National Geographic’s latest list of the 25 best places in the world to visit in 2025 ranges from medieval Italian monasteries to the “alpine paradise” of India’s Suru Valley. Tucked in the middle of the list of must-sees is the UK’s own Outer Hebrides.
The beautiful backdrop for the BBC’s upcoming Gaelic-language drama “An t-Eilean” (“The Island”) is a serene destination for your next trip. The archipelago’s “dramatic landscapes and Celtic heritage” are best explored while cycling or walking the Hebridean Way, which spans 200 miles across 10 islands and includes “silvery beaches, whisky distilleries, wildflower-bedecked machair grasslands”, said NatGeo.
As soon as you arrive and take in the “unspoiled beauty” of the black cliffs and vast expanses of white sand and blue water you will feel a “a sense of stepping back in time”, said Peter May in The Guardian.
If you missed the recent aurora borealis sightings, the Calanais Standing Stones, a neolithic monument older than Stonehenge, is highly rated for catching the Northern Lights free from the light pollution of major cities, said Janani Venkateswaran in the Express. While you are out looking, keep quiet as the Outer Hebrides is a “wildlife enthusiast’s haven” and you have a chance at “abundant” dolphin, otter and eagle sightings.
The location means a bounty of “fresh and local” seafood, from food trucks serving “traditional local fare” to “creative dishes” at Lochmaddy Bay Prawns, wrote May.
The “stunning” isles have affordable stays too, with backpackers hostels as low as £25 per night and Airbnb options for families from £100 per night.