Tobermory, an old fishing station brightened by a crescent of colourful houses, is the main settlement on the Isle of Mull. This rugged and varied island is one of the most popular destinations in the Hebrides, and is rich in wildlife, home to species including white-tailed eagles, otters and whales.

Lunga is the largest of the Treshnish Isles, a small archipelago off the west coast of Mull. The island has been uninhabited since the 19th century, and provides a haven for wildlife including puffins and seals. Lunga is also home to rare and endangered plants such as primroses and orchids.

Lochmaddy is the gateway to North Uist’s watery landscape of peat bogs and lochs, a haven for wildlife including otters, seals and birds galore; native species include corncrakes, redshanks and red-throated divers. The gently undulating hills are ideal for hiking, and there are a number of interesting prehistoric sites.

The outlying Shiant Isles are a key breeding site for seabirds, home to species including Atlantic puffins, razorbills, common guillemots and northern fulmars. The islands are also a haven for seals and basking sharks, and are said to be haunted by mythical creatures known as ‘kelpies’.

Situated on a natural harbour on the east coast of the Isle of Lewis, Stornoway is the largest town in the Outer Hebrides. The island is one of the last major strongholds of the Gaelic language, and is home to fascinating Neolithic sites such as the mysterious standing stones at Callanish.

The St Kilda archipelago is a remote and rugged collection of sea stacks and rocky islands, some 40 miles to the west of Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides. The islands constitute the largest nesting site for seabirds in the North Atlantic and are home to over a million birds, including puffins, gannets, fulmars and petrels.

The uninhabited island of Staffa is known for its striking geology, characterised by the same hexagonal basalt columns as the Giant’s Causeway, and is home to the famous Fingal’s Cave. Seabirds including puffins, guillemots and razorbills nest here during spring and early summer.