Stornoway, UK (Hebrides Islands) - May 27, 2025

Our tour began at Stornoway's impressive new deepwater port, a £50 million investment that has only been open for about a year. Our guide explained how this modern facility has revolutionized cruise ship visits as previously, ships had to anchor in the bay and tender passengers to shore, often impossible in rough weather. Now visitors can disembark directly, making the islands much more accessible.

We learned that we were exploring just a small part of an extraordinary archipelago - the Outer Hebrides consist of approximately 120 islands, with only 12 inhabited. The total population is around 26,500 people, with the majority (18,500) living on Lewis and Harris, the islands we were touring.

Our guide shared the fascinating story of how James Matheson, who made his fortune in China, purchased the entire island of Lewis along with its 22,000 Gaelic-speaking residents. Despite this unusual beginning, Matheson proved to be a beneficial owner who significantly improved the island's economy and living standards. We passed Lewis Castle, his grand residence.

Our journey followed a carefully planned circular route: heading south from Stornoway, then turning west to travel along the dramatic West Coast, before heading north and finally east back to town. The tour included two major stops: Dun Bragar (45 minutes away) and the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village.

Along the route, we passed the Fred Olsen fabrication yard, established in the 1970s to support the North Sea oil and gas industry. This industrial facility, located near our starting point, employs many local people and represents the island's adaptation to modern economic opportunities.

Our guide pointed out practical aspects of island life, including the recycling center where much of the island's waste is processed (with equipment imported from Germany), and the characteristic single-track roads with passing places that define travel throughout the Hebrides. We also noticed the abundant rhododendrons lining the roads, originally planted during the estate development but now requiring management as they can quickly take over natural areas.

Our guide also talked about peat.  The peat that covers much of the islands today formed between 3000 and 4000 years ago, and reaches a thickness of 20ft. Peat covers Shetland, and most of the Hebrides, especially northern Lewis , making it an abundant natural resource for island communities.  People used peats in their homes for heating and cooking. From the earliest human settlement, islanders depended on peats in food production. Grain had to be dried in a kiln in order for it to be ground into meal.

The cutting of the peat is highly organized. Only small elements of the moor are allocated for cutting, and each property has its own "allotted" peat bank, usually with a generations-old Gaelic name Peat Cutting - Hebridean Way. Peat cutting rights are typically associated with crofting communities. While crofters are generally free to harvest peat for their own use on their crofts, reports suggest others may need to obtain permission or have a specific arrangement with the landowner or community. The peat is usually cut in late spring, and many crofters are keen to cut the turf from the peat bog prior to lambing season, which takes place between March and April.  It is quite an interesting process and if you would like to learn more about it, HERE is a link to a comprehensive series of videos about the process.

Our first stop was at Dun Bragar.  It is a ruined Iron Age broch that stands in Loch an Dùin in South Bragar. (A broch is an Iron Age drystone hollow-walled structure found in Scotland. These remarkable buildings are roundhouse buildings found throughout Atlantic Scotland and represent some of the most sophisticated prehistoric architecture in Europe.)

This broch dates from the first millennium BC.  In its heyday, it was an impressive defensive structure. Historical accounts from the New Statistical Account of 1834-1845 describe the dùn as being well adapted for defense, built solely of large stones, three stories high, tapering towards the summit, with a double wall, bound with large flags, which, at the same time, form a winding staircase in the thickness of the wall, by which one may go round the building.

Unfortunately, in the mid-20th century local people took away many of its stones, and the structure is no longer safe. In 1921 its walls stood to a height of 3.66 - 4.27m (12-14 ft) on the south and about 2.44m (8 ft) on the north side, but much of this has since been lost to stone removal.

The broch has interesting legendary associations. There's a legend about a MacPhail who used it as a stronghold, where twelve of the best Macaulay swordsmen were sent to capture him. They managed to get into the broch at night and found MacPhail in bed, but could only subdue him with his wife's help.

Our next stop was at Gearrannan Blackhouse Village.  Here we experienced one of Scotland's most authentic historical sites. This village represents traditional Highland life with its nine preserved blackhouses, four of which we could explore. 

Click HERE for a video describing life in a Blackhouse.

Harris Tweed originated in this area and I watched a video demonstrating how it is made.  Click HERE to watch some Youtube videos on the process. 

Our guide provided intimate insights into the crofting system - you could see the characteristic fenced strips of land(the individual crofts) extending from the village toward the hills, with common grazing land beyond. This traditional system supported families with small-scale agriculture and shared resources.

We learned about traditional food preservation methods and the island's reputation for exceptional Lewis-reared lamb and mutton and Ross-reared beef. The guide explained how families would eat fresh meat in summer and preserved (salted) meat during winter months. 

We also observed the modern adaptation of polytunnels (greenhouses) throughout the island, allowing residents to grow tomatoes, potatoes, cucumbers, and herbs that wouldn't survive in the harsh Atlantic climate outdoors.

Our guide shared deeply personal stories, including working in education for 31 years before taking early retirement when the local primary school closed. You visited Carloway (meaning "heavy corner"), which was the guide's home district, providing an intimate local perspective on how island communities have evolved.

The tour showcased the dramatic tidal ranges of the Atlantic coast - you could see vast areas of seaweed-covered shore exposed at low tide, demonstrating the powerful ebb and flow of these waters. The guide pointed out areas popular with surfers and the ever-present influence of salt spray on vegetation growth.

A recurring theme was how the island has adapted to change while preserving essential character. From the closure of small schools requiring children to travel to community schools, to the shift from individual crofts to modern infrastructure, your guide painted a picture of a community that embraces necessary change while maintaining its cultural identity.

Your tour concluded with the traditional Highland toast - "Slàinte" (good health) in Gaelic - embodying the enduring spirit of Highland hospitality that has welcomed visitors for generations.  Watch this short video for the pronunciation.

The tour today provided us with an exceptionally comprehensive view of Hebridean life, from ancient traditions to modern adaptations, all delivered through the personal lens of someone who has lived this transformation firsthand.