This walk will let you see much of Stornoway, showing you both the town as it is today and some of the history behind it.
Other walking tours available.
credit pictures:
Herring girl, Lews Castle, Cruise Ships – © Malcolm Macleod
Overview
There are two potential options for the starting point of the Stornoway Town Walk depending on whether you arrive at the town harbour or at the deep water harbour.
If you arrive at the town harbour, this walk starts at the ferry terminal. If you arrive at the deep water harbour, you will be brought to the town by bus and collected from the bus park and taken to the starting point. Both options then take us along both the outer and inner harbours where you can learn about the importance of the herring industry. You can see the imposing Town Hall overlooking South Beach and learn about the Harris Tweed industry.
The tour takes us to Lews Castle which has recently been restored to its former grandeur. You’ll find out about its history, Sir James Matheson and Lord Leverhulme, owners of Lewis and Harris in years gone by. Visit the Museum attached to the Castle to find out more about the Outer Hebrides and pay a visit to the legendary Lewis Chessmen.
Finally we retrace our steps following a similar route back to explore Stornoway’s town centre – it has a wide variety of shops in its historic buildings – before heading back to your departure point.