Introduction
Hebrides Harvest is the marketing company of West Minch Salmon Ltd based in Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland. From the “edge of the world” we pride ourselves in producing the highest quality organic seafood with a remarkable taste and texture. Our unusual climate makes for ideal farming conditions e.g. individual sea lochs with strong tides and currents – as well as wind surfing!”
We have been farming salmon in the Outer Hebrides for over 20 years with sea sites located in Harris, North Uist and Benbecula. Our emphasis is to differentiate our product, particularly for smoking grade for organic for that specialised sector. Hebrides Harvest is one of the few remaining independent farms operating in Scotland that can provide this distinction.
We supply a top quality product and service to all of our customers, who range from international seafood suppliers and large supermarket chains (both in the UK and Europe) to small independent retailers and specialist restauranteurs, all who are individual in their requirements for fresh, filleted or smoked salmon.
Location:
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Isle of Harris
The east side of Harris is famous for rugged scenery. On a grey day it can feel like you have been transported to the moon. Along this coast is known as the Bays of Harris. The road that links the bays to the main road running through Harris is known as the "golden road". It is "golden" on account of the amount it cost to hew the road out of the rock over a century ago. It requires a strong nerve to drive the lorry loaded with salmon from the farm along this winding single track road!
Habitation on the east of Harris was traditionally in fishing villages where sheltered piers could be built. The landscape is so rugged and inhospitable that fishing and crofting were about the only way to reap a living from the area. There are less boats fishing out of Harris now but the piers are also used for the fish farms that are an alternative form of employment.
Our fish farms are set in the rocky inlets or bays. These inlets are sea lochs which have deep water with excellent flow and strong currents. The names here are influenced by the Norse heritage to the islands - one of our fresh water sites, Loch Laxadale appropriately enough comes from the Norse for “valley of the salmon”.
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Isle of Benbecula
In the past the Uists comprised of a number of islands that were only able to be reached one to the other over fords when the tides were low. Benbecula, the “Mountain of the Fords” is the island between North Uist and South Uist and in the 1950s and 1960s causeways were built joining North Uist, Benbecula and South Uist together.
Our processing unit is based at Gramsdale on the island of Benbecula overlooking the causeway to North Uist. We are ideally situated to process fish farmed from the three islands - we also take fish from our Harris sites by boat to be processed at Gramsdale.
We have two sites on the east of the island of Benbecula at Uiskevagh and Petersport. Uiskevagh is the Gaelic for water and Petersport is several minutes from Uiskevagh by boat. |
Isle of North Uist
Our site at Locheport was our first organic site, and is overlooked by Mount Eaval on the island of North Uist.
In the past, Locheport was the loch that the puffer boats used to visit from Glasgow bringing supplies for the north island.
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