Scotland’s Western Isles

I am always drawn to islands—the more windswept and remote, the better.

Thus I always dreamt of visiting Na h-Eileanan Siar, or the Western Isles of Scotland (also known as the Outer Hebrides). Thanks to travel brochures and back issues of our very own National Geographic, I imagined the isles were a separate world of weather and calm, whitewashed homes, and fair-haired folk.

It turns out all my romantic visions were not so far from the truth, which I came to discover after finally traveling to the far fringes of Scotland’s West. The only real surprise for me was the terrific amount of sunshine and pure air that met me when I stepped off the plane (on the beach) in Barra.

I snapped all these photos in a single span of 24 hours, as I traveled from Barra to Eriskay to South Uist and beyond. The downside of my job is that I pass too quickly through some of the most beautiful places on Earth, but luckily, the Western Isles are entirely unforgettable.