Do you have a dream of visiting Scotland? With 12 inhabited islands in the Outer Hebrides archipelago, each with their own character and story, you can travel through Scotland’s island culture with an island hopping trip. With WeeBox, you can do this all from the comfort of your own home!
Island hopping in Scotland is the ultimate relaxing getaway and the perfect chance to reset and connect with nature. Surrounded by water and swept by winds, there aren’t many places as connected to the elements as the Scottish islands. Many who visit are struck by the inspiring landscape of moors, mountains and machair-covered beaches that host the very best of Gaelic culture, wildlife, arts and cuisine. The experience can be summed up in a sense of Ciùineas (pronounced kyu-nyas) a Gaelic expression of tranquillity, calm and peacefulness.
For those who can’t make it to Scotland just yet, WeeBox is here to bring this to you and help you to create a Scottish Island experience without having to travel at all. With five gifts from Island makers, a virtual tour and a WeeSounds playlist, WeeBox can give you everything you need to discover a Scottish moment to remember.
Here are just some of the best things to see and do on your Scottish Island adventure!
Mangarstadh Sea Stacks, Lewis
As well as breathtaking white beaches, Lewis is home to marvels of the rocky kind. Washed by the wild Atlantic, this area is a true spectacle and highlights just how powerful and astounding the elements can be. As writer Peter Irvine mentions in his book Scotland the Best: The Islands, “You might marvel at the grandeur of these timeless pinnacles or just at the indomitable endurance of Lewiston gneiss.”
WeeBox is so excited to be able to feature a selection of Island makers in their July Island Hopping WeeBox, who have been crafting all year to create glorious gifts that convey the sense of wonder that the Mangarstadh Sea Stacks do. One of these is a Lewisian stone necklace from Two Skies Scotland – your own wee piece of ancient Scottish Island land and history to wear and treasure forever.
Another maker featured in next month’s WeeBox is Coinneach MacLeod, also known as the Hebridean Baker, who offers a true taste of the Outer Hebrides through his cookbooks and stories of life growing up on the island of Lewis. In conjunction with Stag Bakeries, the oldest bakery in the Outer Hebrides, Coinneach has released a selection of Hebridean Baker shortbread and oatie biscuits. The delicately flavoured Heather Honey Shortbread appears in this month’s WeeBox. “It is amazing that my shortbread is being whisked across the world directly from the island of Lewis,” says Coinneach.
Fingals Cave, Staffa
Discovered in 1772, Staffa is an uninhabited island off the West Coast of Scotland. It might only be a wee place (1/2 mile long and 1/4 mile wide) but its volcanic landscape has been inspired its visitors for centuries. Fingal’s Cave is a sea cave had that was a well-known wonder of the ancient Irish and Scottish Celtic people and was an important site in the legends. Its visually astounding structures have lured many famous visitors, including Queen Victoria, to its unique and dramatic architecture.
With WeeBox, you don’t have to be royalty to explore Scotland’s glorious sights and experiences. Each month, internet sensation Andy the Highlander takes the WeeBox Clan on an exclusive virtual tour, celebrating that month’s theme and taking you on an adventure through the most iconic and exciting parts of Scotland!
Isle of Tiree
The Isle of Tiree is the most westerly island in the Inner Hebrides. With its mild climate, clean air and white sand beaches, it’s easy to understand why Tiree is sometimes referred to as the Hawaii of the North. CNN Travel included this Scottish paradise in their list of the best places in Europe ‘for getting away from almost everyone”. Known for its uncrowded beaches, it would be easy to be fooled into thinking you’re the only person in the world.
However, it’s not always quiet on Tiree’s stunning shores. Every July, up to 2000 visitors flock to the Tiree Music Festival. Music is one of Scotland’s unique features and this festival is the perfect promotion of Gaelic and Scottish traditional culture. It’s support of traditional bands and musicians helps to keep the Gaelic and Scottish culture alive, and so does WeeBox!
Each month, as part of the WeeBox experience, you receive an exclusive and carefully curated WeeSounds playlist to transport you to Scotland. With songs from indigenous Scottish artists that you may never have heard of, you can discover the sounds of Scotland which brings the theme alive. From Hogmanay to Hallowe’en, WeeBox has a WeeSounds playlist to bring Scotland to your home!
Barra
Known for its beauty, Barra is a special place to visit and has many interesting facts and stories just waiting to be discovered. From the moment you arrive, especially by plane, Barra promises exciting and unusual experiences at every turn. Their airport is like no other, with flights landing on the beach at Cockle Strand in between tides. At high tide, the runway disappears beneath the waves.
The discoveries don’t stop there; Barra is the ancestral stronghold of Clan MacNeil and a five-minute boat away from Castle Bay is the medieval Kisimul Castle. Also known as the ‘Castle in the Sea’, which sits dramatically on a rock islet in the sea. This was the ancient home of Clan MacNeil and is just one of the fascinating features to be found on Barra.
Scotland has a rich history and culture and there is so much to learn and uncover. WeeBox helps you do just that from the comfort of your home. With each WeeBox delivery, you also receive the WeeBlether magazine, filled with exclusive Scottish content, including photos, and articles all about Scottish history, tradition, and contemporary life. As well as this, it contains puzzle pages, Scottish Gaelic lessons and the monthly #wheresWeeBox competition winner – giving subscribers the chance to win special gifts for sharing their WeeBox experience online!
These are only a few of the attractions waiting for you in the Scottish Islands. If you’re dreaming of visiting, let WeeBox bring you a wee bit of the island magic to the comfort of your home. If you’re planning your Scottish summer vacation now, WeeBox is the perfect way to prepare and also the best way to remember your trip of a lifetime forever.
Order the July Island Hopping WeeBox now, on sale until midnight on June 30th! https://www.weebox.co.uk/subscribe/
