Carloway

Carloway Na h-Eileanan Siar
Lieutenancy area	Western Isles
Country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	ISLE OF LEWIS
Postcode district	HS2
Dialling code	01851
Police	Scotland
Fire	Scottish
Ambulance	Scottish
UK Parliament	Na h-Eileanan an Iar
Scottish Parliament	Na h-Eileanan an Iar
List of places UK Scotland 58°16′59″N 6°46′01″W / 58.283°N 6.767°W / 58.283; -6.767

Carloway (

The district

Carloway is very attractive for tourism, with many historic sites to see, such as the

The Carloway Bridge is said to be one of Scotland's oldest flyovers, being built in the mid-19th century. The bridge crosses the Carloway River and the Pentland Road, which leads from Carloway Pier and Harbour to Stornoway.

The district of Carloway (after the village of that name) which hitherto had fallen partly within the parishes of Lochs and Uig, became a separate civil registration district in 1859.

The district is divided into eight townships: Knock Carloway, Park Carloway,

.

Services in the community include an off-licensed community shop and community centre, a hotel, bar and restaurant, youth hostel, a newly renovated

Harris Tweed

mill, a pier, general medical practice and day centre, a museum, two churches (The Free Church of Scotland and The Church of Scotland), a football pitch, a war memorial and a historical society.

The district is known throughout the

for its Agricultural Show and Highland Games, held annually on the first Wednesday of August at the Show Ground, behind Carloway School in the centre. It is the longest running agricultural show and Highland Games on the island, first held in 1911 and officially the oldest since Beinn-na-Dròbh agricultural show stopped in Stornoway. It is locally known as the island's "Premiere Show", and 2,500 people attending the 58th Agricultural Show in 2011, more than the previous year's attendance.

Three routes connect Carloway with the main town of Stornoway:

• The main road heading north, which passes through
  Ness
  .
• The main road heading south, which passes through Breasclete, Callanish and Leurbost, which also splits: one road goes to Stornoway and another to both Balallan and Tarbert, Harris.
• The third and most direct route is the single-track Pentland road, which goes straight across the island's Pentland Moor.

Climate

Religion

The district has two churches, both of which are located near the Carloway Bridge in the Knock Carloway township. The Free Church of Scotland was built in 1884 and has a congregation of up to 100 people. Services are conducted in both English and Scottish Gaelic. The Church of Scotland is next door to the Free Church and was built in 1908. It has a congregation with just over 50 people, with services conducted in English.^{[citation needed]}

Teampall Chiarain

The ruins of an older church Teampall Chiarain (St Ciaran's) are located on the east side of the Laimishader peninsula at the foot of a crag at the end of the path. Folklore says that those who were ill were brought to this chapel, walked clockwise around it and made to sleep the night inside and this would cure the afflicted person. ^[5]

Teampall Mhìcheil

Another ruined church Teampall Mhìcheil (St Michael's) is located on the southern shore of Loch Carloway, across the water from Borrowston and Port Laimishader. It is also next to the ruins of the post-medieval township of Baile an Teampaill. The inhabitants of the area used to paint their croft numbers on the unmarked grave stones in tar.^[5]

Football

Football is by far the most favoured sport in the area. Carloway F.C. was founded in 1933 and first constituted in 1946 after the

]

Carloway townships

District of Carloway	Sgìre Chàrlabhaigh
Townships	Bailtean
Borrowston	Borghastan
Dalmore	Dail Mòr
Doune Carloway	Dùn Chàrlabhaigh
Garenin	Na Gearrannan
Kirivick	Cìrbhig
Knock Carloway	Cnoc Chàrlabhaigh
Park Carloway	Pairc Chàrlabhaigh
Upper Carloway	Mullach Chàrlabhaigh

Notable Carlowegians and people connected with the district

• Angus MacInnes, actor, plays Sonny Munro in the Scottish soap River City (mother comes from Borrowston, Carloway)
• STV News at Six
  (father and mother come from the Carloway townships of Kirivick and Garenin respectively)
• Willie MacKay, football agent (father comes from Kirivick, Carloway)
• Scotland men's national football team
  (twin brother of Partick Thistle player, Donnie MacKinnon; their mother came from Upper Carloway)
• Colin Sutherland, Lord Carloway, the most senior judge of the Supreme Courts of Scotland and head of the Scottish Judiciary
• Stuart Maclennan, owner of Subsafe Audio who has family connections to Garenin and Dalmore.
• Christine Primrose, traditional Scottish Gaelic singer
• Norrie MacIver, singer in the band Skipinnish

References

External links

• Canmore - Lewis, Carloway site record