Lewis


 
 
Lewis

:This article is about Lewis in Scotland. For other uses of the name, see Lewis (disambiguation).

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Lewis (Scottish Gaelic:Le?dhas) is the northern part of the main island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. Its main settlement, the only burgh on the Outer Hebrides, is Stornoway, from which ferries sail to Ullapool on the Scottish mainland. In the 2001 census Lewis had a usually resident population of 16,872. In Scotland's traditional counties, Lewis is part of Ross-shire (Ross and Cromarty).

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The island's settlements are on or near the coasts or sea lochs, being particularly concentrated on the north east coast. The interior of the island is a large area of moorland from which peat was traditionally cut as fuel, although this practice has become rarer. The southern part of the island, adjoining Harris, is more mountainous with inland lochs. The island of Bernera (Great Bernera) in the district of Uig is linked to the mainland of Lewis by a bridge opened in 1953.

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The main industries are fishing, tourism, crafts (including the manufacture of Harris tweed), and crofting. Religion is important on Lewis, with much of the population belonging to the Free Church and Church of Scotland. The Sabbath is generally observed with most shops and licensed premises closed on that day, although there is a scheduled air service to mainland Scotland.

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Attractions on the island include the Callanish standing stones, the Clach an Truiseil monolith, the thirteenth century Teampull Mholuaidh church, the Butt of Lewis cliffs and lighthouse and the broch at Doune Carloway. The Lewis chessmen were found on the island in 1831.

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Most of the place names on Lewis and Harris come from Old Norse. The name Lewis may come from Leod who used to rule the island in the 12th century or may be derived from the Gaelic word for "peat-covered".

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Outer Hebrides: The Outer Hebrides or Western Isles (officially known by their Gaelic name, Na h-Eileanan Siar) comprise an island chain off the west coast of Scotland. They form part of the Hebrides, separated from the Scottish mainland and from the Inner Hebrides by the stormy stretch of water known as the Minc...

Scotland: :For other uses, see Scotland (disambiguation). See also British Isles (terminology)....

Burgh: Burgh can refer to the following:...


Lewis related Images and Photos (experimental)

Lewis Carrol
Lewis Carrol
Lewis Collins
Lewis Collins
Lewis Collins
Lewis Collins
Ray Lewis
Ray Lewis
Kitty, Daisy & Lewis: Kitty, Daisy & Lewis CD
Kitty, Daisy & Lewis: Kitty, Daisy & Lewis CD
Kitty, Daisy & Lewis: Kitty, Daisy & Lewis CD
Kitty, Daisy & Lewis: Kitty, Daisy & Lewis CD
Jason Lewis
Jason Lewis
Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis
Jason Lewis
Jason Lewis
Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis
Shari Lewis
Shari Lewis

~ Table of Content ~

Introduction
Parishes and Districts of Lewis
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External links
 


 

~ Related Subjects ~

Scotland (2) - Harris (2) - Lighthouse (1) - Butt of Lewis (1) - Broch (1) - Lewis chessmen (1) - Doune Carloway (1) - Teampull Mholuaidh (1) - Callanish standing stones (1) - Sabbath (1) - Clach an Truiseil (1) - Thirteenth century (1) - Monolith (1) - 1831 (1) - Little Minch (1) -
 

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