Stornoway (Steornabhagh)
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-> Stornoway (Steornabhagh)
In these parts, STORNOWAY is a buzzing metropolis, with some eight thousand inhabitants, a one-way system, pedestrian precinct with CCTV and all the trappings of a large town. It's a centre for employment, a social hub for the island and, perhaps most importantly of all, home to the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council), set up in 1974, which has done much to promote Gaelic language and culture, and try to stem the tide of anglicization. For the visitor, however, the town is unlikely to win any great praise - aesthetics are not its strong point, and the urban pleasures on offer are limited.
Stornoway's old Town Hall on South Beach houses the An Lanntair Art Gallery (Mon-Sat 10am-5.30pm; free) on the first floor, with exhibitions featuring the work of local artists plus a very pleasant café. Anyone remotely interested in Harris tweed should head for the Lewis Loom Centre (Mon-Sat 9am-6pm; £1), run by an eccentric and engaging man and located at the far end of Cromwell Street, in the Old Grainstore off Bayhead. Continuing up the pedestrian precinct into Francis Street, you'll eventually reach the Museum nan Eilean (April-Sept Mon-Sat 10am-5.30pm; Oct-March Tues-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 10am-1pm; free), with lots of information about the island's history and its herring and weaving industries.
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