The Isle of Lewis
The Isle of Lewis (Gaelic: Eilean Leòdhais) is the main and largest island in the Hebridean chain it is also known as The Long Island. The first evidence of human habitation on Lewis is found in peat samples which date back about 8,000 years. Evidence from 5,000 years ago is all around in the shape of monuments and cairns, Callanish Stone Circle and the earlier Brock at Carloway are the more famous examples, but there are standing stones and stone circles scattered throughout the islands. In the 9th century AD, the Vikings began to settle on Lewis, after years of raiding from the sea. The Norse invaders intermarried with local families. At this time, most buildings changed their forms from being round to rectangular, following the Scandinavian style. Today you can see the Norse Mill at Shawbost and the Norse language persists in many island place names, after all they stayed for almost 400 years as Lewis was part of the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles. Take a tour around Lewis that will take in the history of our Island, both ancient and modern.
Places we would like to show you
Callanish Stone Circle
- The Brock at Carloway from prehistory
- Gearrannan Black House Village
- Arnol Black House Museum
- The bridge across the Atlantic to Great Bernera
- Port of Ness, the lighthouse and St Moluag’s Church, and much more
- Dùn Èistean, a small island which is the ancestral home of the Lewis Morrisons.
- Clach an Truiseil, translated to English “Stone of Compassion” located in the village of Ballantrushal, is the tallest standing stone in Scotland at 5.8 metres tall.
- Ui Church burial place of the Clan Chief’s of Lewis and part of the Columba trail
- Abhainn Dearg, the first Outer Hebridean Distillery in over two hundred years
- There are many war graves and memorials in villages across Lewis that are of interest to historians.
But history isn’t all that the Isle of Lewis has to offer.
There are art galleries, craft centres and museums around Lewis
Festivals and Shows
Stornoway Carnival
Harris Mountain Festival
lsle of Harris Half Marathon
South Harris Agricultural Show
Hebridean Book Festival
Our wildlife
One of the best places to spot dolphins, whales and porpoises, is at Tiumpan Head on Lewis, twenty minutes from Stornoway. You can spot Golden Eagles and Sea Eagles around the coast in Uig We have otters and red deer, harder to spot, but such a rewarding site Wildflowers carpet the machair in the summer months and lochans are full of white lilies, we even have our own species of Hebridean Bee to assist in pollinating this spectacular carpet of colour. You might even hear the not so tuneful Corncrake, one of the rarest birds in Britain, but the chances of spotting one are rare.
Sea Safari’s, wildlife spotting as you have never experienced before – take a look at
Kilda Cruises and Seatrek for visiting outlying islands and whale and dolphin spotting.