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A scenic coastal view with white sandy beaches, clear blue waters, and distant mountains under a partly cloudy sky, with a weathered wooden fence post in the foreground.
Lifestyle & Belief

Sabbath observance is dwindling on the islands of the Outer Hebrides

The Outer Hebrides are the UK’s last holdout of traditional Christian Sunday observance, prohibiting work, shopping, and leisure activities on the Sabbath. But that may soon end.

DW & The World

This October 2013 photo shows the startling white-sand beaches on the west coast of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. The beaches are an easy draw for travelers, though getting into the cold water above your ankles in cooler weather takes some courage and a squeal.

Cara Anna/AP/File

The Outer Hebrides, off the north-west of Scotland, are a remote, beautiful and sometimes awe-inspiring place. Also known as the Western Isles, they’re the UK’s last bastion of old-fashioned Christian Sunday observance, with strictures against working, shopping and even leisure activities on the Sabbath.

But … things are changing.

From our partners at Deutsche Welle, DW, reporter Richard Baynes sent us a report from Stornoway, on the Isles of Lewis and Harris. Click on the blue player above to listen.

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