West Loch Tarbert in the storm A series of ferocious storms have seen Harris face school and business closures, communication failures and the most extended power cuts for several years, leaving some residents isolated and unable to call for help. While phone connectivity and electricity have now been restored, the situation highlighted a lack of emergency resilience and has seen residents demand an urgent review of options, particularly for the most vulnerable members of the

Young competitors from the Isle of Harris are celebrating after a successful trip to the Royal National Mòd in Glasgow earlier this month. The Sir E Scott Secondary School choir, conducted by Jayne MacDonald, earned first place in every class they entered, winning the Choral Unison, Choral Puirt-à-Beul and Choral Harmony competitions in their age group. The success of the senior choir is especially noteworthy this year as they were a small group of a dozen singers competing a

A new series of short health walks is being launched in the Tarbert area this Autumn and Winter. Hosted by the North Harris Trust and led by ranger Ian Strachan, anyone is welcome to join one of these gentle strolls, which will take place on Friday mornings at 11am, following one of three routes. The circular routes vary from a tour of Tarbert (1.5km) starting at the Tarbert Community Centre and completing a loop via the marina, to a short (0.75km) walk down Old Pier Road and

A community fundraiser grew arms and legs this September when the Harris walking challenge, in which participants commit to walk 10,000 steps a day for a month, evolved to include a call for participants to build a scarecrow as well. Throughout September and into October, scarecrows appeared around the island, bringing smiles to the faces of walkers and drivers. Among the creations were Puddle Poppy, who appeared to have got into difficulty in the rain, a Dolly Parton, compl

Your guide to what's happening in Harris this week and next.

An Urgha restaurant has become the first in the Outer Hebrides to be awarded three AA Rosettes. Flavour, where chef Chris Loye offers a memorable fine dining experience, was praised by inspectors for its “hyperlocal food in a unique setting.” The restaurant was one of only eight from around the UK to receive the triple rosette rating, recognised internationally as a mark of excellence. Three AA rosettes awarded for fantastic Flavour of Harris “Occupying a small building in Ta

A new 20 mile per hour speed limit is to be introduced in central Tarbert, along with a reduction in speed limits on the approaches to the village. The changes follow years of road safety campaigning from local groups and will bring the village in line with the Scottish Government’s national strategy to ensure all appropriate roads in built-up areas have a safer speed limit of 20mph. At present, the only 20mph speed limits in Tarbert are variable limits next to the school, wh

In our regular feature, we join a local for a tea break and find out how they spend their time - and their time off. This issue we welcome Julie, the new manager at the new-look Scalpay Community Centre, to chat about what’s happening there. What’s your story so far? I worked in retail pharmacy for around 12 years, most recently as a Pharmacy Manager with Boots. Earlier this year I made quite a big change, leaving my job and moving to Scalpay. When the opportunity came up to

The final service at Manish Church in the Bays of Harris was held on Sunday, August 30. A full congregation attended, many seated in family pews that had once been occupied by their ancestors. A series of events over the weekend marked the closure, including a service of reflection on Friday, at which Rev Murdo Smith and historian Hamish Taylor shared ‘heart histories’. The sacrament was shared for the last time at a communion service on Sunday morning, followed by the final

Do you know of a community project which helps to improve the mental health and wellbeing of local people in the Western Isles? If so, it could be eligible for funding through the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, which is now open for its sixth year. The fund’s key priorities include: -Addressing mental health inequalities with ‘at risk’ groups -Tackling social isolation, loneliness, suicide prevention and poverty and inequality, with a focus on responding to the

Your guide to What's On in Harris for the next two weeks.

In our regular feature, we join a local for a tea break and find out how they spend their time - and their time off. This issue, we welcome Jenny, who has been busy setting up her creative new business, Isle Embroider. What's your story so far? I grew up in Harris and went off to uni in Glasgow after school. I was happy there for many years, I had a few different jobs and even went back to uni as a mature student. Eventually though, I realised that the big city didn't hold th

From Hebrides People The redesigned visitor centre: exterior (credit: Hebrides People) A transformational £8.25 million redevelopment of the Hebrides People Visitor Centre is now underway, marking a significant step forward for one of the Outer Hebrides’ most important heritage destinations. Contractors are moving on site following years of planning and fundraising, with the project set to upgrade facilities, safeguard the internationally recognised genealogy archive and crea

From Bays of Harris Community Estate Ltd Grosebay in the Bays of Harris, by John Maher Bays of Harris Community Estate Ltd is delighted to announce that it has been awarded £1,082,680 by the Scottish Land Fund, securing the funding needed to bring the Bays of Harris Estate into community ownership. The award marks a major milestone in a journey that began 14 years ago and brings the community a significant step closer to achieving its long-held ambition of owning and managing

Scotland’s First Minister, John Swinney, has visited the Isle of Harris for the first time since his re-election. He attended an event to open the new housing estate at Leverburgh, answered residents’ questions at a public meeting in Tarbert and visited the newly-refurbished Scalpay Community Centre. His first stop on Tuesday was the 12-home Hebridean Housing Partnership development at Lèana an t-Sruith. This was completed in November 2025 by Alex Murray Construction Limited

In our regular feature, we join a local for a tea break and find out how they spend their time - and their time off. This issue we welcome Loraine Niven, the new General Manager at the Leverhulme Community Hub What’s your story so far? Halo, Is mise Lanie, Tha mi à Siorrachd Àir...and that is about as good as my Gaelic is so far. I was brought up around the countryside, my Papa ran the sawmill, my uncles were foresters and we helped at the farm a lot. I left school and was a

From Scalpay Community Centre: After a closure of several months for major refurbishment, Scalpay Community Centre has re-opened its doors. The transformation of the centre is something everyone in the community can be proud of. The new An Cala Café is a wonderful addition, and we’re excited to see it become a welcoming hub for both local residents and visitors. This incredible project is a testament to the dedication of the trustees and chairman of the Scalpay Community Asso

From the Race Director: The Isle of Harris Running Festival concluded on Saturday 4 July, with participants taking part in the half marathon, 5km and Fun Run. We also saw the long-awaited return of the Heb Half series challenge, a multi-island challenge incorporating the half marathons of Harris, Barra, Stornoway, Skye and Benbecula. The number of participants in the Harris half marathon increased by over 50% from last year. The success of the race is testament to the contrib