Sea of the Hebrides

Sea of the Hebrides
An Cuan Barrach (Scottish Gaelic)
The Inner Hebrides and Outer Hebrides
Sea of the Hebrides
Location	Scotland
Coordinates	57°N 7°W / 57°N 7°W / 57; -7
Type	Sea

The Sea of the Hebrides (Scottish Gaelic: An Cuan Barrach, pronounced [ən̪ˠ ˈkʰuan ˈparˠəx])^[1] is a small and partly sheltered section of the North Atlantic Ocean, indirectly off the southern part of the north-west coast of Scotland. To the east are the mainland of Scotland and the northern Inner Hebrides (including Skye and the Small Isles); to the west are the southern Outer Hebrides islands, principally South Uist, Eriskay, and Barra. To the north is the Little Minch, a channel connecting it with the Minch.^[2]

The Sea of the Hebrides forms part of the Inner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland, as defined by the International Hydrographic Organization,^[3] and part of the Seas west of Scotland as far as fisheries management is concerned.

Ending on 30 August 2019, the Scottish Government consulted on a proposal to designate the Sea of the Hebrides a Marine Protected Area (MPA).^[4] The designation was confirmed in December 2020.^[5] The designated area of the MPA covers 1,003,900 hectares (10,039 km²), mainly to protect the area's population of basking sharks and minke whales.^[6]

• Map sources for Sea of the Hebrides
• Sea of the Hebrides MPA Summary Leaflet - Scottish Government