Editing Outer Hebrides (section)

==Settlements==
{{Location map+|Scotland Outer Hebrides
 |caption={{left|The largest settlements in the Outer Hebrides.}}
 |float=right
 |width=500
 |places =
  {{Location map~|Scotland Outer Hebrides|coordinates = {{coord|58.209|-6.387|}}|position=left|label='''[[Stornoway]]'''|label_size=}}
  {{Location map~|Scotland Outer Hebrides|coordinates = {{coord|58.233|-6.390|}}|position=top|label='''[[Newmarket, Lewis|Newmarket]]'''|label_size=}}
  {{Location map~|Scotland Outer Hebrides|coordinates = {{coord|58.206|-6.355|}}|position=bottom|label='''{{pad|1.8em}}[[Sandwick, Lewis|{{nowrap|Sandwick}}]]'''|label_size=}}
  {{Location map~|Scotland Outer Hebrides|coordinates = {{coord|57.473|-7.378|}}|position=left|label='''[[Balivanich]]'''|label_size=}}
  {{Location map~|Scotland Outer Hebrides|coordinates = {{coord|57.899|-6.808|}}|position=right|label='''[[Tarbert, Harris|Tarbert]]'''|label_size=}}
  {{Location map~|Scotland Outer Hebrides|coordinates = {{coord|57.602|-7.164|}}|position=right|label='''[[Lochmaddy]]'''|label_size=}}
  {{Location map~|Scotland Outer Hebrides|coordinates = {{coord|57.154|-7.309|}}|position=right|label='''[[Lochboisdale]]'''|label_size=}}
  {{Location map~|Scotland Outer Hebrides|coordinates = {{coord|56.955|-7.486|}}|position=bottom|label='''[[Castlebay]]'''|label_size=}}
  
<!-- Bordering council areas -->
  {{Location map~|Scotland Outer Hebrides|coordinates = {{coord|57.2|-6.25|}}|position=left|label=''[[Highland, Scotland#Settlements|Highland council area]]''|marksize=0|label_size=120}}
}}

A 2018 development plan<ref name="ohldp-2018">{{cite web| author = Comhairle nan Eilean Siar| year = 2018| title = Outer Hebrides Local Development Plan, November 2018| url = https://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/media/12598/ohldp-adopted-plan.pdf| pages = 9–10| access-date = 30 Aug 2023}}</ref> divides the Outer Hebrides settlements into four types: [[Stornoway|Stornoway core]], main settlements, rural settlements and outwith settlements. The main settlements are [[Tarbert, Harris|Tarbert]], [[Lochmaddy]], [[Balivanich]], [[Lochboisdale]]/[[Daliburgh]], [[Castlebay|Greater Castlebay]] and greater Stornoway (excluding Stornoway core).

Combining with data from the [[National Records of Scotland]], the principal settlements are:
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Settlement
!Population<br />({{Scottish settlement population citation|year}})<ref name="auto">{{Scottish settlement population citation}}</ref>
|-
|[[Stornoway]]{{efn|name=stornoway-settlement-area|Part of the ''Stornoway settlement'' area<ref name="Overview">{{Cite web|title=Overview|url=https://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/strategy-performance-and-research/outer-hebrides-factfile/population/overview/|access-date=2021-12-13|website=www.cne-siar.gov.uk|language=en-gb|archive-date=7 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221007021641/https://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/strategy-performance-and-research/outer-hebrides-factfile/population/overview/|url-status=dead}}</ref> which has a population of ca. 6,953 (2020).}}
|{{Scottish locality population|name|POP=Steòrnabhagh (Stornoway)}}
|-
|[[Newmarket, Lewis|Newmarket]],{{efn|name=stornoway-settlement-area}} [[Laxdale]]{{efn|name=stornoway-settlement-area}} and [[Marybank, Lewis|Marybank]]
|{{Scottish locality population|name|POP=Margaidh Ùr, Lacasdal and Bruach Mairi (Newmarket, Laxdale and Marybank)}}
|-
|[[Sandwick, Lewis|Sandwick]]{{efn|name=stornoway-settlement-area}} 
|{{Scottish locality population|name|POP=Sanndabhaig (Sandwick)}}
|-
|[[Balivanich]]
|{{Scottish locality population|name|POP=Baile a'Mhanaich (Balivanich)}}
|-
|[[Tarbert, Harris|Tarbert]]
|< 500{{efn|name=notlisted|Not listed in mid-2020 census, indicating a population of less than 500.}}
|-
|[[Lochmaddy]]
|< 500{{efn|name=notlisted}}
|-
|[[Lochboisdale]]/[[Daliburgh]]
|< 500{{efn|name=notlisted}}
|-
|[[Castlebay]]
|< 500{{efn|name=notlisted}}
|-
|}
{{notelist}}

The dispersed settlements consisting of rural settlements and outwith settlements account for about two-thirds of the population of the council area, since the total population of the table is about 9,000.