An Lanntair
Arts Centre. Stornoway. Exhibitions and events, mainly local artists
and traditional music events in the summer.
First floor of Stornoway Town Hall on the sea front near ferry
terminal.
Tel 01851 703307
Web
Lewis
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Arnol
Blackhouse. Traditional island thatched house - fully furnished
dating back to early twentieth century
Off A858 in Arnol.
Tel 01851 710395
Web
Lewis
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Bosta Iron Age
House. Excavated remains of an Iron Age village and
reconstructed Iron Age house built into the sand. Marked wall where
visitors can walk along scenic coastline.
Bostadh beach on island of Bernera off W coast of Lewis. B8059
across the bridge and head NW corner of island.
Tel 01851 612331
Lewis
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Calanais Standing Stones. Dating back
some 5000 years. One of the finest examples of prehistoric sites in Britain.
Very atmospheric. Visitor centre near site tells story of the stones
and offers various facilities. Site open all year round.
Calanais on A858 W of Stornoway.
Tel 01851 621422
Web
Lewis
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Dualchas Barra Heritage and
Cultural Centre. Focuses on history and culture of Barra.
On A888 Castlebay
Tel 01871 810413
Barra
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Dun Carloway. Dry-stone broch
measuring 70ft in height. Visitor centre.
Two miles S of Carolway on A858 W side of Lewis
Tel 01851 643338
Lewis
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Gearrannan Blackhouse Village.
The village and surrounding croft land has been restored to form a
typical blackhouse village.
Follow signs for Carloway on A857/A858, 25 miles W of Stornoway.
Tel 01851 643416
Web
Lewis
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Kildonan Museum.
Kildonan on A865
Tel 01878 710343
South Uist
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Kisimul Castle. Ancestral home
of the MacNeil family and is located on a small island off Barra at
Castle Bay. Dates back to twelfth century, fully rebuilt in
mid-twentieth century. Access via a small boat - takes just a few
minutes.
Just off Castlebay on small island.
Tel 01871 810313
Web
Barra
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Loch Druidibeg. SNH. South
Uist. The colourful flowery machair grassland on the Atlantic coast
gradually gives way to the moorland of the interior. Quiet lochans
provide a haven for the distinctive plants and birds of the Uists
which include the corncrake with its persistent rasping call.
Best time is May to June for breeding wildfowl, waders and
corncrakes. July for flowers.
The area spans the A865 in central South Uist.
South Uist
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Lewis Loom Centre. Centre
devoted to weaving - information on the process involved in turning
raw wool into Harris Tweed.
Stornoway close to TIC.
Tel 01851 704500
Lewis
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Monach Isles. SNH. Every
autumn these five islands play host to one of the most important
breeding colonies of Atlantic grey seals in the world. They're also
home to large numbers of seabirds, including black guillemots and
terns, whilst the machair displays a rich variety of plants.
Best time is May to August for birds and flowers. Please do not
disturb the nesting birds and seals.
To get there is not so easy - local charters may be available in
North Uist - contact the local tourist office.
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Museum Nan Eilean. Museum with
artefacts pertaining to the history of the Western Isles.
Francis Street, Stornoway center.
Tel 01851 703773
Web
Lewis
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Seallam Visitor Centre.
Devoted to the people and landscape of the Western Isles with
changing exhibitions.
Northton, 17 miles SW of Tarbert on A859
Tel 01859 520258
Web
Harris
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Shawbost School Museum. Looks
at life in a typical crofting village in the early twentieth
century.
On NW coast of Lewis.
Tel 01851 710212
Lewis
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St Clement's Church. Sixteenth
century church was built by Alasdair Crotach MacLeod, Lord of
Dunvegan and Harris. Houses his ornately decorated tomb.
On A859 Rodel.
Tel 0131 668 8800
Web
Harris
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St Kilda. NTS. Britain's most
remote group of islands 110 miles from the Scottish mainland. The
inhabitants main food was seabirds. Inhabited for 4000 years
until evacuated in 1930. Now a World Heritage Site and Europe's most
important seabird colony - the largest gannet colony in the world
and over a million seabirds in total. It also has its own subspecies
of wren and field mouse as well as a wild flock of primitive Soay
sheep.
59 miles W of Outer Hebrides. Access by charter boat from Oban,
Miavaig (Lewis) and Berneray (North Uist) and with NTS
work parties. Access to the island is by prior arrangement with the
seasonal warden.
Tel 01631 570000
Or SNH Stilligarry, S Uist. HS8 5RS. 01870 620238
Web
St Kilda
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Stornoway Trust Woodland
Centre. Interactive Centre with guided tours around the grounds of
Lews Castle.
In grounds of Lews Caste Stornoway.
Tel 01851 706916
Lewis
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Taigh Chearsabahagh Museum &
Arts Centre. Built around 1741, believed to be one of the first
buildings in North Uist to have a slated roof. Museum displays items
relating to the history and culture of North Uist with a collection
of over 2000 photographs of the social history of the island.
Gallery with exhibits by local artists.
Short walk from Lochmaddy Pier.
Tel 01876 500293
Web
North Uist
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For ferries to the islands see
our travel page |
