The epicentre of Gaelic culture, the island of Lewis and Harris has a rich natural and historical heritage. It’s the largest Scottish island and the third largest in the British Isles, after Great Britain and Ireland.
The harbour town of Stornoway is the portal to the island’s dramatic landscape. It’s like stepping into the pages of a Tolkein fantasy. In Lewis—the northern part of the island—the legendary Callanish Stones emerge from the ground like a strange and massive rock city. The Blackhouse, the Shawbost Norse Mill and Kiln, and the Carloway Broch all offer a peek at what island life used to look like. In southern Harris, the east side beaches boast some of the oldest known rocks in the world, dating back millions of years.
Although Lewis and Harris are often referred to as if they were two separate islands, they are in fact a single land mass - Lewis to the north and a relatively flat landscape; Harris to the south and quite hilly. Due to its 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 the golden eagle, red deer and seal, and are recognised in a number of conservation areas.
Lewis has a Presbyterian tradition and a rich history. It was once part of the Norse Kingdom of Mann and the Isles. Today, life is very different from elsewhere in Scotland, with Sabbath observance, the Gaelic language and peat cutting retaining more importance than elsewhere. Lewis has a rich cultural heritage as can be seen from its myths and legends as well as the local literary and musical traditions
The northern part of Harris is sparsely populated. It contains Clisham, the highest mountain in the Outer Hebrides at 2,621 ft. Beyond Tarbert, the furthest settlement is Hushinish on the west coast. A bridge from the east coast links Harris to the island of Scalpay.
In March 2003 the 62,500-acre North Harris Estate was purchased by the North Harris Trust, on behalf of the local community. Five years later, the Trust received planning consent for three 86 metre (282 ft) wind turbines to be located at Monan. Later that year, the Trust began canvassing local opinion about a proposal to create Scotland's third national park in the area.
The southern part of Harris is less mountainous, with numerous unspoilt, white sandy beaches on the west coast. Its main settlements are Rodel, known for its medieval kirk of St. Clement, the most elaborate surviving medieval church in the Hebrides after Iona Abbey, and Leverburgh. A ferry sails from the latter to Berneray, an island off the coast of North Uist, to which it is joined by a causeway.
The road which runs along the east coast of south Harris is known colloquially as the "Golden Road" as, in 1897, it cost so much money to build. It runs from Tarbert to Rodel through the area of Harris known as Bays and through the coastal townships of Lickisto, Geocrab, Manish, Flodabay, Ardvay, Finsbay and Lingerbay.
The beaches of Luskentyre and Scarista are amongst the most spectacular. From the former, the island of Taransay, where the BBC Television series Castaway 2000 was recorded, is seen most clearly from Harris. At Scarista the beach is a venue for surfing and kite buggying. Nearby, the Harris Golf Club offers well-kept greens and views of the hills. Scarista is the birthplace of the author Finlay J. MacDonald, who wrote about growing up on Harris in the 1930s. His books: Crowdie and Cream, Crotal and White and The Corncrake and the Lysander paint a vivid and humorous picture of Hebridean life.
Harris is also world-famous for its tweed, although this is now mostly made in Lewis.
Title Image Credit: Haydn Blackey (Image Cropped)