"TO THE WOMEN OF THE HEBRIDES,
Who were not only skilled in the spinning and weaving of fine linen and
in the curious arts of the dyer, but who sang at their work, and, singing,
fashioned for themselves songs that are as rich in colour as the wools they
steeped in lichen and heather, and as curious in construction as the tartans
they designed—subtle, too, at times as the interlacements of Celtic illumi-
native art —this attempt to preserve and restore some of their songs is
dedicated."


The Outer Hebrides / or Western Isles / Na h-Eileanan Siar (na h-Eileanan an Iar)or na h-Innse Gall, 'Islands of the Strangers'; Scots: Waster Isles), sometimes known as the Long Isle or Long Island (Scottish Gaelic: an t-Eilean Fada), is an island chain off the west coast of mainland Scotland.The islands form part of the archipelago of the Hebrides, separated from the Scottish mainland and from the Inner Hebrides by the waters of the Minch, the Little Minch, and the Sea of the Hebrides. The Outer Hebrides are considered to be the traditional heartland of the Gaelic language. The islands form one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, which since 1998 has used only the Gaelic form of its name, including in English language contexts. The council area is called Na h-Eileanan an Iar ('the Western Isles') and its council is Comhairle nan Eilean Siar ('Council of the Western Isles').

Most of the islands have a bedrock formed from ancient metamorphic rocks, and the climate is mild and oceanic. The 15 inhabited islands had a total population of 26,120 in 2022 and there are more than 50 substantial uninhabited islands. The distance from Barra Head to the Butt of Lewis is roughly 210 kilometres (130 mi).

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"THE SINGER OF THE ISLES"
You sing : and my soul is borne
To the isles of the outer seas."
from far to ...
....................


Wind-scarred, wave-worn Wild Hebrides.
You sing : and with flight upon flight
Of white wings the air is alive;
And through the water in light, seal diving.

Wind-scarred, wave-worn Wild Hebrides.
You sing : and with flight upon flight
Of white wings the air is alive;
And through the water in light, seal diving.


You sing : and the lilies unfold On the tarns : and the deep seas, aglow
With sapphire and emerald and gold,Round green isles flow.

You sing : and the lilies unfold On the tarns : and the deep seas, aglow
With sapphire and emerald and gold,Round green isles flow.


You sing: and the folk gather round The hearth where the heroes are sung:
And soft in mine ear is the sound Of the island tongue.

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