The Hebrides are an archipelago off the west coast of the Scottish mainland. The islands fall into two main groups,based on their proximity to the mainland:the Inner and Outer Hebrides.
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area,consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjacent islands,principally in the archipelagos of the Hebrides and the Northern Isles. To the south-east,Scotland has its only land border,which is 96 miles (154 km) long and shared with England;the country is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west,the North Sea to the north-east and east,and the Irish Sea to the south. The population in 2022 was 5,436,600 and accounts for 8% of the population of the UK. Edinburgh is the capital and Glasgow is the largest of the cities of Scotland.
The Highlands is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally,the Highlands and the Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period,when Lowland Scots language replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands. The term is also used for the area north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault,although the exact boundaries are not clearly defined,particularly to the east. The Great Glen divides the Grampian Mountains to the southeast from the Northwest Highlands. The Scottish Gaelic name of A' Ghàidhealtachd literally means "the place of the Gaels" and traditionally,from a Gaelic-speaking point of view,includes both the Western Isles and the Highlands.
The Outer Hebrides or Western Isles,sometimes known as the Long Isle or Long Island,is an island chain off the west coast of mainland Scotland. The islands are geographically coextensive with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar,one of the 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. They 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 Isle of Lewis or simply Lewis is the northern part of Lewis and Harris,the largest island of the Western Isles or Outer Hebrides archipelago in Scotland. The two parts are frequently referred to as if they were separate islands. The total area of Lewis is 683 square miles (1,770 km2).
Harris is the southern and more mountainous part of Lewis and Harris,the largest island in the Outer Hebrides,Scotland. Although not an island itself,Harris is often referred to in opposition to the Isle of Lewis as the Isle of Harris,which is the former postal county and the current post town for Royal Mail postcodes starting HS3 or HS5.
Dunoon is the main town on the Cowal peninsula in the south of Argyll and Bute,Scotland. It is located on the western shore of the upper Firth of Clyde,to the south of the Holy Loch and to the north of Innellan. As well as forming part of the council area of Argyll and Bute,Dunoon also has its own community council. Dunoon was a burgh until 1976.
The West Highland Free Press was founded in the Scottish Highlands in 1972 as a left-wing weekly newspaper,but with the principal objective of providing its immediate circulation area with the service which a local paper is expected to provide. It is based at Broadford on the Isle of Skye,covering Skye,Wester Ross and the Outer Hebrides.
Harris tweed is a tweed cloth that is handwoven by islanders at their homes in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland,finished in the Outer Hebrides,and made from pure virgin wool dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides. This definition,quality standards and protection of the Harris tweed name are enshrined in the Harris Tweed Act 1993.
The geography of Scotland is varied,from rural lowlands to unspoilt uplands,and from large cities to sparsely inhabited islands. Located in Northern Europe,Scotland comprises the northern part of the island of Great Britain as well as 790 surrounding islands encompassing the major archipelagos of the Shetland Islands,Orkney Islands and the Inner and Outer Hebrides. The only land border is with England,which runs for 96 miles in a northeasterly direction from the Solway Firth in the west to the North Sea on the east coast. Separated by the North Channel,the island of Ireland lies 13 nautical miles from Mull of Kintyre on the Scottish mainland. Norway is located 190 nmi (350 km) northeast of Scotland across the North Sea. The Atlantic Ocean,which fringes the coastline of western and northern Scotland and its islands,influences the temperate,maritime climate of the country.
Community Energy Scotland is an independent Scottish charity established in 2008 that provides advice and financial support for renewable energy projects developed by community groups in Scotland. The stated aim of Community Energy Scotland is 'to build confidence,resilience and wealth at community level in Scotland through sustainable energy development'.
The production of renewable energy in Scotland is a topic that came to the fore in technical,economic,and political terms during the opening years of the 21st century. The natural resource base for renewable energy is high by European,and even global standards,with the most important potential sources being wind,wave,and tide. Renewables generate almost all of Scotland's electricity,mostly from the country's wind power.
Sustainable development in Scotland has a number of distinct strands. The idea of sustainable development was used by the Brundtland Commission which defined it as development that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." At the 2005 World Summit it was noted that this requires the reconciliation of environmental,social and economic demands - the "three pillars" of sustainability. These general aims are being addressed in a diversity of ways by the public,private,voluntary and community sectors in Scotland.
Energy policy in Scotland is a matter that has been specifically reserved to the UK parliament under the terms of the Scotland Act 1998 that created the devolved Scottish Parliament. However,since planning is a matter that has been devolved,the Scottish government has the ability to shape the direction of energy generation in Scotland by approving or refusing new projects.
Lewis and Harris,or Lewis with Harris,is a single Scottish island in the Outer Hebrides,divided by mountains. It is the largest island in Scotland and the third largest in the British Isles,after Great Britain and the island of Ireland,with an area of 841 square miles (2,178 km2),which is approximately 1% of the area of Great Britain. The northern two-thirds is called [the Isle of] Lewis and the southern third [the Isle of] Harris;each is referred to as if it were a separate island and there are many cultural and linguistic differences between the two.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Scotland:
The Harris Tweed Authority (HTA) is an independent statutory public body created by the Harris Tweed Act 1993,replacing the Harris Tweed Association,which was formed in 1910. The Harris Tweed Authority is charged with the general duty of furthering the Harris Tweed industry as a means of livelihood for those who live in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.
Ian Roper Taylor was a British businessman and philanthropist who was chairman and CEO of The Vitol Group,the world's largest independent energy trader. He was also the majority shareholder in Harris Tweed Hebrides,the primary producer of Harris Tweed cloth,which he helped to rescue in 2005.
Margaret Hope MacPherson was a Scottish crofter,politician,author,and activist. During her later life,she was known as the "First Lady of Crofting".
Mackintosh MacKay was a Scottish minister and author who served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland in 1849. He edited the Highland Society's prodigious Gaelic dictionary in 1828.
