The Hebrides (overture) retains this position to the present day. Mendelssohn's first visit to England in 1829 resulted from invitations by Sir George Smart and the Philharmonic Society. Following his tour of England, Mendelssohn proceeded to Scotland, where he began work on his Symphony No. 3, "Scottish". He was engaged on a tour of Scotland with his travelling companion Karl Klingemann when he sent a postcard to his family with the opening phrase of the overture written on it. In a note to his sister Fanny, he said: "In order to make you understand how extraordinarily the Hebrides affected me, I send you
The Hebrides (overture) at first called the work "To the Lonely Island" or "Zur einsamen Insel", but then settled on the present title. However, in 1834, the year after the first publication, Breitkopf & Härtel issued an edition with the name "Fingalshöhle" (Fingal's Cave) and this title stuck, causing some confusion. Being a concert overture, "The Hebrides" does not precede a play or opera, but is instead a standalone composition in a form common for the Romantic period. Dedicated to King Frederick William IV of Prussia, then Crown Prince of Prussia, the B minor work became part of the standard orchestral repertoire and