The Natural Environment

The Outer Hebrides of Scotland has some of the most diverse landscapes in Europe and has been recognised internationally for its importance. For such a compact geographical area, the range of habitat types is huge, which means there is also a massive diversity of flora and fauna.

As one of the last great wilderness regions in the UK, the Hebrides is an important region for conservation and includes in its honours a World Heritage Site, 53 Sites of Special Scientific Interest, three National Scenic Areas, four National Nature Reserves and many other designations.

The unique beauty of the Hebrides lies in their diversity. This section of the Wildlife Hebrides gives you an overview of the main types of habitats that you can find in Hebrides today. Click on the habitats menu to the right for more information...

See also our Jewels of the Hebrides conservation areas...