originally Ebudae, Haebudes, of uncertain origin. Apparently a scribal error turned -u- into -ri-. The Norse name, Suðregar, "Southern Islands," is relative to the Orkneys. Related: Hebridean.
islands off the Atlantic (western) coast of Scotland. As their name suggests, the Inner Hebrides lie close to the west coast of Scotland. They stretch 150 miles (240 km) from Skye in the north to Islay in the south and are separated from the Outer Hebrides (Western Isles) by the Little Minch and the Sea of the Hebrides. The largest islands of the Inner Hebrides are Skye, Mull, Jura, and Islay. The Small Islands, Skye, and the surrounding islands (including Soay, Scalpay, Raasay, and Rona) are part of the Highland council area and belong to the historic county of Inverness-shire. The remainder of the Inner Hebrides lie within the council area of Argyll and Bute and the historic county of Argyllshire.