"carried out in the Scottish Gaelic language. Almost all of the Gaelic speakers are bilingual. Most of the place names in Lewis and Harris come from Old Norse. The name ""Lewis"" is the English spelling of the Scottish Gaelic ""Leòdhas"" which comes from the Old Norse ""Ljóðhús"", as Lewis is named in medieval 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. As well as regularly playing host to the Royal"
"and although various suggestions have been made as to a Norse meaning (such as ""song house"") the name is not of Gaelic origin and the Norse credentials are questionable. The earliest comprehensive written list of Hebridean island names was undertaken by Donald Monro in 1549, which in some cases also provides the earliest written form of the island name. The derivations of all of the inhabited islands of the Hebrides and some of the larger uninhabited ones are listed below. Lewis and Harris is the largest island in Scotland and the third largest in the British Isles, after Great Britain"
"states: ""and in the north syde of this there is ane parochin callit Buchagla, [Benbecula] perteining to the said Clandonald. At the north end thereof the sea cuts the countrey againe, and that cutting of the sea is called Careynesse, and benorth this countrey is called Kenehnache of Ywst, that is in Englishe, the north head of Ywst."" Numerous islands are missing from the lists including Ronay, Stuley, Baleshare, Kirkibost and Calvay. Lewis and Harris is the largest of Scotland's islands and the third largest in the British Isles, after Great Britain and Ireland. It incorporates Lewis in the north"
"individual islands, although they are connected by land. The island does not have a single name in either English or Gaelic, and is referred to as ""Lewis and Harris"", ""Lewis with Harris"", ""Harris with Lewis"" etc. The largest islands are deeply indented by arms of the sea such as Loch Ròg, Loch Seaforth and Loch nam Madadh. There are also more than 7,500 freshwater lochs in the Outer Hebrides, about 24% of the total for the whole of Scotland. North and South Uist and Lewis in particular have landscapes with a high percentage of fresh water and a maze and"
"such as football, rugby union and golf are popular. The Isle of Lewis has a rich folklore, including ""Seonaidh"" – a water-spirit who had to be offered ale in the area of Teampull Mholuaidh in Ness – and ""The Blue Men"" who inhabited the Minch, between Lewis and the Shiants. Isle of Lewis Lewis (, ) is the northern part of Lewis and Harris, the largest island of the Western Isles or Outer Hebrides archipelago in Scotland. It is also known as the Isle of Lewis, as the two parts are frequently referred to as if they were separate islands."
"the dangers but in the past the stormy seas have claimed many ships. Religion, music and sport are important aspects of local culture, and there are numerous designated conservation areas to protect the natural environment. The islands form an archipelago whose major islands are Lewis and Harris, North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist, and Barra. Lewis and Harris has an area of and is the largest island in Scotland and the third largest in the British Isles, after Great Britain and Ireland. It incorporates Lewis in the north and Harris in the south, both of which are frequently referred to as"
"the mainland. Major sea lochs include Loch Fyne, Loch Long, Loch Ryan, Loch Linnhe, Loch Torridon, Loch Ewe, and on the Isle of Lewis, Loch Seaforth. Scotland has some 790 islands, most of which are located off the northern and western coast of the country. The northern and western islands of Scotland can be found in three main groups: Shetland, Orkney and the Hebrides which can be divided into the Inner Hebrides and the Outer Hebrides. Shetland and Orkney, together with Fair Isle and Stroma are referred to as the Northern Isles. With a total land area of Lewis and"
"Birch, Grey Willow and Sallow Willow. The underlying geology is Lewisian Gneiss overlain by peaty podzols and gleys. The Gaelic name of the island, means ""large island of Rainish"" and is taken from the surrounding area, which itself means ""Roe deer headland"", from Old Norse. Rainish Eilean Mòr Rainish Eilean Mòr is an uninhabited island in Loch Orasaigh, north of the village of Leurbost in the area of South Lochs on the island of Lewis. At in extent, it is one of Scotland's larger freshwater islands, but it is probably the largest relative to the size of the body of"
"successfully completed by the islanders of Gigha and Eigg. However, the laird is apparently popular locally and has said he is unwilling to sell. At the time of the 2011 census there were 252 people usually resident on the island, an increase of 8% on the figure of 233 for 2001. Great Bernera Great Bernera (), often known just as Bernera () is an island and community in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. With an area of just over , it is the thirty-fourth largest Scottish island. Great Bernera lies in Loch Roag on the north-west coast of Lewis and"
"Stornoway Stornoway (; ) is the main town of the Western Isles and the capital of Lewis and Harris in Scotland. The town's population is around 8,000, making it by far the largest town in the Hebrides, as well as the second largest island town in Scotland after Kirkwall in Orkney. The traditional civil parish of Stornoway, which includes various nearby villages, has a combined population of just over 10,000. Stornoway is an important port and the major town and administrative centre of the Outer Hebrides. It is home to ""Comhairle nan Eilean Siar"" (the Western Isles Council) and a"
"the clearances were the MacAulays, Morrisons, MacCodrums, MacCuishs, and MacDonalds. North Uist is the tenth-largest Scottish island and the thirteenth-largest island surrounding Great Britain. It has an area of , slightly smaller than South Uist. North Uist is connected by causeways to Benbecula via Grimsay, to Berneray, and to Baleshare. With the exception of the south east, the island is very flat, and covered with a patchwork of peat bogs, low hills and lochans, with more than half the land being covered by water. Some of the lochs contain a mixture of fresh and tidal salt water, giving rise to"
"Harris (referred to as two islands but actually just one) is the largest island surrounding Scotland. Many of these offshore islands are swept by strong tides, and the Corryvreckan tide race between Scarba and Jura is one of the largest whirlpools in the world. Other strong tides are to be found in the Pentland Firth between mainland Scotland and Orkney, and the ""Grey Dog"" between Scarba and Lunga. There are also numerous clusters of islands in the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde and in freshwater lochs such as Loch Lomond and Loch Maree. Outlying islands include St"
"legal advice that not implementing Sunday sailings would be against human rights legislation. There are Sunday flights leaving from Stornoway Airport with two return flights to Inverness and one to Glasgow. Stornoway Stornoway (; ) is the main town of the Western Isles and the capital of Lewis and Harris in Scotland. The town's population is around 8,000, making it by far the largest town in the Hebrides, as well as the second largest island town in Scotland after Kirkwall in Orkney. The traditional civil parish of Stornoway, which includes various nearby villages, has a combined population of just over"
"Harris, Scotland Harris (, ) is the southern and more mountainous part of Lewis and Harris, the largest island in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Although not an island itself, Harris is often referred to as the ""Isle of Harris"", which is the former postal county and the current post town for Royal Mail postcodes starting HS3 or HS5; see HS postcode area. St Kilda, an uninhabited small archipelago, is considered part of the civil parish of Harris. It is located west-northwest of North Uist. The same is true for the remote uninhabited rock islet Rockall, which is west of North"
"but the meaning of this Gaelic name is unclear. , which means ""island of the mist"" (a translation of the Norse name), is a poetic Gaelic name for the island. At , Skye is the second-largest island in Scotland after Lewis and Harris. The coastline of Skye is a series of peninsulas and bays radiating out from a centre dominated by the Cuillin hills (Gaelic: ). Malcolm Slesser suggested that its shape ""sticks out of the west coast of northern Scotland like a lobster's claw ready to snap at the fish bone of Harris and Lewis"" and W. H. Murray,"
"is scattered in villages, small towns and isolated farmsteads or crofts. Nearly 100 of Scotland's islands are inhabited, the most populous being Lewis with 16,782 people resident in 2001, primarily concentrated in Stornoway, the only burgh of the Outer Hebrides. Other island populations range down to very low levels on certain small isles. Between 1991 and 2001, the total number of people living on Scotland's islands fell by 3%. Conversely, islands such as Tiree, Skye and Eigg experienced increases in their respective populations over the same decade. There are seven cities in Scotland; Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness, Perth and"
"Uig, Lewis Uig (), also known as ""Sgìr' Ùig"", is a civil parish and community in the west of the island of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. The Parish of Uig is one of the four civil parishes of the Isle of Lewis. It contains the districts of Carloway, East Loch Roag, Bernera and Uig (Lewis). The name derives from the Norse word ""Vik"" meaning 'a bay'. Uig (Lewis) otherwise known as West Uig is the largest and most sparsely populated district of the Isle of Lewis. It contains the highest point on the island, Mealasbhal (574m) and also"
"Scalloway Scalloway (Old Norse: ""Skálavágr"" – ""bay with the large house(s)"") is the largest settlement on the North Atlantic coast of Mainland, the largest island of the Shetland Islands, Scotland. The village had a population of approximately 812, at the 2001 census. Until 1708 it was the capital of the Shetland Islands (now Lerwick, on the east coast of the Shetland Mainland). Scalloway is the location of the North Atlantic Fisheries College (part of the University of the Highlands and Islands), which offers courses and supports research programmes in fisheries sciences, aquaculture, marine engineering and coastal management. It is also"
"Inchmurrin Inchmurrin () is an island in Loch Lomond in Scotland. It is the largest fresh water island in the British Isles. Inchmurrin is the largest and most southerly of the islands in Loch Lomond. It reaches a height of towards the north and is largely wooded. There is an excellent view of the north end of the loch. Along with Creinch, Torrinch, and Inchcailloch, Inchmurrin forms part of the Highland boundary fault. Inchmurrin was the site of a 7th-century monastery, with a chapel dedicated to Saint Mirin, after whom it was named. The island was formerly a deer park"
"1996. Since then, the islands have formed one of the 32 unitary council areas that now cover the whole country, with the council officially known by its Gaelic name, ' under the terms of the Local Government (Gaelic Names) (Scotland) Act 1997. The council has its base in Stornoway on Lewis and is often known locally simply as ""the "" or '. The is one of only three Councils in Scotland with a majority of elected members who are independents. The other independent-run councils are Shetland and Orkney. Moray is run by a Conservative/Independent coalition. The name for the British"
"divided into 32 subdivisions, known as local authorities, or councils. Glasgow City is the largest subdivision in Scotland in terms of population, with Highland being the largest in terms of area. Limited self-governing power, covering matters such as education, social services and roads and transportation, is devolved from the Scottish Government to each subdivision. ""Scotland"" comes from ""Scoti"", the Latin name for the Gaels. Philip Freeman has speculated on the likelihood of a group of raiders adopting a name from an Indo-European root, *""skot"", citing the parallel in Greek ""skotos"" (σκότος), meaning ""darkness, gloom"". The Late Latin word ""Scotia"" (""land"
"In total, it is estimated that the UK is made up of over one thousand small islands, the majority located off the north and west coasts of Scotland. About 130 of these are inhabited according to the 2001 Census. The largest islands by country are Lewis and Harris in Scotland (841 square mi), Wales' Anglesey (276 square mi), the Isle of Wight in England (147.09 square mi), and Rathlin Island in Northern Ireland (roughly 6 square mi); The climate of the UK is generally temperate, although significant local variation occurs, particularly as a result of altitude and distance from the"
"Rainish Eilean Mòr Rainish Eilean Mòr is an uninhabited island in Loch Orasaigh, north of the village of Leurbost in the area of South Lochs on the island of Lewis. At in extent, it is one of Scotland's larger freshwater islands, but it is probably the largest relative to the size of the body of water in which it sits, Loch Orasaigh being only about all told. The entirety of the loch has been an SSSI since 1983 and the island's perimeter and the neighbouring islet to the south west have woodland cover including the species of Rowan, Aspen, Downy"
"Orkney Orkney (), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, situated off the north coast of Great Britain. Orkney is 16 kilometres (10 mi) north of the coast of Caithness and comprises approximately 70 islands, of which 20 are inhabited. The largest island, Mainland, is often referred to as ""the Mainland"". It has an area of , making it the sixth-largest Scottish island and the tenth-largest island in the British Isles. The largest settlement and administrative centre is Kirkwall. A form of the name dates to the pre-Roman era and the islands"
"water in Loch Ness is nearly double that of all the lakes of England and Wales combined, and is by volume the largest lake in the British Isles. Scotland's only land border is with England, and runs for between the basin of the River Tweed on the east coast and the Solway Firth in the west. The Atlantic Ocean borders the west coast and the North Sea is to the east. The island of Ireland lies only from the southwestern peninsula of Kintyre; Norway is to the east; the Faroes, to the north; and Iceland, to the northwest. The climate"
"Rùm Rùm (; ), a Scottish Gaelic name often anglicised to Rum, is one of the Small Isles of the Inner Hebrides, in the district of Lochaber, Scotland. For much of the 20th century the name became Rhum, a spelling invented by the former owner, Sir George Bullough, because he did not relish the idea of having the title ""Laird of Rum"". It is the largest of the Small Isles, and the 15th largest Scottish island, but is inhabited by only about thirty or so people, all of whom live in the hamlet of Kinloch on the east coast. The"
"Great Britain (after Loch Ness) by water volume. The loch contains many islands, including Inchmurrin, the largest fresh-water island in the British Isles. Loch Lomond is a popular leisure destination and is featured in the song ""The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond"". The loch is surrounded by hills, including Ben Lomond on the eastern shore, which is in height and the most southerly of the Scottish Munro peaks. A 2005 poll of ""Radio Times"" readers voted Loch Lomond as the sixth greatest natural wonder in Britain. The depression in which Loch Lomond sits was carved out by glaciers during the"
"Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park () is a national park in Scotland centred on Loch Lomond, and includes several ranges of hills and the Trossachs. It was the first of the two national parks established by the Scottish Parliament in 2002, the second being the Cairngorms National Park. The park is the fourth largest in the British Isles, with a total area of and a boundary of some in length. It includes 21 Munros (including Ben Lomond, Ben Lui, Beinn Challuim, Ben More and two peaks called Ben Vorlich), 19 Corbetts,"
"Hoy Hoy (from Norse ""Háey"" meaning ""high island"") is an island in Orkney, Scotland, measuring — ranked largest in the archipelago after Mainland. A natural causeway, ""the Ayre"", links to much smaller South Walls; the two islands are treated as one entity by the UK census. The dramatic coastline of Hoy greets visitors travelling to Orkney by ferry from the Scottish mainland. It has extremes of many kinds: some of the highest sea cliffs in the UK at St John's Head, which reach ;; a light-stone precarious sea stack taller than the facing cliff – the Old Man of Hoy;"
"Nicolson Institute The Nicolson Institute (Gaelic: ""Sgoil MhicNeacail"") in Stornoway, is the largest school in the Western Isles, Scotland. The Nicolson is the only six-year secondary school in Lewis. With the Sir E. Scott School in Harris, they provide education up to Advanced Higher level. The student population is around 1000. The school has Gaelic-speaking pupils, although these are in the minority. There are five houses, named after five significant former rectors: Addison, Forbes, Gibson, Macrae and Sutherland. Addison contains only pupils who claim to be fluent in Gaelic. The current rector is an alumnus of the school and also"
"Leverburgh Leverburgh ( or possibly ""An Tòb"") is the second largest village, after Tarbert, on the island of Harris in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Leverburgh is within the parish of Harris. In his 30s, English businessman William Lever, 1st Viscount Leverhulme had taken a boat trip and fallen in love with the Western Isles of Scotland. In May 1918, at the age of 66, he bought the Isle of Lewis for £167,000, convinced that he could resurrect the fishing industry. But his investment floundered in 1919 when servicemen, demobilised from the First World War and promised land, started occupying"
"to be eel-like, long and raised comparisons to the mythical Kelpie. Amenities in the village include a community centre; a school, Sgoil nan Loch, (which replaced the old Leurbost as well as Fidigarry (Ranish), Knockiandue (Keose) and Balallan schools); a petrol station and a shop. The school caters for children from nursery age through primary 1-7. Leurbost Leurbost () is a village on the east coast of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. It is approximately south of Stornoway on the road to Harris. It is the main settlement in the area of the island known as North Lochs."
"100 million flame shells covering , making it the largest known reef of its kind in the UK. Loch Alsh Loch Alsh (from the Scottish Gaelic ""Loch Aillse"", ""foaming lake"") is a sea inlet between the isle of Skye in the Inner Hebrides and the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. The name is also used to describe the surrounding country and the feudal holdings around the loch. The area is rich in history, and is increasingly popular with tourists. The hilly country around Loch Alsh has a temperate, well-watered climate. There is some pasture and woodland, but much of the area"