UK Tourism and the Western Isles in Scotland
In the never ending search for interesting vacation destination tourists continue to open up new areas to tourism. However there are plenty of highly fascinating areas of the world that have always had a small degree of tourism which more and more people are now discovering to their delight. Also there are a number of vacation destination which were in decline but are now experiencing renewed interest. One of the most interesting places in the world which are seeing a marked increase in tourism are the Western Isles of Scotland.
In the very early days of tourism people went to great lengths to travel to destinations which had very different reasons for their appeal. However, in general, it could be said that these early destinations became popular for such reasons as their outstanding beauty, educational reasons, being a great place for social networking or for just being a great place to enjoy yourself. Such reasons made sense during the times of the Grand Tour of Europe.
As the working classes began to take time off to visit places they usually did so in large numbers to somewhere very local (when their factory or workplace would close for the duration of the vacation). This led to an increase in the number of vacation destinations within easy access of industrial areas. During the 1950s and 60s a number of holiday camps opened in more picturesque places aimed at the domestic market but many people began to look at more exotic destinations. Those people with more money were able to afford to travel to many more places and destinations such as St Kilda in the Western Isles of Scotland became interesting places to visit for small numbers of folk.
When air travel became cheaper more people could afford to travel abroad. Over time the family vacation was less to the British holiday camps like Butlins and Pontins and more to European destinations. Usually this was to Spain or, at least, somewhere with a beach and a bar. As some British destination fell into disuse the better transportation systems meant that areas previously considered inaccessible, such as the Western Isles and other places in Scotland, were now a possible vacation destination for the masses including visitors from Canada, America and elsewhere.
Modern tourists seem to fall into two distinct groups, the typical 18-30 party animals, who go in search of the sun but end up in the bars, and those who now understand the dangers of overexposure to the sun and are in search of something a little different to the usual beach and bar vacation. UK cities seem to have increasing numbers of visitors with the like of Liverpool, which is benefiting this year with being the European Capital of Culture, being one of the most vibrant city vacation destinations.
As well as the United Kingdom being an island itself it is surrounded by a large number of smaller islands (the majority of which are uninhabited). Places like the Isle of White have, for a long time, been popular vacation destinations but more distant islands, such as the Western Isles of Scotland, are becoming incredibly popular. The Western Isles have much to offer that is simply not available elsewhere and their appeal has much to do with the many unique aspects of the islands, which include unique flora and fauna as well as some of the most spectacular scenery in the UK.
Also known to many as the Outer Hebrides the group, of over 200 islands, has a few which are inhabited and well known. The Isles of Harris, Lewis, North and South Uist, Barra and Benbecula are the most well known and most popular with tourists but there are several other small inhabited islands such as Scalpay which have some interesting aspects for the visitor, not least the incredible Gaelic culture (which has Celtic and Norse influences).
The Outer Hebrides have a long and fascinating history which goes back to prehistoric times. All over the islands can be seen evidence of their long gone inhabitants with the most spectacular, and most widely known, sites are the Standing Stones of Calanais. Once know as the Callanish Standing Stones they are now known in the Gaelic as are all place names. Happily the sign posts are in the Gaelic first but feature an English translation below.
Another reason why the Western Isles are becoming increasingly popular as a vacation destination is the incredible increase in interest in genealogy (tracing your family roots and ancestors). Life has always been hard in the Hebrides and for generations many young men and young families emigrated, to America, Canada and other places, in search of a better life of opportunity. During a period known as the clearances massive numbers of Scots were forcefully removed from their land and sent abroad and this means that a great many people return to the islands in search of their roots.
There are many reasons why more and more folk are choosing to visit places that were once inaccessible. However the simple fact that they are now easily accessed by road or air (and sometimes rail) is the main reason that there are now a great many people visiting such places. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that places like the Western Isles/Outer Hebrides have not yet been commercialized that makes them such a popular vacation destination but for how long they remain unchanged is uncertain.