The Minch (Scottish Gaelic: A' Mhaoil) is a strait in north-west Scotland that separates the mainland from Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides. It was known as Skotlandsfjörð ("Scotland's firth") in Old Norse.
The Minch's southern extension, which separates Skye from the middle islands of the Hebridean chain, is known as the Little Minch. It opens into the Sea of the Hebrides.
The Outer Hebrides (/ˈhɛbrɪdiːz/ HEB-rid-eez) or Western Isles (Scottish Gaelic: na h-Eileanan Siar [nə ˈhelanən ˈʃiəɾ] , na h-Eileanan an Iar [nə ˈhelanən əɲ ˈiəɾ] or na h-Innse Gall, 'Islands of the Strangers'), sometimes known as the Long Isle or Long Island (Scottish Gaelic: an t-Eilean Fada), is an island chain off the west coast of mainland Scotland. It is the longest archipelago in the British Isles. The islands form part of the archipelago of the Hebrides, separated from the Scottish mainland and from the Inner Hebrides by the waters of the Minch, the Little Minch, and the Sea of the Hebrides. The Outer Hebrides are considered to be the traditional heartland of the Gaelic language. The islands form one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, which since 1998 has used only the Gaelic form of its name, including in English language contexts. The council area is called Na h-Eileanan an Iar ('the Western Isles') and its council is Comhairle nan Eilean Siar ('Council of the Western Isles').
Most of the islands have a bedrock formed from ancient metamorphic rocks, and the climate is mild and oceanic. The 19 inhabited islands had an estimated population of 26,020 in 2024, and there are more than 50 substantial uninhabited islands. The distance from Barra Head to the Butt of Lewis is roughly 210 kilometres (130 mi).