Isle of Lewis
| |
|---|---|
 | |
| Area | 683 sq mi (1,770 km2) |
| Population | 18,500 |
| • Density | 27/sq mi (10/km2) |
| Demonym | Leòdhasach, Lewisian |
| Language | Scottish Gaelic English |
| OS grid reference | NB3030 |
| • Edinburgh | 276 miles (444 km) |
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | STORNOWAY ISLE OF LEWIS |
| Postcode district | HS1, HS2 |
| Dialling code | 01851 |
| Police | Scotland |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament | |
| Official name | Lewis Peatlands |
| Designated | 22 December 2000 |
| Reference no. | 1046[1] |
| 58°12′N6°36′W / 58.2°N 6.6°W /58.2; -6.6 (Lewis) | |
TheIsle of Lewis[2] (Scottish Gaelic:Eilean Leòdhais,pronounced[ˈelanˈʎɔːəs̪]ⓘ) or simplyLewis is the northern part ofLewis and Harris, the largest island of the Western Isles orOuter Hebrides archipelago in Scotland. The two parts are frequently referred to as if they were separate islands. The total area of Lewis is 683 square miles (1,770 km2).[3]
Lewis is, in general, the lower-lying part of the island: the other part,Harris, is more mountainous. Due to its larger area and flatter, more fertile land, Lewis contains three-quarters of the population of the Western Isles, and the largest settlement,Stornoway. The island's diverse habitats are home to an assortment of flora and fauna, such as thegolden eagle,red deer andseal, and are recognised in a number ofconservation areas.
Lewis has aPresbyterian tradition and a rich history. It was once part of theNorseKingdom of the Isles. Today, life is very different from elsewhere in Scotland, withSabbath observance, theScottish Gaelic language andpeat cutting retaining more importance than elsewhere. Lewis has a rich cultural heritage as can be seen from itsmyths and legends as well as the local literary and musical traditions.
| Scots Gaelic: | Eilean Leòdhais | |
| Pronunciation: | [elanˈʎɔːəʃ]ⓘ | |
| Scots Gaelic: | Eilean an Fhraoich | |
| Pronunciation: | [ˈelanən̪ˠrˠɯːç]ⓘ | |
TheScottish Gaelic nameLeòdhas may be derived fromNorseLjoðahús ('song house'),[4] although other origins have been suggested – most notably the Gaelicleogach ('marshy').[5] It is probably the place referred to asLimnu byPtolemy, which also means 'marshy'.[6] It is also known as theIsle of Lewis (Gaelic:Eilean Leòdhais). Another name usually used in a cultural or poetic context isEilean an Fhraoich ('Heather Isle'),[4] although this refers to the whole of the island ofLewis and Harris.
The earliest evidence of human habitation on Lewis is found inpeat samples which indicate that about 8,000 years ago much of the native woodland was torched to make way for plants to allowdeer to browse. The earliestarchaeological remains date from about 5,000 years ago. At that time, people began to settle in permanent farms rather than following their herds. The small houses of these people have been found throughout theWestern Isles; in particular, atDail Mòr,Carloway. The more striking great monuments of this period are the temples and communal burial cairns at places likeCalanais (English: Callanish).
About 500 BC, island society moved into theIron Age. The buildings became larger and more prominent, culminating in thebrochs – circular, dry-stone towers belonging to the local chieftains – which testify to the uncertain nature of life then. The best remaining example of a broch in Lewis is at Dùn Chàrlabhaigh (English:Dun Carloway). TheScots arrived during the first centuries AD, bringing theScottish Gaelic language with them.[7] As Christianity began to spread through the islands in the 6th and later centuries, followingColumban missionaries, Lewis was inhabited by thePicts.[7]
In the 9th century AD, theVikings began to settle on Lewis, after years of raiding from the sea. The Norse invaders intermarried with local people and abandoned their pagan beliefs. At that time, rectangular buildings began to supersede round ones, following the Scandinavian style. Lewis became part of theKingdom of Mann and the Isles, an offshoot of Norway. TheLewis chessmen, found on the island in 1831, date from the time ofViking rule.[8] The people were called theNorse Gaels or Gall-Ghàidheil (lit. "Foreigner Gaels"), reflecting their mixed Scandinavian/Gaelic background, and probably their bilingual speech.[9] The Norse language persists in many island placenames and some personal names to this day, although the latter are fairly evenly spread across theGàidhealtachd.
Lewis (and the rest of the Western Isles) became part of Scotland once more in 1266: under theTreaty of Perth it was ceded by the Kingdom of Norway. Under Scottish rule, theLordship of the Isles emerged as the most important power in north-western Scotland by the 14th century. The Lords of the Isles were based onIslay, but controlled all of theHebrides. They were descended fromSomerled (Somhairle) Mac Gillibride, a Gall-Ghàidheil lord who had held the Hebrides and West Coast two hundred years earlier. Control of Lewis itself was initially exercised by the Macleod clan, but after years of feuding and open warfare between and even within local clans, the lands ofClan MacLeod were forfeited to the Scottish Crown in 1597 and were awarded byKing James VI to a group ofLowland colonists known as theFife adventurers in an attempt toanglicise the islands. However the adventurers were unsuccessful, and possession passed to the Mackenzies of Kintail in 1609, when Coinneach, Lord MacKenzie, bought out thelowlanders.[7]
Following the1745 rebellion, andPrince Charles Edward Stewart's flight to France, the use of Scottish Gaelic was discouraged, rents were demanded in cash rather than kind, and the wearing of folk dress was made illegal. Emigration to the New World increasingly became an escape for those who could afford it during the latter half of the century. In 1844 Lewis was bought bySir James Matheson, co-founder ofJardine Matheson, but subsequent famine and changing land use forced vast numbers off their lands and increased the flood of emigrants again. Paradoxically, those who remained became ever more congested[clarification needed] and impoverished, as large tracts of arable land were set aside for sheep, deerstalking or grouse shooting. Agitation for land resettlement became acute on Lewis during the economic slump of the 1880s, with severalland raids (in common with Skye, Uist and Tiree); this quietened down as the island economy recovered.
During the First World War, thousands of islanders served in the forces, many losing their lives, including 208 naval reservists from the island who were returning home after the war when the Admiralty yachtHMY Iolaire sank within sight ofStornoway harbour. Many servicemen from Lewis served in theRoyal Navy and theMerchant Navy during the Second World War, and again many people died. Afterwards, many more inhabitants emigrated to the Americas and mainland Scotland.
In May 1918 the Isle of Lewis was purchased by the soap magnateLord Leverhulme, who intended to make Stornoway an industrial town and build a fish cannery. His plans were initially popular, but his opposition to land resettlement led to further land raids, especially around the farms ofColl,Gress andTong. These raids, commemorated in monuments in several villages,[7] were ultimately successful, as the government was prepared to take legal action in support of land resettlement. Faced with this, Leverhulme gave up on his plans for Lewis and concentrated his efforts on Harris, where the town ofLeverburgh takes his name.
The Isle of Lewis has a variety of locations of historical and archaeological interest, including:
There are also numerous lesser stone circles and the remains of five furtherbrochs.
Much of Lewis consists of mostly sandy beaches backed by dunes andmachair on the Atlantic west coast, giving way to an expansive peat-covered plateau in the centre of the island. The eastern coastline is markedly more rugged and is mostly rocky cliffs broken by small coves and beaches. The more fertile nature of the eastern side led to the majority of the population settling there, including the largest settlement and only town,Stornoway. Aside from the village ofAchmore in the centre of the island, all settlements are on the coast.[10]
Compared with Harris, Lewis is relatively flat, except in the south-west, whereMealaisbhal, 574 m (1,883 ft), is the highest point, and in the south-east, where Beinn Mhor reaches 572 m (1,877 ft); but there are 16 high points exceeding 300 m (980 ft) in height.[11] Southern Lewis also has a large number of freshwater lochs compared to the north of the island.
South Lewis, Harris and North Uist together comprise aNational Scenic Area. There are four geographicalSites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) on Lewis – Glen Valtos, Cnoc a' Chapuill, Port of Ness and Tolsta Head.[12][13]
The coastline is severely indented, creating a number of large sea lochs, such as LochsResort andSeaforth, which form part of the border with Harris,Loch Roag, which surrounds the island of Great Bernera, andLoch Erisort. The principal capes are theButt of Lewis, in the extreme north, with hundred foot (30 m) cliffs (the high point is 142 ft (43 m) high)[14] and crowned with a lighthouse, the light of which is visible for 19 miles (31 km); Tolsta Head, Tiumpan Head and Cabag Head, on the east; Renish Point, in the extreme south; and, on the west, Toe Head and Gallon Head.[15] The largest island associated with Lewis is Bernera orGreat Bernera in the district ofUig and is linked to the mainland of Lewis by a bridge opened in 1953.
The geology of Lewis is dominated by the Archean agedmetamorphicgneisses of the eponymousLewisian complex.[16] Despite sharing a name with the mainland Lewisian Complex, the Lewisian on Lewis is often considered to be from a different block, generally interpreted as the lower plate of a orogeny, than most of the mainland examples of Lewisian.[17] Exceptions are a patch ofgranite nearCarloway, small bands of intrusivebasalt at Gress and in Eye Peninsula and somesandstone at Stornoway, Tong, Vatisker and Carloway, which was originally thought to beTorridonian,[15] but is now considered more likely to bePermo-Triassic in age.[18] The North of the Island contains a Paleoproterozoic, predominantly amphibolite, supracrustal belt, the Ness Complex, which contains meta-anorthosite and has disputedly been correlated to the South Harris Granulite Belt.[19]
Exposure to the Atlantic Ocean and theGulf Stream lead to a cool, moist climate on Lewis. There is relatively little temperature difference between summer and winter, both of which are moderately cloudy (although cloud and wet weather often blows over quickly in summer). Both seasons also have significant rainfall and frequent high winds, particularly during the autumn equinox. These winds have led to Lewis being designated a potential site for a significant wind-farm, which has caused much controversy amongst the population.
| Climate data for Lewis | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 7.0 (44.6) | 7.4 (45.3) | 8.7 (47.7) | 11.0 (51.8) | 12.7 (54.9) | 15.0 (59.0) | 16.7 (62.1) | 16.2 (61.2) | 14.7 (58.5) | 12.2 (54.0) | 9.5 (49.1) | 7.5 (45.5) | 11.6 (52.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 2.8 (37.0) | 3.0 (37.4) | 3.1 (37.6) | 4.6 (40.3) | 6.4 (43.5) | 9.1 (48.4) | 10.9 (51.6) | 10.8 (51.4) | 9.6 (49.3) | 7.4 (45.3) | 5.0 (41.0) | 2.8 (37.0) | 6.3 (43.3) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 118.8 (4.68) | 136.4 (5.37) | 150.4 (5.92) | 84.8 (3.34) | 124.8 (4.91) | 98.0 (3.86) | 119.0 (4.69) | 150.6 (5.93) | 141.2 (5.56) | 187.0 (7.36) | 165.0 (6.50) | 224.4 (8.83) | 1,700.4 (66.95) |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 34.5 | 63.4 | 104.9 | 147.1 | 192.2 | 166.4 | 127.9 | 132.6 | 106.6 | 77.2 | 44.3 | 26.2 | 1,223.3 |
| Source 1:Met Office (Data January 1874 – November 2006) Temperature figures are average figures for that month; other figures are averages of monthly totals. | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Hebrides Weather[20] | |||||||||||||
There are 15 Sites of Special Scientific Interest on Lewis in the biology category, spread across the island. Additionally, theLewis Peatlands are recognised byScottish Natural Heritage as aSpecial Protection Area,Special Area of Conservation and aRamsar site, showing their importance as a wetland habitat for migratory and resident bird life.[13]
Many species of seabirds inhabit the coastal areas of Lewis, includingshag,gannet,fulmar,kittiwake,guillemot, and gulls.Red grouse andwoodcock are found in the interior.
In theUig hills, it is possible to spot bothgolden andwhite-tailed eagles.[21] In thePairc area,oystercatchers andcurlews can be seen. A few pairs ofperegrine falcons inhabit the coastal cliffs andmerlin andbuzzard are common everywhere on hill and moor. An important feature of the winter bird life is the great diversity of wildfowl. Several species ofwaterfowl, includingeider andlong-tailed duck, are found in the shallow water around Lewis.[22]
Salmon frequent several Lewis rivers after crossing the Atlantic. Many of the fresh-water lochs are home to fish such as trout. Other freshwater fish present includeArctic char, European eel, 3 and 9 spinedsticklebacks, thick-lippedmullet andflounder.
Offshore, it is common to seegrey seals, particularly in Stornoway harbour, and with luck, dolphins,harbour porpoises, sharks and even the occasional whale can be encountered.[23]
There are only two native land mammals in the Western Isles:red deer andotter. Therabbit,mountain hare,hedgehog,feral cat,polecat and bothbrown andblack rats were introduced. The origin of mice and voles is uncertain.[22]
American mink, another introduced species (escapees fromfur farms), cause problems for native ground-nesting birds, the local fishing industry and poultry farmers.[24] Mink have been successfully eradicated[25] from the Uists and Barra. The second and ongoing phase of the Hebridean Mink Project aims to rid Lewis and Harris of mink in similar fashion.[26]
There are claims that the Stornoway castle grounds are home to bats.[27] In addition, some residents keep farm animals such as Hebridean sheep, Highland cattle or kyloe and a few pigs.
In common with Ireland, no snakes inhabit Lewis,[28] only theslowworm which is merely mistaken for a snake. Actually, a legless lizard, it is the sole member of its order present. The common frog may be found in the centre of the island[28] though it, along with any newts or toads present are introduced species.[22]
The island's most famous insect resident is the Scottishmidge which is ever-present near water at certain times of the year.
During the summer months, several species of butterflies and dragonflies can be found, especially around Stornoway.
The richness of insect life in Lewis is evident from the abundance of carnivorous plants that thrive in parts of the island.
Themachair is noted for different species of orchid and associated vegetation such as various grasses. Threeheathers;ling,bell heather andcross-leaved heath are predominant in the large areas of moorland vegetation which also holds large numbers ofinsectivorous plants such assundews. The expanse of heather-covered moorland explains the nameEilean an Fhraoich,Scottish Gaelic for "The Heather Isle".[29]
Lewis was once covered by woodland, but the only natural woods remaining are in small pockets on inland cliffs and on islands within lochs, away from fire and sheep. In recent years,Forestry Commission plantations ofspruce and pine were planted, although most of the pines were destroyed by moth infestation. The most important mixed woods are those planted aroundLews Castle in Stornoway, dating from the mid-19th century.[30]
Historically, while Harris was part ofInverness-shire, Lewis was part ofRoss-shire orRoss and Cromarty. The Western Isles Islands Council was established in 1975. Now calledComhairle nan Eilean Siar, its remit covers the whole of the Outer Hebrides and its headquarters are in Stornoway.
Lewis is home to the majority of the Western Isles' electorate and six of the nine multi-member council wards are within Lewis and one is shared with Harris. 22 councillors are effectively elected by Lewis residents using theSingle Transferable Vote system, and following the 2007 elections 19 are independents, one has Labour and two SNP party affiliation.[32]
The Isle of Lewis is in theHighlands electoral region and is part of the identicalNa h-Eileanan an Iar Scottish Parliamentary andNa h-Eileanan an Iar Westminster constituencies, currently represented by a member of theScottish National Party (SNP) and by a member of theLabour Party after the last election.
Lewis' main settlement, the onlyburgh on the Outer Hebrides, is Stornoway (Scottish Gaelic: Steòrnabhagh), from whichferries sail toUllapool on the Scottish mainland. In the 2011 census Lewis had a population of 19,658.
The island's settlements are on or near the coasts orsea lochs, being particularly concentrated on the north east coast. The interior of the island is a large area of moorland from whichpeat was traditionally cut as fuel, although this practice has become less common. The southern part of the island, adjoining Harris, is more mountainous with inlandlochs.
It is claimed that the site of the Stornoway War Memorial was chosen as it would be visible from at least one location in each of the four parishes; therefore, it may be possible to see all four parishes of Lewis from the top of the monument.[33]
While Lewis has only one town,Stornoway, with a population of approx 8,000, there are also several large villages and groupings of villages on Lewis, such asNorth Tolsta,Carloway andLeurbost with significant populations. Near Stornoway,Laxdale,Sandwick andHolm, although still de facto villages, have now become quasi-suburbs of Stornoway. The population of the greater-Stornoway area including these (and other) villages would be nearer 12,000.The island of Great Bernera contains the first planned crofting township created in the Outer Hebrides, Kirkibost created in 1805. This village was subsequently 'cleared' in 1823 and re-settled in 1878 using the exact land lotting divisions from 1805.
The following is a non-exhaustive list of villages in Lewis according to their location:
Traditional industries on Lewis arecrofting,fishing andweaving. Though historically important, they are currently in decline and crofting in particular is little more than a subsistence venture today. Over 40% of the working population is employed by the public sector (chieflyComhairle nan Eilean Siar, the local authority; and NHS Western Isles). Tourism is the only growing commercial industry.
According to the Scottish Government, "tourism is by far and away the mainstay industry" of the Outer Hebrides, "generating £65m in economic value for the islands, sustaining around 1000 jobs". The report adds that the "islands receive 219,000 visitors per year".[34] The Outer Hebrides tourism bureau states that 10–15% of economic activity on the islands was made up of tourism in 2017. The agency states that the "exact split between islands is not possible" when calculating the number of visits, but "the approximate split is Lewis (45%), Uist (25%), Harris (20%), Barra (10%)".[35]
Despite the name, theHarris tweed industry is today focused in Lewis, with the major finishing mills in Shawbost and Stornoway. Every length of cloth produced is stamped with the officialOrb symbol,trademarked by the Harris Tweed Association in 1909, when Harris Tweed was defined as "hand-spun, hand-woven and dyed by the crofters and cottars in the Outer Hebrides"; Machine-spinning and vat dyeing have since replaced hand methods, and only weaving is now conducted in the home, under the governance of theHarris Tweed Authority, established by an Act of Parliament in 1993. Harris Tweed is now defined as "hand woven by the islanders at their homes in the Outer Hebrides, finished in the islands of Harris, Lewis, North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist and Barra and their several purtenances (The Outer Hebrides) and made from pure virgin wool dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides."[36]
Aside from the concentration of industry and services in the Stornoway area, many of the historical sites have associated visitor centres, shops or cafes.[37] There is a pharmaceutical plant nearBreasclete which specialises infatty acid research.[38]
The main fishing fleet (and associated shoreside services) in Stornoway is somewhat reduced from its heyday, but many smaller boats perform inshore creel fishing and operate from smaller, local harbours right around Lewis. There arefish farms in many of the sea lochs, and along with the onshore processing and transportation required the industry as a whole is a major employer.
Stornoway is the commercial centre of Lewis; there are several national chains with shops in the town, two national supermarket chains as well as numerous local businesses. Outwith Stornoway, many villages have an all-purpose shop (often combined with a post office). Some villages have more than one, with these usually being specialist stores such as pharmacies or petrol stations. There are almost no rural public houses (for the sale of alcohol); instead, local hotels or inns function as meeting, eating and drinking places, often with accommodation provided. Recently,Abhainn Dearg distillery at Carnish, Uig, on the Isle of Lewis is producing Scotch whisky, the first legal whisky in over 200 years.
Itinerant, travelling shops also tour the island visiting some of the more remote locations. The ease of transport to Stornoway and the advent of the internet have led to many of the village shops closing in recent times. Mobile banking services are provided to remote villages by the Royal Bank of Scotland's travelling bank.
A dailyCaledonian MacBrayneferry (MVLoch Seaforth) sails from Stornoway to Ullapool on the Scottish mainland, taking 2 hours 30 minutes connecting Lewis with the mainland. There are two return crossings a day, with one on a Sunday in the winter. Other ferries sailing from Harris are easily accessible by road, enabling transport toSkye andUist.
Suggestions for the possibility of an undersea tunnel linking Lewis to the Scottish mainland were raised in early 2007. One of the possible routes, between Stornoway and Ullapool, would be over 50 miles (80 km) long and hence the longest road tunnel in the world;[39][40] however, shorter routes would be possible.
Stornoway is the public transport hub of Lewis, with bus services to Point, Ness, Back and Tolsta, Uig, the West Side, Lochs andTarbert, Harris. These services are provided by the local authority and several private operators as well as some community-run organisations.
Stornoway Airport is 2 miles (3 km) away from the town itself and is located next to the village ofMelbost.Loganair operate services toEdinburgh,Inverness andGlasgow.Hebridean Air Services operate a service toBenbecula.Eastern Airways flights to Aberdeen ended in November 2018. The airport is the base of aHM Coastguard Search & RescueSikorsky S-92 helicopter and was previously home toRAF Stornoway.
Peat is still cut as a fuel in many areas of Lewis. Peat is usually cut in late spring with a tool called atairsgeir (that is, a peat iron, peat spade, peat knife or tosg; sometimestoirsgian) which has a long wooden handle with an angled blade on one end. The peat bank is first cleared of heather turfs. The peat, now exposed, is cut using thetairsgeir and the peats thrown out on the bank to dry. A good peat cutter can cut 1000 peats in a day.[41]
Once dried, the peats are carted to the croft and built into a large stack. These often resembled the shape of the croft house – broad, curved at each end and tapered to a point about 2 metres high. They varied in length from about 4 to 14 metres. Peat stacking also follows local customs and a well-built peat stack can be a work of art. Peat stacks provide additional shelter to houses. A croft can burn as many as 15,000–18,000 peats in a year.[41]
The odour of the peat-smoke, especially in wintertime, can add to the general atmosphere of the island. While peat burning still goes on, there has been a significant decline in recent years as people move to other, less labour-intensive forms of heating; however, it remains an important symbol of island life. In 2008, with the large increase in the price (and theft) of liquefied petroleum gas and heating oil, there were signs that there may be a return to peat cutting.
Religion is important in Lewis, with much of the population belonging to theFree Church or theChurch of Scotland (bothPresbyterian in tradition). TheSabbath is generally observed, with most shops and licensed premises closed on that day, although there has been a scheduled air service to mainland Scotland as well as a scheduled ferry service since 19 July 2009.[42]
While Presbyterianism dominates Lewis, other denominations and other religions have a presence, with aCatholic church, aScottish Episcopal Church (part of theAnglican Communion); there is also a Catholic priest of theAnglican Ordinariate inStornoway,[43] aSalvation Army corps, a Pentecostal church (New Wine Church), aPlymouth Brethren church, aBaptist church, ameetinghouse of theLDS Church and aJehovah's WitnessKingdom Hall all present in Stornoway.[citation needed] The island's firstmosque opened in Stornoway in May 2018.[44]
Some churches in Lewis practiseprecenting the line, a distinctive,heterophonic style of congregationalpsalm singing in Scottish Gaelic.[45][46]
School education in Lewis is under the remit ofComhairle nan Eilean Siar. There are a total of 15 schools covering the 5–18 age range.[47] Unusual features are the prevalence ofScottish Gaelic medium education (offered in 12 of 14 primary schools)[48] and theNicolson Institute, the only secondary school on the island. The large number of village schools led to necessarily small rolls, and falls in pupil numbers led to the closures of all of the rural secondary departments and some of the primary schools.[49]
Stornoway is home to a small campus of theUniversity of Stirling, teaching nursing, which is based inOspadal nan Eilean (Western Isles Hospital). There is also a further education college,Lews Castle College, which is part of theUHI Millennium Institute. The college is the umbrella organisation for other vocational and community education, offered in several rural learning centres as well as on the main campus and covering subjects such as basic computer skills, Scottish Gaelic language classes and maritime qualifications.[50]
Lewis has a linguistic heritage rooted inScottish Gaelic andOld Norse, which both continue to influence life in Lewis. Today, both Scottish Gaelic and English are spoken in Lewis, but in day-to-day life, a hybrid of English and Scottish Gaelic is very common.[51] As a result of the Scottish Gaelic influence, the Lewis accent ofHighland English is frequently considered to sound more Irish or Welsh than stereotypically Scottish in some quarters. The Scottish Gaelic culture in the Western Isles is more prominent than in any other part of Scotland. Scottish Gaelic is the language of choice amongst many islanders and around 60% of islanders speak Scottish Gaelic as a daily language, whilst 70% of the resident population have some knowledge of Scottish Gaelic (including reading, writing, speaking or a combination of the three). The Gaelic Language is considered to be unstable in the Western Isles,[52] though there are some efforts to stabilise, including Gaelic medium education and the Gaelic cultural centre and community café, An Taigh Cèilidh, in Stornoway.
Most of the place names in Lewis and Harris come fromOld Norse. The name "Lewis" is the English spelling of the Scottish GaelicLeòdhas which comes from the Old NorseLjóðhús, as Lewis is named inmedieval Norwegian maps of the island. Various suggestions have been made as to a Norse meaning such as "song house". The name is not of Gaelic origin, the Norse credentials are questionable and it may have a pre-Celtic root.[53][54]
As well as regularly playing host to theRoyal National Mòd, there are annual localmòds. Stornoway Castle Green hosts the annual 3-dayHebridean Celtic Festival in July, attracting over 10,000 visitors. The festival includes events such ascèilidhs, dances and special concerts featuring storytelling, song and music with performers from all round the Isles and beyond.Sad Day We Left the Croft is a 2007 compilation album of punk bands from Lewis.
The radio stationIsles FM is based in Stornoway and broadcasts on 103FM, featuring a mixture of Scottish Gaelic and English programming. The town is also home to a studio operated byBBC Radio nan Gàidheal, and Studio Alba, an independent television studio from where the Scottish GaelicTV channelTeleG was broadcast.
TheStornoway Gazette is the main local paper, covering Lewis and beyond and is published weekly.The Hebridean is a sister paper of the Gazette and also provides local coverage.[55] Some community organisations in the rural districts have their own publications with news and features for these particular areas, such as theRudhach for the Point district.[56][57]
Lewis has been home to, or inspired, many writers, including bestselling contemporary authorKevin MacNeil, whose cult novelThe Stornoway Way was set in the island's capital. In April 2020, the Isle of Lewis Distillery published a list of 10 recommended books that feature the Outer Hebrides.[58] Parts of the crime/mystery series by author GR Jordan are also set in this area, with the action inWater's Edge andHorror Weekend taking place primarily on the Isle.[59][60]
There is a good provision of sporting grounds and sports centres in Lewis. Sports such asfootball,rugby union andgolf are popular:
The Isle of Lewis has a rich folklore, includingSeonaidh – a water-spirit who had to be offeredale in the area ofTeampull Mholuaidh inNess – andThe Blue Men who inhabited the Minch, between Lewis and theShiants.[61]
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