The Outer Hebrides have a reputation for being treeless, but this is not quite accurate and travellers wanting to visit woods in the Western Isles can choose from a few areas across the archipelago.
Visitors to Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis will notice that there is no shortage of trees in this area. Much of this greenery is down to the vision of Sir James and Lady Matheson who, during their period of ownership of the Lews in the 19th Century, were responsible for the planting out of the Stornoway policies. Today the Stornoway Castle Woodlands are easily the largest area of mixed woodland in the Western Isles.
These Stornoway woods offer good wildlife spotting opportunities as well as being a great place for woodland walks in the Outer Hebrides.
Within the wooded grounds, which are also a popular spot for mountain biking in the Western Isles, you can find some exotic tree species including Chilean Pine (Monkey Puzzle Tree) and Cedar of Lebanon - but the bulk of this Outer Hebrides woodland is formed by native Scottish tree species such as Beech, Birch, Alder and Elm.
There are several other plantations of coniferous trees on the Isle of Lewis at Garynahine and Aline that were planted over 30 years ago. The main species within these is the Lodgepole Pine which is native to North America. In more recent years there have been a number of initiatives to encourage Western Isles crofting communities to use their land for something other than sheep. As a result of the Crofters Woodland Grant scheme, a number of new Outer Hebrides woodlands and shelterbelts have been planted out.
Travelling through Uist, the visitor will be struck by the general lack of trees, however on the eastern side of North Uist at Langass there is a fabulous woodland and also at Loch Eynort, in South Uist you will see a wonderful plantations where a mixture of trees have been planted and footpaths created.
There is a very pleasant little area of mixed woodland on the Isle of Barra close to Northbay where the dominant species is Sycamore. On the east coast of the island to the north of Easary there is another small Western Isles woodland, which again is mainly Sycamore.
