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Comhairle nan Eilean Siar

Welcome to the Outer Hebrides

Welcome to a Different Way of Life

Welcome to a place where stunning landscapes and culture blend with the best that modern life has to offer.

A unique place locate on the very edge of Europe with a rich culture and heritage. It's a place where community matters. A place where you can raise a family in security and confidence. This outstanding natural environment is home to around 27,000 people and includes the islands of Lewis, Harris, North and South Uist, Benbecula and Barra. The main town, Stornoway on Lewis, is home to around 8,000 people. The sheer diversity of the landscape is remarkable. Endless machairs and dunes. Mountains and stunning beaches. Vast expanses of moor and lochs. Vertical sea cliffs and stacks... Little wonder that visitors to our islands are enchanted by what they find here. All the islands are different and have their own unique appeal.

It's a place for living, working and playing.

We look forward to welcoming you very soon...

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Living Here

Living in Comhairle nan Eilean Siar

A Real Community

The islands are, essentially, a community of communities, each with its own distinct characteristics and traditions, but each offering a warm welcome and respect for everyone.

Our commitment to education is reflected in excellent pre-school, primary and secondary facilities, including four six-year schools. Gaelic medium education is available to all children from the age of three, and most our community schools provide excellent sport, recreational and social facilities. While a range of degree and other further education options are available through Lews Castle College – part of the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI).

Our strong educational provision means that there is a high ratio of graduates in the labour force with a strong inclination to work in the islands. More and more people need to balance the demands of modern life between work, family and leisure time. This is the place to achieve that balance.

The islands boasts great surfing, salmon and brown trout fishing, hill walking, cycling, golf and bird watching and that's just for starters. Our cultural heritage, arts and Gaelic language are celebrated through festivals and events and our famous Harris Tweed continues to be hand woven by skilled local crafters.

Frequent flights to Stornoway and Benbecula from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness and Aberdeen mean that it is often easier to travel to the Outer Hebrides than to urban areas elsewhere in Scotland. An Air Discount Scheme, open to all residents, has dramatically reduced the cost of flights to and from the mainland. Ferries operate regularly from the islands to the mainland.

Add a first class health service, a wide range of affordable housing and access to advanced broadband connectivity to the mix and you'll soon see that everything you need is here.

Working Here

Working for Comhairle nan Eilean Siar

The People Who Make a Difference

We are the largest employer in the Outer Hebrides, employing 2,000 people at our offices throughout the Western Isles.

We place our customers and communities at the heart of everything we do. We aim to deliver strong and effective community leadership. We work hard to deliver quality and value and strive to find new ways to do things better. We take pride in our region and champion it in every way we can. We work together to achieve our goals and to make the Comhairle a place where people like you want to work and are inspired to be part of.

We're the people who make a difference, have you got it takes to be one of us?

Disability Confident