isle of lewis eilean leodhais ljodhus of …...the lewis chessmen are perhaps the most iconic...

LEWIS forms the northernexpanse of Lewis and Harris.It covers about 683mi2

(1,790km2) and holds about75% of the population of theOuter Hebrides (about18,500), half of whom live inthe Stornoway area.

In modern Gaelic the island iscalled Leodhas, which in turnprobably derives from the OldNorse Ljodhus, soundinghouse. This is an alternativename for the large halls wherethe Norse spent much time inwinter telling stories, recitingpoetry and drinking.

Most likely the name is muchmore ancient and may be theisland called Limnu byPyolemy around 150AD.Interestingly limnou meansmarshy in Greek. Since thisname is at least 2,000 yearsold, and probably much older,the conclusion must be thatthe origin of the name Lewis isancient. But it probably isvery apt since much of theisland is indeed marshy.

Except in the south, most of

the island is low lying. Theinterior is a vast peatbog,strewn with inumerablelochans. Society here differsfrom elsewhere in most ofScotland. The PresbterianChurch and Sunday obser-vance remain strong andGaelic is the first language ofthe majority of the people.

Traditional practices such ascrofting, peat cutting andsmall scale fishing continue.Ceilidhs, traditional storytelling, music and song eventsare held regularly. TheHebridean Celtic Festival heldin Stornoway each July., is oneof the high points of the localcultural year.

Lewis is a land of contrasts.Stornoway, with its busy har-bour, Victorian buildings andmodern sprawl of housing andbusinesses is totally differen tothe rest of the island. There isa diverse range of archaeologi-cal and historic sites to visit,many fine beaches andgoodoppotunities to observewildlife.

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LJODHUS OF THE NORSE SAGASISLE OF LEWIS - EILEAN LEODHAIS

The Lewis Chessmen are perhaps the most iconic artefacts associated with the island

catches, while Herring andMackerel are landed at Mainlandports such as Kinlochbervie.

In 1653 Cromwell’s army built afort on Goat Island, and a citadelwhere Point Street is now. By

1695 there were about 60 familiesin Stornoway and a church andschool, while by 1796 the popula-tion was 2,639. Herring was themain source of wealth to the town,which was a major fishing port forover 200 years.

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Stornoway from Lews cCastle grounds with the ferry “MVIsle of Lewis” arriving

STORNOWAY - STEORNABHAGH

Map of Stornoway in 1821

PLACES TO VISITIN AND AROUNDSTORNOWAY

CASTLE

Lews Castle groundswoodland walks & Woodlands CentreChambered cairn & panoramic view-point at Cnac na Crioch (Gallows Hill)in Lews Castle grounds (NB417323)

TOWN CENTRE

An Lanntair Arts Centre Museum nan EileanStornoway Public LibraryLewis Sports CentreLewis Loom Centre, 3 BayheadStornoway Harbour

NORTH

War Memorial and viewpointPriest’s Glen stone circleoff Laxdale Lane NB411352Mudflats and Sands of Tong for birdwatchingTraigh Chuil lovely beach at Coll

SOUTH

Dun on LochArnish (NB189412)Arnish Point -(NB430310)lighthouse and WWII gun batteriesMemorial to Bonnie Prince CharlieArnish (NB425300)

EAST

Iolaire Monument (NB444305)St Columba’s ChurchAignish (NB484323)Souterrains at GressNB491415 and NB494419Land Wars cairns at Gress and AignishBraigh na h-Aoidhe Beachon way to Eye Peninsula

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STORNOWAY, Steornabhagh(ON Stjornavagr, Steering orAnchorage Bay) is one of the bestnatural harbours in the Hebridesand by far the largest settlement inthe Western Isles with a popula-tion about 9,000. The original set-tlement was probably in the vicini-ty of Point Street, but no buildingsremain which are older than the-late 18th century.

Herring fishing drew the Dutch,English and Lowland Scots to thearea in the 17th century and thetown developed into a major fish-ing port during the 19th century.Most of the main buildings datefrom this time or later. The oldestis said to be late the 18th centuryFishermen’s Coop building onNorth Beach.

The medieval Castle was the

stronghold of the MacLeods whowere said to be descended from the12th century Norseman, Olav theBlack, King of Man and the Isles.It is highly likely that there was aViking stronghold on this site, andperhaps an Iron Age broch beforethat, although there is no evidence.

Clan MacLeod dominated Lewisfor about 400 years. The castlewas the scene of dramatic eventson several occasions. In 1506,Crown troops under the Earl ofHuntly besieged it whilst search-ing for the forfeited Donald DubhMacDonald, Lord of the Isles.The castle was finally destroyed in1654 by Cromwell’s soldiers afetr abattle with the MacLeods. Theremains are under the old ro-ropier.

In 1598 James VI declared Lewisforfeit to the MacLeods and hegranted the island to the FifeAdventurers who were to civiliseand colonise it. In October 1598they arrived at Stornoway alongwith 600 soldiers. However muchthe settlers may have achieved theywere chased off the island and theirhouses burned. The MacLeodswere temporarily in control again,but in 1607 ownership againpassed to the remaining settlers.

By 1610 the MacKenzie Earl ofSeaforth was in power and thefamily was to remain so until 1844.In 1628 Stornoway was erected tothe status of a Royal Burgh, butonly briefly due to objections fromother towns. The excellent har-bour and rich fishing grounds ofthe Minch have ensured that fish-ing has always been important tothe town. Today, whitefish andshellfish are the most important

ISLE OF LEWIS - EILEAN LEODHAIS

VisitHebrides

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Car ferry from Stornoway toUllapool2h 40min

Car ferry from Stornoway toUllapool2h 40min

Lews Castle After the purchase ofLewis in 1844 by JamesMathieson, considerable develop-ment took place in the town andLews Castle was built, all financedfrom the selling of opium smug-gled into China. The Castle is nowowned by the Council, but is badlyin need of renovation. Behind itthe modern buildings of LewsCollege, a part of the University ofthe Highlands and Islands, reflectsa newer philosophy.

There is a panoramic view ofStornoway from the top ofGallows Hill. Vast quantities ofsoil were imported by theMathiesons plantations. They areespecially attractive during springand summer, with over 70 speciesof trees and shrubs in strong con-trast to the rest of the mostly tree-less islands. Many wild flowersand woodland birds can also beseen here.

An old sawmill near the Castlewas renovated by the StornowayTrust, creating the WoodlandCentre. This has an excellent cafe-teria, small shop and interpretativedisplays about the Castle grounds,which are being greatly improved.There are several interesting way-marked walks to follow.

Stornoway Golf Clubwas found-ed in 1890. on the site ofStornoway Airport. The originalcourse was requisitioned by theAir Ministry in 1939. The present18 hole course in the grounds ofLews Castle was opened in1947..

Lord Leverhulme of Unileverbought the island in 1918. He hadgrandiose ideas about developing

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Stornoway as an industrial fishingport, but despite investing largesums he failed to get the support ofthe crofters of Lewis. He thenoffered ownership of all of Lewisto the people but only Stornowayaccepted. Title to the town andparish of Stornoway was trans-ferred to the Town Council in

1923. It is now administered bythe Stornoway Trust,which untilrecently was unique as a form ofcommunity land ownership.

Harbour The harbour is alwaysinteresting and is base to a largenumber of small fishing boats.Most fish for prawns, scallops or

whitefish in the Minch. The har-bour fills up with the colourfulfleet on Saturday nights as crewsspend Sunday ashore. Catches arelanded at the fish market here, oth-erwise at Kinlochbervie, Ullapoolor Mallaig.


Stornoway from Aird a Chleirich in the Castle GardensWoodland Centre Lewis chessman

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Stornoway Fishermen’s Coop building dates from the 1830s

Lews Castle

Stornoway street furniture - reminders of the Herring fishing

Roderick Smith Ltd

The Baltic BookshopNewsagent & Bookseller

Stornoway

8-10 Cromwell Street, Stornoway,Isle of Lewis HS1 2DA

Tel 01851 702082Fax 01851 [email protected]

balticbookshop.co.uk

An Lanntair Arts Centre

Stornoway in springtime

assist him. He failed to find a shipand was not even allowed access tothe town. However neither was hebetrayed.

The War Memorial on Cnoc anUan (NB418343) was opened in1924 to honour the 1,151Lewismen killed in WWI out of atotal of about 6,700 serving in theforces. Unsurprisingly, returningservicemen were determined tohave land to themselves. This sitewas chosen because all four Lewisparishes are visible from it. TheMemorial also commemorates the376 killed in WWII.

HMS Iolaire tragedy The returnof servicemen was to be made evenmore tragic by the loss of theAdmiralty yacht, HMS Iolaire on1st January 1919. The vessel struckthe Beasts of Holm, off HolmPoint, only about 3km fromStornoway and 205 Lewismenwere lost within sight of home.That 71 survived was due to aNessman who managed to swimashore with a line. There is amemorial at Holm Point(NB444305) which overlooks theseemingly innocuous rocks. Afootpath now runs to this site.

Sir Alexander MacKenzie, whowas a partner in the North WestCompany, was born in the town in1764. He was the first Europeanto travel across Canada overland,and the Mackenzie River is namedafter him. Another Mackenzie,born in 1752, became SurveyorGeneral of India and was responsi-ble for the first maps of parts of thesubcontinent.

Stornoway Airport CaptainFresson first landed his DragonRapide on the then golf course in1934, which was developed as anairfield in WWII for CoastalCommand. Anti-submarine, anti-shipping and convoy escort patrolstook place from here and manyAmerican aircraft passed throughon their way to Britain.

From 1986 to 1993 Stornowaywas a Forward Operating Base forNATO and the runway was great-ly extended. Although no longer aNATO base the airfield has bene-fited greatly from the militaryinvestment. A large new passengerterminal was opened here in 2001.

Stornoway The area has

undoubtedly welcomed visitorssince long before the first Vikingentered Stornoway Harbour inthe late 700s AD. Over the cen-turies fishermen and seamen fromHolland, Scotland, Norway, theBaltic and further afield have usedthe port. High heid yins and ordi-nary folk have come and gone, andsome have had streets named afterthem, or plaques mounted forthem.

The town and bay is a uniqueplace, Gaelic yet British,Hebridean yet Scottish, laid backyet bustling. It makes a good basefrom which to explore Lewis andHarris.

An Lanntair Arts Centre is situ-ated in purpose-built premisesopposite the ferry terminal. Thereare regular exhibitions of work bylocal, national, and internationalartists. The latest films are shownin the cinema and many culturalevents, including operas, plays andmusic are held. The coffee shopand restaurant has excellent viewsover the harbour. The shop stocksbooks, cards and crafts.

The Lewis Loom Centre in theOld Grainstore at 3 Bayheadshould not be missed. The tourincludes explanations of the struc-ture of different wools, dyeing,spinning and weaving and there

are some unusual things for sale. Museum nan Eilean in FrancisStreet is well worth a visit to see itsdisplays on local archaeology andhistory. There are periodic exhibi-tions of artefacts on loan fromother museums. Finds from morerecent excavations may be on showhere. The Public Library inCromwell Street has a good collec-tion of local books for reference, aswell as free Internet access.

St Columba’s Parish Kirk wasbuilt in 1794 and is one of the old-est buildings in the town. StPeter’s Episcopal Church has aneclectic selection of artefactsincluding a sandstone font origi-

nally from the chapel on theFlannan Islands, a Dutch bell dat-ing from 1631, a prayer bookwhich belonged to the 19th centurymissionary David Livingstone andfinally the 1608 Breechesbible.

Arnish Point The lighthouse herewas first lit in 1852 and is unusualin that it was prefabricated on theClyde rather than being built onsite. The oil platform yard wasbuilt in the 1970s, but now liesidle, however if oil developmentstake place to the west it may seework again. There are also propos-als to build aerogenerators here.

There are interesting gun emplace-ments from WWII on the sea-ward side of the Point. Across theharbour there are two six-inchguns in a setting at Battery Pointnext to the power station. Theycommemorate the many volun-teers who trained here over theyears (NB433322).

A cairn above Arnish Point com-memorates the visit by BonniePrince Charlie in May 1746 whenhe was attempting to escape toFrance. It is a monument to failureas nobody in Stornoway would

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Memorial to those lost on “HMS Iolaire”


Stornoway by William Daniell, 1815


Stornoway War Memorial

Fishing boats return to harbour, passing Arnish Point lighthouse Tree stump in the Castle grounds

AIGNISH To the east ofStornoway lies the peninsula ofAignish or Eye (ON Eggnes,Ridge Ness) and also known asPoint, which is connected to therest of Lewis by a sandy tombolo.Braigh na-h-Aoidhe (G ridge,ON eid, ayre or tombolo). Thebeach on the north side is one ofthe finest in Lewis. Both sides aregood for walks and birdwatching.

Loch Branahuie at the east endof the Aignish tombolo is alsovery good for visiting and residentwaterfowl. The Braighe, the bay tothe south, holds large numbers ofseaducks and divers in winter.

Eaglais na h-Aoidhe is a roofless14th century church at Aignish,dedicated to St Columba. Anearlier 6th century chapel mayhave been founded by St Catan.

There are two interesting graveslabs in the church, one to the 15th

century Roderic II and the otherto his daughter, Margaret, wife ofthe last Abbot of Iona.

Aignish Riot The nearbyCrofters’ Cairn commemoratesthe events of 1888. A meeting inthe old churchyard on ChristmasDay 1887 decided to give a MrNewall, of Aignish Farm, twoweeks to move out his stock. On9th January 1888 a riot ensuedafter a large party of raiders triedto drive his animals to Stornoway.

They were stopped by a SheriffFraser with the help of a party ofRoyal Marines and a Company ofRoyal Scots. Fraser read the RiotAct, and eventually the mob dis-persed after the arrest of 11 men.Aignish Farm was turned into

crofts in 1905. Thus ultimatelythe landowner’s plans weredefeated.

The Eye Peninsula is denselypopulated with many crofts andtwo small harbours at Pabail andPort na Giuran. The seeminglyoddly named Chicken Head(ON Kirku Ness, Church Ness).It is called Gob na Creige on themap. There is a ruined chapel onthe cliff edge (NB508292) and alarge Kittiwake colony below.

Tiumpan Head is the most east-erly point on Lewis, with expan-sive views across the Minch on aclear day. The lighthouse was firstlit in 1900 and automated in1985. This and other vantagepoints along the Eye coastline aregood places to watch for Risso’sand other Dolphins in late sum-mer, as well as for migrant birds inSpring and Autumn.

Prehistoric sites include DunBayble (NB516305) and ClachStein (NB517318) both nearBayble and a chambered cairn(NB524331) near Garrabost.The famous Sulaisiadar axe wasfound in peat near the townshipand dates from 3150BC.

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EAST COAST - THE EYE PENINSULA

Loch an Tiumpan is a good place to see waterfowl and waders

St Columba’s Church or Eaglais na h-Aoidhe

Tiumpain Head lighthouse - good seawatching site

EYE PENINSULA

Barraigh na h-Aoidhe, beachLoch Branahuie, birdwatchingSt Columba’s Church, 14th centuryAignish Crofter’s Cairn, 1888 riotChicken Head, chapel and birdsDun Bayble, crannog, Loch an DunClach Stein, standing stonePort Mholair, lighthouse harbourTiumpan Head, lighthouseLoch Tiumpan, birdwatching

Memorial to the Aignish Riot

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Braigh na-h-Aoidhe, usually called The Braigh, is a lovely stretch of reddish sand on the north side of the tombolo

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15th century grave slab

Aignish Riot in 1888

has spectacular small stacks orcastles set in a very attractivesandy bay. The greens and bluesof the sea are more like theCaribbean than the Minch.These beaches are deservedlypopular with local people.

Bridge to Nowhere North ofTolsta the road peters out at theBridge to Nowhere DuringLeverhulme’s time on Lewis itwas planned to build a road con-necting Tolsta with Ness.However, only the rather elegantconcrete bridge over the RiverGarry was built. A track leadsabout a mile further before peter-ing out.

From here is a fine but strenuouswalk to Ness over rugged moor-land by the coast. The many

lochs are excellent territory forRed-throated Divers. Great andArctic Skuas nest on the moors,Peregrines inhabit the remotecliffs and Gannets may be seenoffshore, Golden and White-tailed Eagles frequent the area.

Little huts called airighs ot sheil-ings dot the landscape. In the pastcattle were grazed on lush moor-land grass in summer. They wereaccompanied by young womenand girls who stayed in the huts,to milk the cows to make butterand cheese.

North-east of Stornoway are thetownships of Tunga, Coll, Back,and Gress. These are all Norsenames, (ON Bakki, Ridge; Kula ,Hill; Tunga, Spit of land). Thefertile Torridonian sandstone soilwith beaches backed by dunesand machair make this good agri-cultural land, the scene of muchunrest during the Land Wars.

Although most sandy beaches onLewis are on the west side, a fineseries stretches runs aroundBroad Bay. They extend fromAignish all the way to Tolsta andare sheltered by headlands withlow cliffs.

The Tunga saltflats can beaccessed from Steinis (ON SteinNes, Stony Point NB448339) orfrom Tong (ON Tunga, tongue).They are good for waterfowl andwaders. There is a large Terncolony at Gob Steinis. The dunesand extensive sandy beach ofTraigh Mealabost (ON MealBolstadir, Sandy Farm) can alsobe accessed from Steinis.

St Olav’s Church (TeampallAmblaigh NB490416) is one ofthe few extant chapels dedicatedto a Norse saint in the WesternIsles. It may date from the 12th

century. This is not surprising

considering that the Vikingswould have settled the best landfirst. The windows are interestingwith very narrow outer slits..

Traigh Gress is another finesandy beach. The remains of awooden steamship can be seen atlow tide. Nearby is a memorial tothe Gress Land Raids took placeafter WWI in protest atLeverhulme’s plans for economicdevelopment rather than crofting.

Tolsta To the north, the roadrises over moorland beforedescending into Tolsta (ON Toli’sStadir, Tolly’s Farm). There arewonderful panoramic views fromhere on a clear day. Sheilavig Moris a lovely little cove with a smallsandy beach and low cliffs.

The beaches and low cliffs ofTolsta are among the most attrac-tive in the Western Isles. TraighMhor\\\\\\9G Big Beach) is over2km long, backed by dunes andmachair. At its southeast end,Tolsta Head has small stacks andnatural arches. Traigh Giordaleis sheltered from all direction butsoutheast.

Traigh Gheardha (ON Gerd,Farm) is at the end of the road. It

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EAST COAST - TONG TO TOLSTA

Traigh Mhor

Stacks on Traigh Gheardha

St Olav window showing narrow slitSt Olav’s Church, (also called St Aula’s or Teampull Amblaigh)

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Cellar Head and the coastline north of Tolsta


Wreck on Traigh Gress

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the mountains of Uig and Harrisfrom here. On a clear day thegreens, blues and mauves are quitespectacular.

Peatbanks are scattered along allof these roads. Many are stillworked for fuel. They are cut inApril or May. A special spadecalled a tuskar is used to cut andthrow the turves onto the bank..When partially dry they are set upin threes, then carted home wherepeatstacks are built.

Neat banks and stacks are a sourceof great pride, and communitieshave varied methods of cutting,setting up and stacking. One thingin common is the use of old greyFerguson tractors, usually withdouble back wheels and each care-fully restored and maintained.

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STORNOWAY TO THE WESTSIDE

Tree stumps with roots are oftendug up in peatbanks

Ardmore cottages

View from Eithshal over many lochs to the mountains of southern Lewis and north Harris

Stornoway to theWestside

Pentland RoadEitshal viewpointAchmoreConifer plantationsShielingsTreestumps in peatPeatcuttingsMoorland birdsMaryhill refuse tip

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There are several ways to get to thewest side of Lewis fromStornoway. the interior of theisland is a vast moorland, dominat-ed by heather and dotted withcountless small lochs. There arevirtually no habitations inland,apart from Achmore.

Barvas Road (A857) The road toBarvas runs northwest across themoor and through Gleann Mor

Barvas. Between Stornoway andBarvas there are no houses. In con-trast settlements are scattered allthe way northeast to Ness andsouthwest to Garynahine.

Pentland Road The most scenicroute follows the line of a railwayproposed by Leverhulme in the1920s. The plan was to land fish atLoch Carloway near the head ofLoch Roag and transport it to

Stornoway for processing andshipment. Leverhulme aban-doned this scheme due to localopposition. The concrete bridge atCarloway was part of this route.

Thanks to him the present singletrack road leads across the moorfrom Marybank to Carloway,.The first part (A858) passes themunicipal rubbish dump, a fineplace to see gulls and buzzards. AtLoch Vanadip the Pentland Roadgoes all the way to Carloway, witha branch to Breasclete. Red andBlack-throated Divers breed onmany of the lochs.

Eithshal (223m) overlooks theinland settlement of Achmore. Asteep road leads to its summit,which is dominated by TV andmobile phone masts. There is apanoramic view over Lochs and


Restored old Ferguson tractors with double back wheels are a coomon sight Peat is still commonly cut for fuel

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equinoctial sunset, and local noon,but other alignments are quite pos-sible. It has also been suggestedthat the eastern row is aligned withthe rising of the Pleiades aroundMay Day, or Beltane. This wouldhave been about the when cropswere planted.

The 13 monoliths in the ring mayreflect the 13 year months of thelunar year. During each monthmoonrise and moonset vary fromnorth to south and back due to therelative movements of the Earth

and the Moon. In additionbecause the plane of the Moon’sorbit is slightly different from thatof the Earth’s around the Sun, themaximum northerly and southerlyazimuths vary over a period of18.6 years, as does the cycle oflunar eclipses. During this periodthere are major and minor lunarstandstills when the apparentmovement of the Moon stops andreverses direction. At the latitudeof Callanish (58oN) the Moon justskims the horizon at its majorstandstill.

This phenomenon can beobserved from the avenue every18.6 years, when the Moonappears to dance along the ridge tothe south which is called Cailleachna mointich (G Old Lady of theMoors) It sets behind the hill tothe southwest, only to momentar-ily reappear, or flash in a notch justto the west in a manner very remi-niscent of the sun’s behaviour atMaeshowe and the nearbyWatchstone before and after thewinter solstice in Orkney.

In about 325BC, Pytheas theGreek circumnavigated Britainand perhaps even visited Iceland.He is indirectly quoted by the 1st

century BC historian, DiodorusSiculus as having seen a round tem-ple on an island no smaller than Sicilywhile sailing around Britainand thatthe path of the Moon seen from thisisland was very low in the sky. Thegod visited the island every 19 years,the 18.6 year cycle.

The Moon was stated to dance fromthe Spring equinox until the rising ofthe Pleiades, or Beltane (May Day).

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Major lunar standstill

WESTSIDE - CALLANISH (CALANAIS)

CALLANISHCALANAIS

Midsummer sunriseMidsummer sunsetEquinoctial sunsetMidwinter sunriseMidwinter sunsetLunar major standstillLunar monthsLocal noonBeltane, May DaySmall stone circlesChambered cairns

CALLANISH (ON KjallarNess, Keel Point) The standingstones and chambered cairns ofthe Callanish (Calanais) area onthe east side of Loch Roag formone of the most remarkableNeolithic sites in Britain. A good

place to start a visit to the west ofLewis is the Callanish VisitorCentre which has an interpreta-tion area, an interesting shop and acafe. The main monument is situ-ated just up the hill.

The inner stone ring of the mainsite here probably dates fromabout 2900BC, while the cham-bered cairn and rows may be oflater date. It seems likely that themonument may never have beencompleted and that avenues mayhave been planned for all four axes.

The 33 Lewisian Gneiss mono-liths form rows, which radiatefrom a central circle and arearranged like a Celtic cross. Thenorthern avenue is slightly east ofnorth, while the southern arm isaligned due south. The easternand western arms in turn facesouth of east and due west.

The stones were partially buried inpeat which had accumulated sinceperhaps 1500BC, but were fullyrevealed when this was cleared in1857. Unfortunately this actiondestroyed most of the archaeologi-cal evidence which may have beenpresent. The surfaces have weath-ered into fantastic contours andthe crystals within the rock give it avery beautiful texture, which varieswith the light.

Obvious solar alignments are the


Midsummer sunrise at Callanish

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inally have been a sea marker.There are at least another twentystone settings, standing stones andchambered cairns in this area,which was clearly of great symbol-ic importance in Neolithic times.Perhaps a geophysical survey willin future reveal structures to rivalthose recently discovered on theNess of Brodgar in Orkney.

It is of course impossible to confirmthat Pyrheas visited Lewis in the 4th

century BC, but it is entirely possi-ble. It seems that he several madesolar observations as Hipparchuslater made calculations on his data,and one of the latitudes measuredwas the crucial 58oN at which theMoon does its dance along thehorizon at its major standstill.

Whether or not the site was actu-ally intended to have solar, stellar orlunar alignments will never beproven, but no one can visitCallanish without being over-whelmed by the confluence of sky,water, landscape and monoliths,whatever the season, weather ortime of day.

Small circlesApart from the mainstone setting (NB213330) thereare several other smaller, butremarkable stone circles to visit inthe area, including Cnoc anGharraidh (NB223326) and CnocFillbhir Bheag (NB226328) nearthe A858 just before the turn off tothe Visitor Centre. Cul a Cleit((NB247303) is about 1km offthe A858 and Ceann Hulavig(NB230304) off the B8011 on asmall hillock overlooking LochRoag. Each of these names is amixture of Gaelic and Old Norsedescribing monuments built bypeople whose language and culturewe do not know.

Chambered cairns An unusualfeature of some of the stone circlesin this area is the presence of a cen-tral cairn. Excavation of the cairnat the main site suggests that it mayhave been in use between 2500and 1750BC. It is unique for theOuter Hebrides in resemblingsome cairns in Orkney. GroovedWare and Beaker pottery sherdswere found here.

The most spectacular views of themain Callanish setting are fromthe sea and it has been suggestedthat the tallest monolith may orig-

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WESTSIDE - CALLANISH (CALANAIS)

Cean Hulavig overlooks Loch Roag from a small hill on the B8011

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Cnoc Filibhir Beag has 17 upright stones

Cnoc an Gharaidh to the east of the main settingThe northern avenue with its impressive outermost monolith

Midsummer sunrise

The stones have many fine lichens

Weathered Lewisian Gneiss

The central circle and chambered cairn

were surprised here by a group ofMacCauleys, who climbed thewalls and threw burning heatherinto the broch, thus asphyxiatingtheir arch enemies. It seems thatpeople were still living here in thelate 1800s. Dun Carloway was inuse for well over 2000 years. It isone of the most evocative brochs inthe Outer Hebrides.

The site has been in Stateguardianship since 1887. Thenearby Doune Broch Centre helpsvisitors to better understand themonument and its history, as wellas brochs in general. It has a smallshop and interpretation displays aswell as toilets. The path to thebroch offers fine views over thetownship.

CARLOWAY (ON Karlsvagr,Karl’s Bay) On the A858 northfrom Callanish, the township ofBreascleit has a standing stone anda chambered cairn. The ex shorestation for the Flannan Isles light-house, called Taigh Mor (G BigHouse) is situated here too.Families of the lightkeepers stayedhere before automation in 1971.

The broch of Dun Carloway(Doune Carlabhagh, NB190413) isthe most complete and spectacularof any in the Western Isles anddates from perhaps the 1st centuryBC or earlier. In common withmany other such brochs it isprominently situated on a smallhillock overlooking the township.The walls still reach more than 9min height.

The double walls are over 3m thickat the base and enclose gallerieswhich are accessed by a stairway.There is a scarcement 2.5m abovethe floor, which is 7.6m in diame-ter, and it has been suggested thatthis was the main habitation level.It would have been supported bywooden posts. Many of the origi-nal stones are no doubt in the wallsof the ruined blackhouses belowthe broch.

A narrow doorway on the west

side has a guard cell on the right-hand side and jambs for a woodendoor. The interior walls are verti-cal, but the exterior is much thick-er at the base, thinning towards thetop with a pronounced batter. Thedrystone walls are very well con-structed and no doubt will survivemany more millenia. The buildingtechniques used clearly show theconsiderable skill of the Iron Agemasons who built these dry stonetowers.

The main part of the broch wascleared out in the 1920s withoutproper archaeological study.However the northeast cell wasinvestigated in 1972. Large num-bers of pottery sherds were found,along with part of a quernstoneand much evidence of fires. Itseems that this represents use aslate as 700AD.

In about 1500 some Morrisons

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Dun Carloway in about 1900

WESTSIDE - CARLOWAY

The Doune Braes Hotel offers a personal welcome from your host, Eileen MacDonald, and her staff, whooffer comfortable accommodation, fine food and spectacular surroundings. It is tranquilly situated in thetownship of Carloway on the west side of the Isle of Lewis, with lovely beaches and world class archaeolo-

gy nearby. It is an excellent base for exploring Lewis and Harris.

CarlowayIsle of Lewis

HS2 9AA

w w w . d o u n e - b r a e s . c o . u k

Tel 01851 643252Fax 01851 643435

Doune Braes Hotel

[email protected]

86

Intramural staircase

The former shore station of the Flannan Islands lighthouse

Dun Carloway stands on a prominent hillock above the township


The remains of a broch lie on asmall island on Loch an Duna atBragar which is connected to theshore by a causeway (NB286475).The broch is 16m in diameter out-side and 9m inside. An internalscarcement can be made out at aheight of about 3m. Although thebroch is ruinous the site is veryevocative, especially on a misty daywhen modern buildings areobscured.

Also at Bragar, the lower jawbones of an 85ft Blue Whale forman unusual gateway. The whalecame ashore in 1920 with the har-poon which killed it still embed-ded in its body. The crofter whoremoved the explosive harpoonwas lucky. It it exploded in hisshed, but he was not there at thetime. Recently the arch has beencoated in fibre glass as the bonewas starting to disintegrate.

This section of the west side ofLewis has a coastline of low rockycliffs interspersed with beautifulsandy bays such as at Dalmore,Dalbeg and Shawbost. There aremany small lochs, behind shinglestorm beaches, which are attractiveto Otters. The townships ofShawbost, Bragar and Arnol arealmost continuously settled, hav-ing ruined blackhouses intermin-gled with 20th century dwellingsand croft buildings.

North of Carloway, the 19th centu-ry Gearrannan blackhouse village(NB194442) has a hostel, self-catering cottages, and a shop withinterpretation centre and tearoom.The inhabitants were crofters andfishermen who pulled their boatsup at nearby Geodha Ruadh.

A coastal walking route runsfrom Gearrannan to Dalbeg. Itpasses two promontory forts,which might just as easily be

monastic as physically defensive,then a ruinous Norse-type mill.Further on Dalmore beach is thesite of a Bronze Age settlementwhich was revealed after a storm in1982. Large amounts of potteryand other artefacts were recovered.

The walk ends at the delightful lit-tle cove of Dalbeg. This beach isdangerous to swimmers, andsurfers should take great care here.Large seaworn stones are a featurehere. A stream flows into the seaacross the sand. Loch Dalbeg is agood place to spot Otters and theloch has beautiful Irises and WaterLilies in summer.

Just before Shawbost there is aNorse type mill and kiln(NB244464). The millstone isturned directly by a vertical axiswaterwheel and due to the noisemade when in operation they werereferred to as click mills. There aremany in the Western Isles, but thisis the only one in working order.They were in use up to the 19th

century.

The mill workings are visible in thespace below the millstone. Waterfrom a burn is funnelled to the millrace by a stone lined lade. Themillwheel turned the upper mill-stone, grain being fed into the cen-tre by a mechanism which movesthe hopper, hence the clickingsound. Meal was gathered in thespace around the lower stone.

Shawbost also has a small butinteresting Folk Museum in theold school, and an attractive smallsandy beach. A large wool millcatering for the Harris Tweedindustry is situated here.

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WESTSIDE - CARLOWAY TO BARVAS

Whalebone arch at BragarRestored kiln at Shawbost

Shawbost kiln

Dalbeg

Carloway to BarvasBeaches

Dalmore, Dalbeg, Shawbost, BarvasBlackhouses

Gearrannan, Arnol, ShawbostNorse Mill & Kiln

ShawbostBrochs

Carloway, BragarWhalebone Arch

Bragar

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Gearrannan, a restored blackhouse village near Carloway

Bragar broch

Crown Copyright

Shawbost mill interior

Dalbeg Burn

to store straw, meal and tools. Byleaving the doors open a throughdraft would help in winnowing thecrop, which was threshed by hand.

Ventilation is important in houseswhich lack chimneys. Althoughsmoke escapes through the roof itis important for the health of theoccupants to have plenty of freshair coming in. The byre roof islower than the domestic end, whilethe open hole to the midden allowsfresh air in. The combination ofpeat smoke and ammonia in theroofspace would repel insects andalso preserve meat or dried fish.

No 42 Arnol is a late survivor of along tradition of such houses. Theintroduction of Governmentgrants for crofters to build newhouses and improve existing ones

brought the final phasing out ofthis type of dwelling..

Across the road a newer house isfurnished in the style of the 1940sor 1950s. It is typical of housesfrom the mid 20th centurythroughout the countryside. Theywere built of concrete blocks withasbestos slates on the roof. Thekitchen has a cast iron stove and

furniture of the time. It makes aninteresting contrast to the olderstyle of building opposite. Mostsuch houses now lie abandoned,having been replaced with moremodern designs.

There is a small visitor centre withshop and interpretation panelsnearby.

91

Arnol Blackhouse Museum(Historic Scotland NB311493) istypical of many similar ruinedbuildings in the area. This devel-opment of much more ancienthouses had people and animals allunder one roof. Smoke escapedthough the thatch from the peatfire in the centre of the living roomfloor. It was last occupied in 1965having been built in about 1885.

The house closely resemblesdomestic buildings from Norsetimes or earlier These were oftenbuilt from turf, with a timber lin-ing and stone foundations.Variations on the longhousetheme were lived in well into the20th century. Materials useddepended on local availability ofstone, timber and turf.

Here the walls are about 1.8mhigh at most. The gap between theinner and outer stone skins is filledwith earth, peat and ashes. Thetimber in the roof is mostly drift-wood or wood salvaged from ship-wrecks. Tree stumps found pre-served in peat cuttings or whale-bone was also used. Here slatswere used to cover the purlins, butstraw or heather ropes (simmons)were also used.

Grass or heather turves were laidface down on top The turfabsorbed soot from the fire andwas used as fertiliser on the culti-vated fields. Finally the roof wasthatched with heather, bracken,straw or reeds as available. Thiswas held down with ropes andstone weights. Frequently oldHerring nets or wire netting wasused to secure the thatch.

In these dwellings the byre wasalways on the downhill end, withan oddlehole in the gable end. Thisdrained into the midden. Dungand waste straw bedding wouldhave been pushed out daily.Obviously the human inhabitantsshared the cattle toilet. The henshad free range and could come inand out at will through an openingin the wall.

The dung which had built up overthe winter was cleared out once ayear after the cattle had been putoutside. Frequently the gable endwas partly demolished to facilitatethis. Dung, seaweed and sooty turffrom the roof were all used asmanure on the land.

The barn is directly opposite themain entrance. It would have beenused to thresh oats and bere, and

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The byre

Stackyard and back of house showing barn and main part

Interior with central hearth, minimal furniture and box bed

NO 42 ARNOL BLACKHOUSE MUSEUM

Kitchen cupboards from the 1950sBlackhouse Museum, Arnol showing byre end, barn and peatstack

Box bedsRoofless blackhouse showing lintel over doorway

1950s style kitchen

The restored TeampallMholuaidh (NB520652, StMoluag’s Chapel) is said to haveoriginally been built by theVikings, and the roof timbers weredriftwood from Stoth. The pres-ent church may date from the 14th

century or later. There was alsoonce a Norse castle near thischurch called Olvir’s or Olaf ’sCastle. It is logical that the Vikingswould settle and take control ofNess and perhaps Norse remainswill be found in future surveys.

St Moluag’s was associated withthe healing of wounds and sores,however it was deemed too holyfor women to enter, particularly ifpregnant. The people held meet-ings here twice a year, atCandlemas and Halloween wheneating, drinking, dancing and dal-liance went on before the peopleentered the church after dark, andmass was held until morning.

It was also thought that anyonewho was mentally ill could becured by walking seven timesaround the church with the sun.After a drink of water from StRonan’s Well, they had to sleepovernight in the building.

Another ancient custom in Nesswas the annual sacrifice of ale tothe sea-god, Shony. Every housecontributed “a peck of malt whichwas brewed into ale, and one person

Ness (ON Nes, headland) is themost northerly part of Lewis. Theroad from Barvas to Ness runsthrough a series of crofting town-ships, making the area one of themost densely populated rural areasof Lewis. New houses, old houses,loom sheds, small shops and work-ing crofts line much of the road,interspersed by areas of moorland.

At 5.7m high, Clach an Truiseil(NB376538) is the tallest monolithin the Western Isles. It may possiblybe a prehistoric sea marker. A battlebetween the Morrisons of Ness andthe MacAuleys of Uig is said tohave taken place here.

Just to the north, in Shader (Siader),the enigmatic site of Steinicleit isprobably a very ruined chamberedcairn, perhaps overlain by a laterdomestic structure. The mound inthe centre has a kerb of stone slabsaround it, while the footings of wallslead off from the site, which mayhave been occupied from 3000BC.

There are many old chapel sites on

the west side of Lewis, most ofwhich are close to the shore andquite ruinous. Teampall Pheadar(St Peter’s- NB380550) is now agrassy mound above Mol Eirebeachat Siader, and there is another larg-er Teampall Pheadar at Swainbost(NB508637). Teampall nan CroNaomh (Holy Cross - NB433594)at Galson was fairly complete in the1820s, but is now collapsed.

The remains of Teampall Ronain(St Ronan, NB524654) lie abovethe cove of Stoth, a sheltered land-

ing place east of the Butt, which issaid to be the oldest chapel site inthe Western Isles. Port Stothwas themain landing site for stores for theButt of Lewis lighthouse, and forthe Ness area before Port of Nesswas built.

Lochruban, a rock stack off Roinna’Roidh (NB507661), near theButt, has a small beehive-shapedcell and legend has it that Pigmieslived here. It is probably a monas-tic cell. Ruins of similar structuresexist nearby at Cunndal.

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NORTH TO NESS

Clach an Truiseil, Shader is the tallest in the Outer Hebrides, William Daniell 1815

Teampall nan Cro Naomh at Galson by William Daniell 1815

North to NessArchaeology

Clach an Truiseil, Steinicleit,Clach Stein Ein, Dun Eistean

Chapels

Teampall Pheadar, Teampall nanCro Naomh, Teampall Ronain,Teampall Mholuaidh

Coastal

Port of Ness, Bual a Muigh, PortStoth, Swainbost Sands, Rionna’Roidh, Butt of Lewis

Attraction

Ness Heritage Centre, St Ronan’scross slab

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Steinicleit near Shader, probably the remains of a chambered cairn

Crown Copyright

Interior of Teampall Mholuaidh (St Moluag’s Church), Ness

According to legend, theVikings tried to tow theWestern Isles back to Norwayby attaching a rope to the nat-ural arch at Rionn a’Roidh,however they pulled so hardthat the land broke apart, leav-ing the trail of islands fromBarra Head to the Butt ofLewis as they are now.

The Heritage Centreat Ness, hasa variety of artefacts, photographsand things to look at. The mostinteresting is the small cross-slabwhich is pierced with three holesand which has the figure of a maninscribed on it. This grave markercame from the cemetery on Rona,and some say that it marked theresting place of St Ronan himself.

Nearby, Taigh Dhonnchaidh(Duncan’s House), at 44 Habost,is an arts and music centre com-mitted to the promotion andenhancement of Gaelic language,music and the arts. The house wasleft to the Ness Historical Societyby the late Duncan Morrison, whowas a well known music teacher.

waded out to his waist with a cup ofale and cried out, “Shony I give youthis cup of ale, hoping that you will beso kind as to send us plenty of sea-ware for enriching the ground nextyear”.

This was done at night and afterthe offering everyone went to thechurch which was lit by a candle.They remained standing and quietfor a while before the candle wasextinguished and then everyonewent outside. Ale was consumedand the remainder of the night wasspent singing and dancing.

Port of Ness has a pictur-esque, but silted up, little har-

bour. From here in late sum-mer each year a party of mendepart for Sula Sgeir, a smallrocky island 65km to thenortheast, to harvest youngGannets or gugas.

The Men of Ness have alwaysbeen great seamen and it usedto be said that no Nessman ofworking age ever died in his bed,they either lived to old age ordrowned at sea. TheNessmen fished offshoreusing longlines and handlinesfrom boats called sgoths, whichare descendants of small boatsused by the Norse, and whichresemble the yoles used in

Orkney and Caithness. Therewas a great tradition of boatbuilding in the area, and sgothshave been renovated or evenbuilt new here recently.

Even more than in the rest ofLewis the placenames are verymuch Norse, although thenew Gaelic names tend tomask this often. There ismuch attractive coastalscenery in Ness, including thelovely beach of Buail a Muighat Port of Ness, the shelteredsandy cove of Port Stoth nearthe Butt, and the series ofsandy beaches on the west sidefrom Traigh Dell to Eoropie.The yellowish SwainbostSands are particularly pictur-esque.

The sand dunes and machairare a riot of colour in summerwith many wild flowers, whilethe cliff tops are covered in acarpet of Thrift. Although thecliffs are nowhere very high,the ancient gneiss rocks arecontorted and weathered intofantastic shapes, especially atthe Butt of Lewis.

95

NESS (NIS)

Original watercolours, fine art prints and

greeting cards of Highland and Island

scenes by Anthony J. Barber, on view at

his studio gallery in Port of Ness.

Eoropie Beach

HARBOUR VIEW

gallery

Harbour View Gallery,

Port of Ness,

Isle of Lewis HS2 0XA

Tel/Fax 01851 810735

[email protected]

www.abarber.co.uk

Port of Ness Bual a Muigh

Swainbost Sands

94


Port of Ness Harbour

Ness yole Cross-slab from Rona

97

NESS - NIS

The Cross Inn is a small, independent hotel owned and managed by local couple Allan &Maureen. It is situated in the picturesque Port of Ness, about 45 minutes’ drive north ofStornoway. The six rooms all have ensuite bathrooms, TV/video and tea/coffee-making

facilities, and one downstairs room is suitable for the disabled.

Food is served all day in the lounge and in the restaurant in the evening, with fresh seasonallocal produce being a feature of the menu, which includes seafood, such as Salmon and

Butt of Lewis lighthouse with summer colours, from the east

THE CROSS INNPort of Ness,Isle of Lewis, HS2 0SN

Tel/Fax: 01851 810152

www.crossinn.com

96

The headland of the Butt ofLewis, the most northerly point inthe Western Isles, is an excellentplace for seawatching. Gannetsmay be seen fishing, and during themigration times many species maybe seen on passage. It is also a goodplace to see cetaceans such asMinke, Killer or Pilot Whales, aswell as Dolphins. No matter whatthe season, time of day or weather,the Butt always has another aspectto show.

The lighthouse was first lit in1862 and was automated in 1998.Its 37m high red brick tower is incontrast to the rather forbiddinglocal rocks. The lens installed in1905 is still in use, although thelamps are now electric and sup-

plied with electricity from solarcells. A dGPS station is based herewhich provides ships withextremely accurate position infor-mation. It wass listed in the“Guiness Book of Records” as thewindiest place on the coast ofUnited Kingdom.

Dun Eistean (NB535651) is situ-ated on a large rock stack offKnockaird, north-west of the Portof Ness and has for long been asso-ciated with the Morrisons of Ness.There are several ruined buildingsas well as a possible perimeter walland an artificial pond to collectwater. The mound on the seawardsize was probably originally a smallNorse-type castle. It was laterrebuilt and may have been deliber-

ately slighted.

The clan Morrison is said tobe of Norse origin anddescended from Olaf theBlack who became King ofMan and the Isles in 1226.The Morrisons held thehereditary title of Breive (GBreitheamh, interpreter of thelaw) for many generations.Although Ness may seemremote today, it was readilyaccessible by sea. It is said thatthe influence of these breivesmay have extended as far asthe Mull of Kintyre.

The site was occupied duringthe 15th to 17th centuries, whenclan warfare was rife. It wasused intermittently as a defen-sive refuge and was eventuallycaptured by the MacLeods,who sacked it. A footbridgenow provides easy access.Nearby, in Havost, there is alarge red boulder called theblood stone. Here theMorrisons are said to havesmashed the heads of theirenemies, the Macaulays.


Geo at the Butt of Lewis

Roinn a’Roidh

99

The area around Bosta is excellentfor walking, and a circular walk viaSiaram Bosta, south along the coastand back via Loch a’Sgail and thelow hill of Shelaval (87mNB143391) will give lovely viewson a clear day. Although the ter-rain is rocky the walking is easy.Lichens abound as do wild flowerscommon to wet moorland.

A restored Norse type mill liesnear the coast east of Breacleit,(NB168372). It resembles theone at Shawbost. Slightly furtheron is an interesting lobster pond ona small inlet off Loch Risay(NB173373) This was built bylocal people in the mid-1800s tokeep their catches alive. The lob-sters could then be sold at the besttime of year for prices and survivalin transit. Then as now, demandwas high in the festive season.

Kirkibost Pier is the fishing har-bour. Great Bernera is not a verygood island for agriculture, beingvery rocky, but it has been wellknown for its lobster fishery sinceat least the 16th century. Thewaters of Loch Roag are rocky,shallow and sheltered - ideal crus-tacean habitat. The harbour maynot be the prettiest, but the lobstersare excellent.

Dun Baravat on Loch Baravat - typical galleried dunCamas Bosta showing outlines of houses

Kirkibost Harbour

WEST COAST - GREAT BERNERA

Interior of replica Iron Age house

98

GREAT BERNERA (ONBjornoy, Bjorn’s Island) was thefirst of the small islands in theWestern Isles to be connected tothe mainland, by a pre-stressedconcrete bridge, in 1953. Lobster,crayfish and crab fishing as well asfish farming are the two main eco-nomic activities. Though small,the island has much to interest thevisitor.

Just over the bridge and overlook-ing Sruth Earshader there are somemonoliths standing sentinel overthis narrow stretch of water. Twolarge stones and several smallerones may have originally been partof a circle. There are lovely viewsover Loch Roag from here.

Dun Baravat (NB156356) is agalleried dun dramatically situatedon a small island on Loch Baravatand is signposted (about 1 milenorth of the bridge). It is joined tothe shore by a causeway about30m long. Part is over 3mhigh.and the remains of a scarce-ment still exist although the interi-or is confused by later buildings.

At Breacleit the Local HistorySociety has an exhibition andinformation about the island andits past in part of the Village Hall,which also has a cafe. The inearbysland shop is also well worth a visit.

Bernera Riot In 1874 there was ariot on Bernera. When the sheriff-officer, Donald Munro, who was

also the factor, attempted to servewrits of eviction on 56 household-ers, he was pelted with sods andstones. Three crofters were arrest-ed but found not guilty when tried.Munro was convicted of assaultingone of them whilst handcuffed andsacked from his several publicoffices. A memorial to these eventsstands north of Breacleit(NB153378).

Camas Bosta, (G, bay, ON bol-stadir, farm) at the north end, is abeautiful sandy beach overlookingLittle Bernera. Winter storms in1992 exposed a number of struc-tures which on excavation provedto date from the Iron Age to Norsetimes. Three of the houses date-from the 6th to 8th centuries AD,and have the figure of eight layouttypical of Pictish dwellings.

They had a large main room about6m in diameter with a smallerroom on the north side and theentrance to the south. They werebuilt into the sand with double-skinned drystone walls. The circu-lar shape would have resisted thepressure of the sand and alsoresulted in the very good structur-al preservation.

The houses were backfilled afterbeing excavated in 1996. The out-line of three can be seen in the sandon the top of the beach. A replicahouse has been built nearby whichis based on one of the excavatedstructures. While it is not knownwhat the actual roof would havelooked like, the reconstructiongives a vivid impression of theamount of space available in such adwelling. Overall the constructionis not very different to later black-houses, such as the one at Arnol.

Standing stones overlooking Great Bernera bridge


Crown Copyright

Camas Bosta is the only sandy beach on Great Bernera

Dun Bharabhat (NB099354) ison a small loch nearby and is alsoworth a look. It is built like a smallbroch, with galleried walls andinternal stairs, but with a diameterof only 11m it was probably neververy high. There are a series ofNorse type mills on the slope lead-ing down towards Traigh na Beriefrom here, and lovely panoramicviews from the top of the hill.

A number of wheelhouses havebeen excavated in the sand dunesin the Cnip area. These were builtinto the sand and had radial “aisles”to support walls against the pres-sure of the sand. Unfortunatelynothing is visible here to the visitor.The dilapidated example atKilphedar on South Uist is similar.

Vikings Several Viking Age buri-als have been found in the sanddunes above Traigh na Beriewhichare in close proximity to earlierBronze Age graves. One femalewho was in her late 30s was buriedin the 10th century. She was accom-panied by a pair of distinctive ovalbrooches, a necklace of glass beads,a comb and various iron toolsincluding a small sickle. Anothersuch burial was found in the early20th century near Bhaltos schoolwith a mixture of Celtic and Norseartefacts.

Glen Bhaltosruns from Miavaig toTimsgarry and was formed as aresult of glacial meltwater scouringa path to the sea. The largedeposits of sand and gravel atCarnish are also glacial. Miavaig(ON Mjo Vik, Narrow Bay) wasonce the steamer harbour and isnow home to a variety of smallboats as well as the shore base forfish farms.

On the road towards Ard Uig,there is a panoramic view fromFornaval (205m NB061359)accessible by road. On a clear day

the Flannan Islands and even StKilda may be visible from here.Gallan Head is the site of an oldmilitary base and is now beingredeveloped.

On a headland called AnBheannaich (NB038379) about1km west of Ard Uig village thereis a small ruined chapel calledTaigh a’Bheannaich (G theBlessing Place). A track leads mostof the way to this early Christiansite.

The view over the wide expanse ofthe Uig Sands changes constantlyas the tide ebbs and flows. Perhaps

UIG (ON Vik, Bay) The B8011to Uig crosses the AbhainnGrimersta where it enters LochRoag. This river originates in LochLangavat and is said to be one ofthe best salmon rivers in Scotland.The road passes many smalllochans which are covered withWater Lilies in summer, beforereaching Gisla, with its hydropower station. The views alongLittle Loch Roag and Loch Roagare wild and spectacular.

This is an area of great naturalbeauty with dramatic coastal

scenery and a backdrop of moun-tains. The ever changing light,clean Atlantic air and proximity ofthe ocean all combine to impressthe visitor, no matter what the sea-son or weather.

The sandy beaches are especiallyvaried and impressive. Traigh naBerie is a long sweep of sand pro-tected by the islands of Pabay Morand Vacsay, while the beaches atCliff and Mangersta are muchmore exposed to the Atlantic swelland can be very dramatic in stormyweather.

Although Uig may seem isolatedtoday, there is plenty of evidence ofpast occupation. The Iron Agebroch at Loch na Berie(NB104352) may have been ofsimilar proportions to DunCarloway and is preserved becauseit was filled by windblown sandand accumulated peat. The firstfloor gallery is complete and clearlyshows the characteristic buildingtechniques used.

The waterlogged nature of the siteresulted in good preservation ofartefacts, but also means that it ishard to view the structure. Itseems that the site may have beenoccupied up until the 9th centuryAD.

101

WEST COAST - LOCH ROAG TO UIG

Glen Valtos is a glacial valley

100


Uig Bay from Crowlista with the mountains of Harris in the background

Traigh na Berie Brich at Loch na Bertie

UIGBeaches

Traigh na Berie, Camas na Clibhe,Uig Sands, Mangersta Sands, Mol

ForsgeoArchaeology

Loch na Berie broch, DunBharabhat, Dun Boranish

Brenish Norse MillChapel sitess

Baile na Cille,, Taigh nanCailleachan Dubha,

ViewpointsGallan Head, Forsnaval, Timsgarry,

Carnish, Ard More Mangersta,Mealista

Crown Copyright

Further on south, the townships ofIslivig and Brenish are among themost remote on Lewis, but werenot cleared in the 19th century. Thehighest hill on Lewis, Mealsival(574m) and the line of hills to thesouth dominate the scene here.Golden Eagles nest in these hillsand may be seen on occasion.

At Brenish the remains of anotherNorse type mill are in the burn onthe left, while there are ruins of afishing station at Camas a’Mhoil.There are also remnants from themilitary presence here in WWII.

Taigh nan Cailleachan Dubha atMealista is said to be the site of amedieval nunnery as well as anoth-

er ancient chapel and graveyard(NB990243) on a small headlandoverlooking Mol Forsgeo. Thereare two other attractive smallbeaches further to the south, aswell as a small slipway for launch-ing boats.

the best viewpoint is at Crowlista(NB040336), from where the yel-lowish sands combined with themountains in the backgroundcomplement each other to make amost satisfying scenic experience.

In 1831 a large collection ofexquisitely carved ivory chessmenwas discovered buried in a smallstone cist in the dunes on the southside of Uig Bay. The pieces datefrom the mid 12th century (LateNorse Period) and are carved fromWalrus ivory.

It has been speculated that thechessmen were carved in Norwayand that they may have belongedto a merchant, but as with the sev-eral silver hoards which have been

found, their originremains enigmatic.

There is a ruined dun, DunBorranish, on a small rocky knollat the east end of the bay(NB050333) which is cut off athigh tide. The sands ebb dry atlow tide but are covered at highwater, while the river from LochSuainaval (ON Sweyn’s Hill)winds around the east and northof the Bay.

At Baile na Cille there is an ancientruined chapel in the old graveyard(NB048339) and the walls of an18th century church make a shel-tered garden for the adjacentBaile-na-Cille Guest House.

There are very fine beaches atCarnish. This area saw some ofthe most ruthless clearances of the19th century when the SeaforthMacKenzies and then Mathesoncleared large numbers of peoplefrom the land and to create hugesheep farms. Most of thge formerinhabitants were shipped toCanada, where their descendantscontinue to thrive to this day.

At Mangersta Sands the Atlanticnever sleeps and even on a calmday there are still breakers. Theancient dark rocks of the cliffs con-trast with the greens and blues ofthe sea to create a beautiful butwild scene. A good viewpoint isArd More Mangersta, wherethere is a radar station.

103

Mangersta Beach faces the Atlantic and always has breakers even in calm weather

Unusual croft signRUSH HOUR, HIGH SEASON

Baile-na-CilleDo you need to recharge your batteries once in a while?

Would you like somewhere great for birds, flowers, walking, fishing and just getting awayfrom it all?

Why go all the way to the Hebrides and stay in town?TIMSGARRY, ISLE OF LEWIS HS2 9JDTel 01851 672242 Fax 01851 [email protected]

102


Mol Forsgeo at Mealista is exposed to the Atlantic Ocean - sometimes it is sandy and sometimes all pebbles

Wooden Lewid Chessman at Carinish Sunset over Mangersta Bay

ed to the shore of Loch Cromorby a causeway (NB402207).The gallery is clearly visible, andthe north part of the islet isenclosed by a wall. It can only bereached if the water level is low orby boat.

Park Deer Raid A large cairncommemorating the Land Warsis situated south of Balallan. Inlate 1887 the Deer Park Raidwas organised with much public-ity by crofters and cottars fromLochs. A large number of deerwere shot over two days.

The purpose was to draw atten-tion to the plight of people beingcleared from the land, in this casefor the benefit of sporting shoot-ing. The military were called inand six of the men were tried, inEdinburgh. They were acquit-

ted, largely as a result of theirstrong arguments for a betterdeal for crofters. The raid was abig success in terms of publicisingthe clearances and the situation ofthe people in the islands.

Wildlife The remote and isolat-ed area of Pairc, particularly thelarge unpopulated area west andsouth of Eisgein is particularly

noted for its birds. Red-throatedand Black-throated Diver,White-tailed Sea Eagle, GoldenEagle, Merlin, Golden Plover,Greenshank and Dunlin allbreed here. The only access is byfoot, but a visit here is well worththe effort and planning needed.The eagles and divers which arelikely to be seen make this anessential birdwatching hike.

Loch Erisort The road southfrom Stornoway crosses the peat-covered Arnish Moor beforereaching Loch Erisort. This longsea loch is only separated fromLoch Seaforth by about 2 miles.There are strings of settlementsalong both shores, the biggest of

which is Balallan with its attrac-tive white-painted little PostOffice and working crofts.

Pairc The promontory of Paircis itself almost an island with only2 miles of land separating LochErisort and Loch Seaforth. The

old name for this area was Durna(ON Deer Ness, Deer Point).B8060 meanders across themoor to Loch Sealg. The dra-matic and remote scenery is wellworth a visit, while scatteredcrofting communities provide acontrast to the otherwise ratherbarren landscape.

At the southern entrance to LochErisort is the tidal island ofEilean Chuluim Cille, alsoknown as Oronsay (ON Orfjara,island joined to land at lowwater), which has an ancientchapel dedicated to St Columba(NB385210), Eaglais ChaluimChille.

Dun Cromor is a ruined Iron Agegalleried dun on an islet connect-

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EAST COAST - SOUTH TO LOCH SEAFORTH

Loch Seaforth

Loch Erisort from Balallan

Balallan Post Office

Dun Cromor is accesed from a submerged causeway

LOCHS TO LOCHSEAFORTH

Loch ErisortPaircEilean Chuluim CilleDun CromorLoch SealgDeer Park Raid MemorialEisgeanEagles

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Crown Copyright

Deer Park Raid Memorial

isle of lewis eilean leodhais ljodhus of …...the lewis chessmen are perhaps the most iconic...

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