was noticed by the general public, and the cave was talked about in London salons. The moment was right. Illustrated travel books have fallen in price. By replacing steel printing plates with softer copper plates, larger illustrations can be printed. And new roads and steamship communications made it easier to travel to the islands. During the years of the Napoleonic Wars, travel to the Continent was virtually impossible for the British, and Hebrides seemed exotic and - if you are not afraid of risk - accessible. When the British thoroughly studied the mysterious gloomy Hebrides, it became clear that even the most hardy people could not survive here. However, the small islands and sea cliffs of St Kilda, which rise in the North Atlantic 64 kilometers from North Uist, have been inhabited for more than 4,000 years. Once upon a time, a small community huddled along the winding shores of Village Bay on Hirta, the archipelago's largest island. Sheep were grazing everywhere on the steep slopes. On bulk soil, the islanders grew modest crops of barley, oats and potatoes. Skinny local soil they are carefully mixed with mineral-rich seaweed. But by 1930, the 36 residents who remained here were fed up with this life to the throat. They petitioned the British government to urgently evacuate them from the island before the onset of winter.

In a mechanized world, nature has become a refuge where man finds peace and inspiration.

On August 29, the inhabitants of St Kilda and the bulk of their pets were sent by sea to the Scottish mainland. And the islands themselves in 1968 were declared by the UNESCO commission objects world heritage and taken under guard. Now they have become the property of a host of birds that circle in flocks along the steep banks. People, on the contrary, have become rare stray guests here. In his youth, the hero of our story, Michael Robson, had to cross about 60 kilometers high seas in the North Atlantic to get from Lewis to the lonely island of Rhone - another abandoned outpost of the archipelago. Lying under open sky on bright summer nights, Robson listens to the calls of the seabirds that nest in the Rhone by the thousands every year. He comes here to find traces of people who once lived here: the ruined stone shelters that sheltered Christian hermits of the 8th century, the tombstones of leaders and warriors, or the worn-out stone millstones that the later inhabitants of the island used to grind the meager grain harvest. None of the Rhone communities, isolated from each other, held out here for long: harsh conditions broke each of them in turn. In love with the Hebrides, Michael Robson made his choice 16 years ago: he settled on the Isle of Lewis, opening there to the public his collection of books, manuscripts and maps dedicated to Scottish history and folklore. This self-sufficient youthful man with a direct gaze of blue eyes has retained the fine form of a person who spends a lot of time in the open air, and he still has an unusually strong memory. But he is no longer young. Sometimes, when Robson gestures, telling an old Hebridean tale, his hands shake a little. Now Michael no longer undertakes too complicated and long journeys, but still continues to look for places that would otherwise seem empty and cold, but for him are full of special innermost meaning. “The essence of these islands can be comprehended only by long time, says Michael. “It’s a pity that I won’t have enough time to find out everything I would like to know about them.” hebrides, hebrides map
Hebrides(English Hebrides, Gaelic Innse Gall) is an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean off the western coast of Scotland. Part of the British Isles. The two island chains of the archipelago, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, are separated by the Little Minch and North Minch straits, as well as the inland Hebrides Sea.

1 Description
- 1.1 Inner Hebrides
- 1.2 Outer Hebrides
2 History
3 Economy
4 Notes

Description

The Hebrides are a widely scattered group of about 500 rocky, mostly high islands, of which about 100 are inhabited. The surface is about 7.2 thousand km², of which about 1.6 thousand km² is occupied by lakes. Most of the surface is rocky or marshy plains (peat bogs). There are low mountains up to 1009 m (Mount Cullin Hills on the Isle of Skye), as well as lava fields and traces of ancient glaciation (troughs, karrs).

Humid maritime climate average temperature January is 4-6 °C, July - 12-14 °C. There is a lot of precipitation, up to 2000 mm per year. From the vegetation - meadows on soddy-coarse-humus and soddy-peaty soils, heaths, occasionally groves of stunted birch.

Inner Hebrides

The Inner Hebrides include the islands of Skye, Mull, Islay, Jura, Ram, etc. northern islands are part of the Highland region, the southern ones are part of the Argyll and Bute region.

Outer Hebrides

The Outer Hebrides include the islands of Lewis and Harris (consisting of two historical parts of Lewis and Harris, often referred to as "islands"), North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist, Barra, and others. The Outer Hebrides administratively form the region of Western Isles.

History

The very first of the inhabitants of these islands were, apparently, the Picts, who from 843 were considered subjects of the Scottish kings, and by the 12th century were practically assimilated by the Scots. for many centuries, the islands were in fact under the rule of the Scottish elders. An Act of Parliament of 1748 deprived these latter of their rights, but even at the present time most of the land is the property of the chiefs of the Scottish tribes (clans).

Economy

The inhabitants are mainly engaged in fishing and animal husbandry. The production of woolen fabrics (tweed) has been established; tourism. The largest city- Stornoway on Lewes.

Notes

1 2 Hebrides - Dictionary of modern geographical names/ Under the total. ed. acad. V. M. Kotlyakova. - Electronic edition. - Yekaterinburg: U-Factoria, 2006
Hebrides - article from the Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Hebrides
Inner Hebrides Islay - Iona - Guia - Danna - Jura - Isdale - Kanna - Cara - Kerrera - Call - Colonsay - Crowlin Island Group - Langa - Lismore - Mack - Mull - Oronsay - Razey - Ram - Sale - Skye - Soey - Tyree - Egg - Escribe Island Group

The harsh and impregnable Hebrides is the realm of wind and waves. But this is at first glance. An attentive traveler will find a special romance and beauty here. Photos Jim Richardson

bernerey island, West Coast

Twilight hung over the pale sands, scattered shells, and thick dune grass that stretched for miles along the Atlantic coast of the Bernerey. The sinuous line of the Harris Hills in the background fades into a blue shadow on the distant horizon.

Hirta, St Kilda

Stone walls still skirt patches of arable land on uneven hillsides above the ruins of St Kilda's main settlement. These fences protected oat and barley crops from salty winds and livestock. The hive-like buildings were used to store food and peat, which the islanders used as fuel; hundreds of such warehouses have survived to this day.

Boreray, St Kilda

Armadas of seabirds circle the sky, narrow rocky ledges dotted with their nests. Often hidden behind clouds, the northern tip of the island protrudes 400 meters above the ocean; here the offspring of 60 thousand pairs of cormorants are raised - the largest colony in the world. The inhabitants of St Kilda climbed these rocks barefoot, catching birds and collecting eggs to feed themselves.

Mungerst, Isle of Lewis

Dangerous waters of the Hebrides with sharp sea cliffs and rocks, oddly enough, were chosen by surfers. Mangersta is popular with athletes because it has a steady northeasterly wind all year round. In addition, these parts are not crowded.

Calanish, Isle of Lewis

These stone pillars probably stood here before the pyramids were built. People settled on the island 5000 years ago, they were engaged in agriculture, fishing, hunting - and construction. The outer stones rise 3.5 meters, the central pillar - 4.5 meters. Like the famous Stonehenge, the 13-meter circle at Kalanisha was an important ritual center.

Grimersta, Isle of Lewis

Fresh water from the upper lakes, bubbling, rushes down to the sea along wide rocky terraces. “It’s easy to find a place on the island where no man-made sounds can be heard,” says Alice Starmore, a native of Lewis, “but land and water are never silent.”

Boreray, St Kilda

A rising mist reveals a distant island in the Atlantic Ocean. People have survived for thousands of years in the St. Kilda archipelago, but its last inhabitants left their secluded homes about eighty years ago.

Cape Trotternish, Isle of Skye

At Trotternish Point on the Isle of Skye, basalt pillars hang over the Strait of Rasay. They testify to the powerful geological displacements that formed this piece of land.

Vanuatu is a state in Melanesia, located on the New Hebrides archipelago in the Pacific Ocean.

Vanuatu has no land borders and borders on territorial waters with Solomon Islands they are 170 km away, New Caledonia (an overseas territory of France) is 230 km away and with the Fiji Islands, which are located at a distance of 800 km from Vanuatu. Vanuatu also borders the economic zone of Australia. The Hebrides are separated from the Green continent by 1780 km.

The colony of New Hybrids gained independence in 1980, and before that it had been under joint Anglo-French administration for 100 years.
Vanuatu occupies 83 islands of volcanic origin, and all of them are inhabited.

How to get to Vanuatu

Located in Port Vila, the capital of Vanutatu international Airport, this is where flights from Auckland arrive ( New Zealand), Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne (Australia), Noumea (New Caledonia), Nadi (Fiji).

Thus, you will have to fly from Moscow to Vanuatu with at least two transfers, usually via Dubai or Singapore. From the capital, the local airline delivers tourists to all the surrounding islands.

Vanuatu is also included in the round the world program sea cruises and Oceania cruises, most of which start and finish in Sydney.

Do I need a visa to visit Vanuatu

Russians do not need a visa to visit Vanuatu, but, for example, citizens of Ukraine can get a visa for 30 days right at the airport for a small fee.

Attractions and entertainment in Vanuatu

Vanuatu today popular resort for Australian and New Zealand tourists, as well as for lovers of sea cruises. The New Hebrides is a great place for diving, sea fishing, spa holidays, as well as for weddings. In addition, Vanuatu has four luxurious golf courses and many turbulent rivers for rafting and kayaking, especially popular with fans of the river rapids of the Efate and Molecule islands.
Vanuatu attracts, of course, primarily with its extraordinary nature.

by the most beautiful place The archipelago is considered to be Male Bay on the island of Efate,

On the island of Maevo, tourists are shown hot springs.

Espiritu Santo, the most large island Vanuatu is famous for the state's only national park - Big Bay and the beautiful Champagne Beach.

Tanna Island is known not only for the fact that locals"ate" Cook, and then worshiped American aircraft as Gods, but also active volcano Yasur, the most accessible to visit in the New Hebrides.

Fauna of Vanuatu

The flora and fauna of Vanuatu is also rich in delights. The Lamen Bay of Epi Island is home to the rarest marine mammal dugongs, the only living relatives of Steller's cows.

On Aneityum there is a reserve of sea turtles, and on Ambrym there is a forest of tree ferns and a bay with tiger sharks.

Eromanga Island attracts tourists with centawood sandalwood and kauri molluscs, whose shells have long been used instead of money in Siberia, Africa, China, and New Guinea. And absolutely exotic animals - saltwater crocodiles can be found on the island of Vanua Lava at the mouths of the Selva and Tahiti rivers.

History buffs will love Port Vila, the capital of the state, with its charming colonial-style French Quarter, Chinatown, and a picturesque old cemetery.

And on the northernmost island of the Huey archipelago, it is worth visiting the Yeyenwu Caves, famous for their rock drawings.
Of particular interest is the culture of the Vanuatu aborigines, which, of course, is better to get acquainted with in specially designated places, since some local tribes still do not disdain cannibalism.

There are folklore villages on the islands of Ambrim (the local population is famous for its witchcraft talents), Tanna, Malekula (the natives of this island make the most unusual and exquisite souvenirs).

And the island of Pentecost in April-May invites tourists to look at jumping from the ancient bungee (head jumping) and year-round - at the mysterious sand drawings comparable to the Nazca hieroglyphs.

The source of inspiration for poets, artists and photographers is located in Scotland. The Hebrides are harsh and impregnable, they are rightfully called the kingdom of waves and wind.

Islands are nothing more than an archipelago that occupies the entire western coast of Scotland. It is divided into two groups: internal and external. As for the internal ones, they are located directly on the Scottish coast, but the external ones are separated by the Little Minch Strait, and they nailed in a rather cramped group in the northwestern part of the country.

In total, at least 500 islands and their smaller counterparts are counted. These places are full of mystery, where fog and rain are frequent guests, and the winds tirelessly “drive” the clouds. Experienced sailors are wary of this area, because such an unpredictable sea element is confusing, forcing them to be in constant tension.

For centuries, in these parts, the peoples fought for the right to own the magnificent shores. Nowadays, only a small number of islands are inhabited by people. Once local beaches caught the last ice age. The rock ledges are strewn with bird nests, and the largest colony of cormorants (more than 60,000 pairs) lives here. In ancient times, tribes climbed mountains, destroying nests in order to feed themselves.

The Hebrides have fascinated the imagination for a long time. And the naturalist Joseph Bankson opened the most striking in the opinion of the landscape (1772). Where exactly? In the southwest of the island of Staffa. It was there that amazing stone pillars towered before his eyes. We will not argue, only now more is known about them - these are the remains of once erupting volcanoes that tore apart the bottom of the North Atlantic millions of years ago. The spectacle is truly breathtaking! In 1968, these places were noticed by UNESCO, including them in its list.

After the British went around all the gloomy places Hebrides, it was concluded that even the most unpretentious and strong-willed people will never be able to live and, in fact, survive here. But as the saying goes: “never say never”, so it turned out that the small islands and cliffs of St. Kilda were inhabited by people for at least four millennia. In 1930, the population was small - 36 people, and besides, they were quite fed up with such a life. Appealing to the government of the country with a request to withdraw them from the island, they received an affirmative answer and went to Scotland.

The local nature is untouched by the “hand” of civilization, carrying its natural “train” through the centuries. Romance and beauty attract a huge number of travelers to the Hebrides from the most different corners planets.