The Outer Hebrides Wildlife Festival is returning this summer, with a jam-packed
programme of community-led events taking place from Lewis to Barra, celebrating the
extraordinary wildlife, landscapes, and cultural heritage of the Outer Hebrides.
The programme features a diverse range of free and paid-for events, including: guided
walks in both English and Gaelic looking for otters, eagles, bumblebees and more;
whale and dolphin boat tours; climate solutions workshops; surf, snorkel and SUP
safaris; art exhibitions; a gin tasting; sea kayaking; gorge scrambling; creative
workshops; and a public art event at Traigh Mhòr, North Tolsta, commemorating the
2023 pilot whale mass stranding.
The main week of the festival will be taking place from the 21st to the 28th of June,
with celebrations continuing in a fringe festival running through to the end of July.
With events taking place across Lewis, Harris, Uist, Barra and the surrounding islands,
the festival offers locals and visitors alike a unique chance to explore the biodiversity
of the Outer Hebrides in a fun, inclusive, and locally-rooted way.
Organised by conservation programme, Species on the Edge, in collaboration with community
groups, local venues, and conservation charities, the festival aims to deepen connections
- with each other, with the land and sea, and with the wildlife we share our island
home with.
Festival coordinator Màiri said: “We aim to support communities in bringing their
ideas to life and creating space for shared experiences. From keeping alive the traditional
ways of looking after the machair at the heart of local communities to pollinator
planting, the wildlife festival is all about connection - with each other, and with
the incredible nature that surrounds us.”
Shona MacLellan from RSPB Scotland, said: “The RSPB are delighted to be delivering
a series of free guided walks as part of the Outer Hebrides Wildlife Festival again
this year. It's a great opportunity to highlight the fantastic wildlife that can
be found locally, with our staff on hand to show the work the RSPB does and how that
helps nature on the islands.
“From Barra to Lewis, we hope to see the variety of wildlife that can be found in
these places such as eagles, otters, waders and maybe even the corncrake.”
Outer Hebrides Wildlife Festival returns this summer
26 May 2025
