Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, Scotland

 

Dun Calloway Broch

The Isle of Lewis is mostly peat bogs and other swampy lands with many lochs. Most of the land is too wet for trees. Peat grows about 1 mm. per year, so when you cut the peat for fuel, you’re cutting 2000 years of growth. The peat is dried in the sun to be suitable for fuel. Our first stop was Dun Carloway broch which was built 1900 to 2300 years ago for a prestigious family. The building likely housed both the family and their animals.

Garenin Village

Nearby was Garenin Village consisting of restored Black houses, built of stone with thatched roofs and heated with peat fireplaces. This village died out in 1974 but has been restored to its look in 1950. They also demonstrated the making of Harris tweed and how peet was cut and dried. We could see the narrow strips of land, crofts, which are rented from the owner of the island. Here people would build a house and have a garden primarily raising potatoes. Even today most people rent their land, but if they pay their rent, they cannot be evicted and can even pass on the right to rent that land to their children. We finished our morning by visiting the 4000 year old Callanish Stones. These stones have been standing longer than Stonehenge.

Callanish Stones

The island has primarily been owned by clan leads or individuals. Opposite where our ship is anchored is Lewis Castle, built by James Matthienson in 1844. He made his fortune from the opium trade. While he owned the entire island, he is well regarded because he bequeathed the land to the parish and helped the tenants to emigrate to Canada and the US. The grounds include a garden and most of the trees that exist on the island. In the castle is a small museum, which features 6 of the 93 Lewis chessmen. These chess pieces were discovered in a sand dune on the island. They were carved out of walrus and whale teeth in Trondheim, Norway about 800 years ago.

We finished our day with some highland dancers.