The Western Isles of Scotland and Tourism in the UK
In the never ending search for interesting vacation destination tourists continue to open up new areas to tourism. However there are plenty of highly fascinating areas of the world that have always had a small degree of tourism which more and more people are now discovering to their delight. Also there are a number of vacation destination which were in decline but are now experiencing renewed interest. One of the most interesting places in the world which are seeing a marked increase in tourism are the Western Isles of Scotland.
In the very early days of tourism people went to great lengths to travel to destinations which had very different reasons for their appeal. However, in general, it could be said that these early destinations became popular for such reasons as their outstanding beauty, educational reasons, being a great place for social networking or for just being a great place to enjoy yourself. Such reasons made sense during the times of the Grand Tour of Europe.
In the United Kingdom, during the early days of the tourist industry, people generally tended to visit places not too far from where they lived or worked. Working men and women often had only the annual works outing to look forward to, which was attended by all of the employees while their work place was closed. Those of more means were able to venture further and some even went as far as traveling to the islands of St Kilda in the Western Isles of Scotland.
When air travel became cheaper more people could afford to travel abroad. Over time the family vacation was less to the British holiday camps like Butlins and Pontins and more to European destinations. Usually this was to Spain or, at least, somewhere with a beach and a bar. As some British destination fell into disuse the better transportation systems meant that areas previously considered inaccessible, such as the Western Isles and other places in Scotland, were now a possible vacation destination for the masses including visitors from Canada, America and elsewhere.
Modern tourists seem to fall into two distinct groups, the typical 18-30 party animals, who go in search of the sun but end up in the bars, and those who now understand the dangers of overexposure to the sun and are in search of something a little different to the usual beach and bar vacation. UK cities seem to have increasing numbers of visitors with the like of Liverpool, which is benefiting this year with being the European Capital of Culture, being one of the most vibrant city vacation destinations.
The Western Isles of Scotland (mentioned above) are a small group of islands just off the Scottish west coast. Although there are over two hundred Isles only thirteen are still inhabited. These islands are amongst the most unique in Europe with unique landscapes, flora and fauna and it is for their uniqueness that many visitors choose to tour the islands.
Also known to many as the Outer Hebrides the group, of over 200 islands, has a few which are inhabited and well known. The Isles of Harris, Lewis, North and South Uist, Barra and Benbecula are the most well known and most popular with tourists but there are several other small inhabited islands such as Scalpay which have some interesting aspects for the visitor, not least the incredible Gaelic culture (which has Celtic and Norse influences).
The islands of the Outer Hebrides have been inhabited by man since prehistoric times. Driving around the islands you will immediately notice the enormous number of single standing stones and small stone circles. The most spectacular prehistoric site is to be found on the Isle of Lewis and is considered one of the most important stone circles in Europe. Just by the village of Calanais (Callanish in English) is a most interesting stone circle with four avenues and a number of satellite stone circles in the surrounding area. Every visitor to the islands should make a point of taking the trip out to see them.
Another reason why the Western Isles are becoming increasingly popular as a vacation destination is the incredible increase in interest in genealogy (tracing your family roots and ancestors). Life has always been hard in the Hebrides and for generations many young men and young families emigrated, to America, Canada and other places, in search of a better life of opportunity. During a period known as the clearances massive numbers of Scots were forcefully removed from their land and sent abroad and this means that a great many people return to the islands in search of their roots.
There are many reasons why more and more folk are choosing to visit places that were once inaccessible. However the simple fact that they are now easily accessed by road or air (and sometimes rail) is the main reason that there are now a great many people visiting such places. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that places like the Western Isles/Outer Hebrides have not yet been commercialized that makes them such a popular vacation destination but for how long they remain unchanged is uncertain.
