Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis

Stornoway has been a town of some importance for a very long time, even in the days of the Vikings the importance of the natural harbour along such a treacherous coast as Western Scotland was instantly recognisable and where Stornoway gained it's name. The Vikings named the town Stjornavagr meaning 'Steering Bay' after it's incredibly calm and sheltered bay.

Of course the harbour at Stornoway (below right) has played a vital role in throughout history and, at one time, a grand castle, probably similar to that of Kismul Castle in Barra, dominated the entrance to the harbour. Sadly the castle was dismantled and over built with a pier so we can only imagine how it may have looked. .

Even Oliver Cromwell (during the time of his Commonwealth) saw the strategic importance of Stornoway and built a fortified barracks and warehouse where Point Street is today. However, during the late nineteenth century Stornoway was one of the most important ports in Europe. The massive growth in the herring industry saw Stornoway supplying the likes of Russia, Germany and much of the area around the Baltic Sea with herring and the port quickly grew to become one of the most important herring stations in Europe.

During the heyday of the late nineteenth/early twentieth century herring industry the streets of Stornoway heaved with the hustle and bustle of folk working away at the herring. Sadly, with the outbreak of World War One all of Stornoway's lucrative markets were closed and the industry quickly fell into sharp decline, never to recover. Lord Leverhulme, who made his fortune from Sunlight Soap and bought the Isle of Lewis in 1917, saw an opportunity that few could see. He was convinced that he could resurrect the fishing industry and set about investing heavily in all aspects of the industry, supporting industries and Stornoway in general. He even went as far as purchasing and developing a chain of fish shops, which he named Macfisheries, to sell the produce of the Stornoway fleet. Even with the will and determination of one of the world's most powerful, and rich, entrepreneurs could not make the impossible happen and the venture failed with only the Macfisheries shops surviving (well into the 1960's).

Today Stornoway has a number of smaller industries and tourism is a vital element in the area's economy. The town has some rather interesting points and places of interest. It may be of interest to some that Stornoway houses have the finest selection of wrought iron railings, probably, in the whole of the United Kingdom. During the Second World War it was government policy to collect up all such railings as part of the war effort. Fortunately for Stornoway it was considered far too expensive to transport any such material from the Isle of Lewis so the Stornoway folk were able to keep their decorations. If you take a look around the town there are some fine examples of iron work which is over 100 years old.

Hopefully we at Enjoy Scotland will return to the subject of Stornoway as soon as we have finished developing the rest of our sites. So please call back soon if this subject interests you, better still why don't you plan a vacation to the Isle of Lewis and experience it in the flesh?