Isle of Lewis

Lewis Europe > Britain and Ireland > United Kingdom > Scotland > Hebrides > Outer Hebrides > Lewis Lewis and Harris are a single large island in the Outer Hebrides or Western Isles of Scotland. It's the third largest island in the British Archipelago, only Great Britain and Ireland being larger. Lewis (Gaelic Leòdhas ) makes up the northern two-thirds, and is low-lying, with a population of almost 20,000 in 2011. Harris to the south is rugged. Only in modern times were they connected by road: historically you could only travel from one to the other by boat, as if they were individual islands. Moreover their transport links were to different mainland ports, and they became parts of separate counties (Ross and Cromarty for Lewis until 1975). Towns and villages 🌍 Stornoway is the only town. It has good transport and visitor amenities, and is the obvious base for touring both Lewis and Harris. Point is a farmland peninsula east of Stornoway. 🌍 Back north of Stornoway is farmland along on the east coast, with the villages of Tong, Gress, Coll and Tolsta. The road ends at "The Bridge to Nowhere". 🌍 Balallan is a scattered community to the south, where A859 climbs across the hills to Harris. Valtos on the bleak west coast includes Uig, Timsgarry and Mangersta. 🌍 Great Bernera is an island linked by road. 🌍 Carloway on the west coast has the Callanish standing stones, Carloway Broch and Gearranan Blackhouse Village. 🌍 Arnol further up that coast has the Blackhouse museum, and the settlements of Barvas and Borve. 🌍 Ness at the north tip is the end of the road, with a lighthouse, a restless ocean and a distinct change in the rocks: here Scotland was once linked to Greenland. Understand During the 19th century Lewis, like much of the Scottish Highlands, became impoverished and depopulated. This reflected eviction of tenant farmers by the landowners (the "Highland Clearances"), harsh living conditions, famine in some years, and hopes of a better life in the Lowlands or America. Those left behind dwelt in squalour, alongside empty arable acres given over to sheep, deer-stalking or grouse-shooting. Eventually the government sought to reverse these trends by providing land for small farm settlements, allotments or crofts. Violent agitation for land reform broke out, and on Lewis the farm of Coll was seized by land raiders in 1888. Agitation faded when the Highland economy recovered from its 1880s slump and when optimism grew about government action. But progress was very slow, and halted by the outbreak of war in 1914. After the war, there was high public expectation, and demand to deliver on the political promise that returning servicemen should enjoy “a land fit for heroes to live in” with priority for resettlement. Expectation turned to anger at official delay, and land raids resumed. From 1917 the whole of Lewis was owned by Lord Leverhulme the soap tycoon. He had ambitious plans for it and was investing heavily, but as an industrialist, his vision of the island’s future was industrial — fisheries, tweed manufacture and the like. He even drafted the timetable for the railway he was planning! But he utterly opposed land re-settlement, seeing this as perpetuating an outmoded way of life, and so in March 1919 the farms of Tong, Coll and Gress were raided. By autumn the raiders were persuaded to leave, but in January 1920 they made new raids on Coll and Gress, and began to build houses there. Leverhulme’s response was to stop all his development work, a severe blow to the island economy that caused uproar. He claimed that Coll and Gress were needed as dairy farms to supply Stornoway, but as a compromise he offered land on the west coast, and the raiders were again persuaded to leave. Several farms on the west coast were indeed re-settled, but in spring 1921 Coll and Gress were again raided, and again Leverhulme halted his developments. The government decided to invoke compulsory powers, and faced with this, Leverhulme conceded to resettlement of the farms of Coll, Gress, and Orinsay to the south. Conflict continued around Galson to the north, but by this stage Leverhulme was despairing of his plans for Lewis, and turning his attention to Harris. He was also becoming seriously overstretched financially. In 1925 he died and his many projects on Harris and Lewis were abruptly ended. His mainland business continued to prosper as Unilever, but his only Hebridean venture to carry on was Mac Fisheries, which lasted until 1979. Talk: Some 60% of the population speak Gaelic, and place names on road signs are primarily in Gaelic. The English version beneath is smaller, while the villages themselves may look smaller still. But everyone understands English, including most foreign tourists. Get in By boat Calmac ferries sail to Stornoway from Ullapool on the mainland, taking 2 hr 30 min. There are two sailings year-round M-Sa, and on Sunday two Apr-Oct and just one Nov-Mar. See Stornoway#Get in for fares. In summer these ferries sell out, so even foot passengers should book ahead. There is also a ferry from Uig on Skye to Tarbert on Harris, from where you can drive up to Lewis. It's also possible to sail to Lochmaddy on North Uist , or to South Uist or Barra , then work your way north by road and ferry. It's not the obvious route to Stornoway but could be part of a grand tour of the Hebrides. By plane Stornoway Airport ( SYY IATA ), 2 miles east of town, has daily flights by Loganair from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness and Benbecula. See Stornoway#Get in for airport practicalities. By bus There are 3 or 4 buses M-Sa between Harris and Lewis. A bus / ferry service runs up the Western Isles through Barra, the Uists and Harris and across Lewis to Stornoway, so M-Sa it's possible to go the whole way in one day. There are half-a-dozen services part-route, but for the full route you need to set off from Castlebay Barra at 6:20AM, Lochboisedale South Uist at 9AM, Benbecula at 11:10AM, Lochmaddy North Uist at 11:30AM and Tarbert Harris at 4:20PM, to reach Stornoway by 5:30PM. Going south, you leave Stornoway 9:30AM to reach Tarbert at 10:45AM, Lochmaddy at 1:45PM, Benbecula at 2:25PM, Lochboisdale at 3:25PM and Castlebay at 5:35PM. Get around By bus Routes across Lewis all converge on Stornoway. Buses are sparse M-Sa with nothing on Sunday. Bus W1 runs to the north tip of the island, via the hospital, Barvas, Borve, Galson, Lionel and Port of Ness; about 8 M-Sa. Bus W2 runs to the west coast in a loop via the hospital, Barvas, Arnol, Bragar, Shawbost, Carloway, Callanish and back to Stornoway. There are about five each way round the loop M-Sa. Bus W3 runs to Great Bernera , via Lochganvich and Garynahine then across the bridge to Barraglom, Breaclete and Croir; about 6-7 M-Sa. Bus W4 runs to the western corner, via Garynahine, Enaclete, Miavaig, Valtos, Timsgarry, Mangersta and Brenish; 5 M-Sa. Bus W5 runs east along A866 to the airport, Melbost, Garrabost, Bayble, Shulishader and Aird out on The Point. About a dozen M-F and five Saturday. This bus continues north along B895 up the east coast past the hospital to Tong, Coll, Back, Gress and Tolsta. Bus W8 runs to the North Lochs (north of Loch Eireasort) via Leurbost, Crossbost and Ranish every couple of hours M-Sa. Bus W9 runs to the South Lochs via Balallan, Kershader, Gravir and Orinsay every couple of hours M-Sa. Bus W10 connects Lewis and Harris, running from Stornoway via Balallan and over the hills to Tarbert, then Luskentyre, Borve, Leverburgh and Rodel. It's part of the bus-and-ferry spine route all the way south to the Uists and Barra, see Lewis#Get in . There are five between Stornoway and Tarbert M-Sa but only one connection full-route to Castlebay Barra. Car hire See Stornoway , they're all based there. See North The district of Back has some of the best farmland on Lewis, and was the scene of several land raids. B895 runs along the coast from Stornoway through a string of small places: Tong, Coll, Gress and Tolsta. Tong was the birthplace of Mary Macleod (1912-2000), mother of 45th US president Donald Trump: this background must have profoundly influenced his philosophy, and a monument seems overdue. 🌍 Gress Monument , looking like a megalithic pop-up toaster, commemorates the land raids of the 1920s. Gress corn mill half a mile north is 19th century but fell derelict in the 20th. 🌍 Carn a Mharc on the hillside above is the scrappy remains of a chambered burial cairn. Tolsta has a fine beach, popular with surfers and horse-riders. 🌍 Bridge to Nowhere or Garry Bridge was built in the 1920s to extend the road north from Tolsta to Ness at the north tip of Lewis. You can drive over it, but half a mile later the road comes to an abrupt stop against the bleak moorland, symbolic of Leverhulme's unfulfilled plans for the island. East The Point ( An Rubha or Eye Peninsula) juts out beyond the airport, as if giving a thumbs up to the Scottish mainland. A866 connects it to Stornoway across an isthmus. Aignish cairn east end of the isthmus commemorates land raids here in 1888: two tapered opposing stone jaws. 🌍 Ui church or St Columba's near the cairn is a medieval ruin. Many chiefs of Clan MacLeod lie in the graveyard, which has been partly lost to coastal erosion. 🌍 Clach Ghlas meaning "grey stone" is a triangular megalith. The smaller stones might once have formed a circle but more likely were part of a burial chamber. It might be Bronze Age. 🌍 Tiumpan Head marks the northern bound of The Minch, the channel between Inner and Outer Hebrides. The lighthouse, first lit in 1900, was designed by David and Charles Stevenson, and was as much to watch out for illegal trawling as to aid navigation. When a new foghorn was installed in 1956, the 7-year-old Prince Charles (now King) sounded the inaugural blast. The lighthouse was automated in 1985 and is still active, but the keepers' accommodation has been turned into a kennels and cattery, with a clifftop location that would appeal to Cruella de Vil. West A858 crosses the island from Stornoway. At Gearraidh na h-aibhne (Garrynahine) B8011 branches off to the west, while A585 follows the coast northwest. 🌍 NOT EXISTING IMAGE Deanstone (Deanston) . On A858 is a monument to a failed attempt in 1850 to turn these peat bogs into arable farmland. A settlement was built near the existing village of Lochganvich, but within a year all the settlers had despaired and left. ( updated Dec 2023 ) 🌍 Callanish IV is a stone circle next to B8011 towards southwest Lewis. Five stones stand of an original 13. The site has not been excavated but is clearly part of the Callanish complex 3 miles north. Callanish VI is two stones on the moor a mile east, not worth the midge-bites that a visit will incur. Great Bernera is an island reached by B8059 branching north from B8011, see separate page. It too has standing stones, an Iron Age house and Norse Mill. 🌍 Traigh na Beirigh is a long sandy beach at Valtos on the west coast. 🌍 Uig Sands ( Traigh Uige or Ardroil) is a long broad sandy beach: the Uig chessmen were found hereabouts in 1831. Dun Borranish is the scrappy remains of a dun on a tidal islet in the bay. Uig Community Centre north end of the bay has a small museum open Apr-Oct: Tu-Sa noon-4PM, guarded by a pair of giant chessmen. In Ardroil cemetery lies Linda Norgrove, an aid worker kidnapped by the Afghan Taliban in 2010 and fatally wounded during the rescue attempt. Abhainn Dearg Distillery is south of Ardroil, see Drink. The road continues to Mangurstadh (Mangersta) which has a beach and sea stacks. 🌍 Mealasta is the end of the road, with a sand and rock beach. The abandoned village, cleared in 1838, stands on the slopes. Northwest This Atlantic coastline has a rich heritage and Lewis's top sights. 🌍 Callanish Standing Stones , Calana [... truncated ...]

By Plane

The nearest major international airports serve Scotland with connections from across the UK, Europe, and beyond. Regional airports in the area provide additional domestic and European services. Airport buses and taxis connect to the town centre.

By Train

The local railway station is served by regular services on the British rail network. Train services connect to major cities across Scotland and the wider UK. National Rail Enquiries provides schedule and fare information. Advance booking typically offers better rates.

By Car / Road

Isle of Lewis is accessible by road via the UK's motorway and A-road network. Major routes connect the town to nearby cities and regions. Bus services provide affordable connections. Parking is generally available in designated areas in and around the town centre.

Isle of Lewis is compact and easily explored on foot. The town centre, with its shops, restaurants, and historical buildings, is pedestrian-friendly. For exploring the surrounding countryside and nearby attractions, a car is recommended. Local bus services operate within the town and to neighbouring communities. Taxis are available for shorter journeys.

• The historic town or city centre with its traditional architecture

• Local landmarks, churches, and heritage buildings

• Scenic viewpoints and natural attractions in the surrounding area

• Nearby parks, gardens, and outdoor spaces

• Walking tours exploring the town's heritage and architecture

• Outdoor activities such as hiking, cycling, and watersports in the surrounding area

• Visiting local museums, galleries, and cultural centres

• Exploring nearby countryside, coastline, or parks

• Sampling local food and drink at pubs, restaurants, and cafes

Dining options in Isle of Lewis range from traditional gastropubs and cafés to fine-dining restaurants. Local specialities include fresh seafood, locally sourced meat and game, and seasonal produce. Many establishments pride themselves on using local ingredients and supporting regional producers.

Typical British pub fare (fish and chips, Sunday roasts, pies) is widely available, alongside international cuisines reflecting the area's diversity. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options are increasingly common.

Traditional pubs serving local ales are found throughout the town. Craft beer has a growing presence, with local microbreweries supplying both pubs and bottle shops. Tea rooms and cafés offer a quintessentially British experience. The area is well-served by coffee shops and independent roasters.

Budget

• Budget hotels and hostel accommodation available, with dorm beds from £20/night.

Mid-range

• Bed & breakfasts and guesthouses offer doubles from £70–120 per night.
• Chain hotels (Premier Inn, Travelodge, Holiday Inn) provide consistent quality.

Upscale

• Boutique hotels, country house hotels, and historic inns offer doubles from £150.

Local shops offer a range of goods from well-known brands to local crafts and speciality foods. Markets and independent retailers provide character and authentic finds. Typical opening hours are Monday–Saturday 09:00–17:30, with some stores open on Sundays. Many towns have a weekly market day.

From Isle of Lewis, travellers can easily continue exploring other destinations within Scotland and the wider United Kingdom. The well-connected transport network makes it straightforward to reach neighbouring towns, cities, and attractions.