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Lewis and Harris

Travel Guide Europe United Kingdom Scotland Scottish Islands Outer Hebrides Lewis and Harris

Introduction

island of Lewis, Hebrides

Lewis and Harris is the most northerly island of the Outer Hebrides, extending to 841 square miles (over 2,000 square kilometres). It is the largest island in Scotland. The island is separated from the mainland, 24 miles (39 kilometres) to the east, by the Minch - a very rough ferry crossing if you take that route to the islands.

Despite being part of the same island, Lewis (which forms the larger part of the island, to the north) and Harris (in the south) are separated by a natural barrier of mountains and moorland. The physical and cultural differences have resulted in the two effectively being regarded as separate islands.

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Geography

The west coast is by far the more suited to accommodation, the east being very rough and not very fertile. During the Highland Clearances people were driven out of the west to make way for their absentee landlords (lairds) to make money from sheep. Some went to the east coast, others emigrated - particularly to Australia and Canada.

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Towns

Lewis

Stornoway is certainly a real town on the east coast with a ferry link to Ullapool.
Breasclete
Carloway
Coll
Laxdale
Leurbost
Sandwick
Shawbost
Tolsta
Uig - Some ancient chessmen were found in a dune here after a storm. They are now in a museum in Edinburgh.
Valtos - wonderful bay with splendid dunes on the west coast.

Harris

Tarbert - ferry port for Uig (Skye) and Lochmaddy (North Uist)
Leverburgh - once planned to be the centre of a major fish+ enterprise under Lord Leverhulme but the project scarcely outlived him.
Rodel - fine church.

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Sights and Activities

Callanish Stone Circle - generally reckoned to come second to Stonehenge in England among the UK's monuments of this type.
The Broch, Dun Carloway
The neighbouring island of Great Bernera and the west coast of Lewis
Rodel Church.

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Weather

Be warned - these islands get far more than their share of heavy rain. It never gets really warm here, nor is it very cold in winter. Better pack warm clothes and raingear though at all times.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg Max	6.7 °C	6.8 °C	7.9 °C	9.6 °C	12.1 °C	14.4 °C	15.5 °C	15.7 °C	13.9 °C	11.9 °C	8.6 °C	7.4 °C
Avg Min	1.7 °C	1.4 °C	2.3 °C	3.3 °C	5.9 °C	8.3 °C	9.9 °C	9.8 °C	8.4 °C	6.4 °C	3.1 °C	2.3 °C
Rainfall	122 mm	85 mm	105 mm	65 mm	61 mm	63 mm	73 mm	84 mm	116 mm	138 mm	133 mm	128 mm
Rain Days	23.9	18.3	23.3	19.2	17.4	16.9	19.5	19.7	22.9	24.5	24.2	25.2