Making the most of Stornoway Hebrides Scotland
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
The Outer Hebrides’ natural Harbour at Stornoway has been a haven for nearly a thousand years and is beautiful.
Docked at the Stornoway Lewis Ferry Terminal, the Town center is a short stroll away. The Deep Water Terminal is further from town but still walkable. Built to dock cruise ships from around the world, this is a new terminal. When all berths are occupied, your ship will occasionally anchor and tender you ashore. A shuttle bus is also available for about £7.50.
Port and island visitors receive the Gaelic welcome ‘Ceud Mile Failte' (one hundred thousand welcomes).
Take a map along.
The Isle of Lewis’s main town, Stornoway, is also home to the Western Isles Council. Its population of just over 6,000 makes up about a third of the Islands total population. The economy blends traditional fishing, farming and Harris Tweed with more recent influences: Tourism, commerce, the oil industry, and communications brought by the digital revolution.
At the North west corner of the Hebrides, or Western Isles, are the Isles of Lewis and Harris. The island group is known as the "long island" because it stretches for 100 miles.
Thanks to its sheltered location, Stornoway is the Island’s main port, with the Ulapool ferry a regular visitor. Its sheltered harbor explains the town’s existence: visiting Vikings named it "Steering Bay", which became Stornoway when phonetically translated.
Overlooking Stornoway harbor is the impressive Lews Castle, not Lewis Castle. Sir James Matheson of the Jardine Matheson company, a rich merchant, built this mock Tudor castle in the mid 1800's after buying Lewis in 1844 and developing the wonderful woodland area. Lord Leverhume bought the building and the island in 1918, then gave them back to the people of Lewis in 1923. Following refurbishment completed in 2016, the Castle opened to the public. It has a restaurant and conference center and houses a fantastic museum of Western Isles' culture and history. It is well…
Nearby places
The Port of Stornoway opens onto an island steeped in history. Within easy reach are traditionally built Black Houses and Norse Mills, while Callanish’s Standing Stones and the Broch at Carloway rank among Europe’s most famous ancient monuments.
Food and shopping
Stornoway Black Pudding, a savory blood and oatmeal sausage product, is the local delicacy.
On Sunday, all shops close.
Money
Stornoway uses the UK pound (£), whose slang name is quid. Since Scottish bank notes are frowned upon elsewhere in the UK, change them before leaving Scotland.
Cash machines (ATM), also known informally as 'holes in the wall', are usually widely available and dispense £10 and £20 notes.
Most restaurants and shops accept Maestro, Visa and Mastercard.
Staying connected
The Outer Hebrides remain one of the Gaelic language’s few strongholds. It is often heard in the traditional music of the isles and in locals’ frequent use, and appears on street signs across the Hebridean islands.
Free WiFi is offered by most cafe's and restaurants.
The EU-wide 112 works alongside the local emergency number, 999.
Opening Hours and
Shopping hours are generally as follows:
Small stores: 6 or 7 days a week, 10am - 6pm. Larger stores generally remain open til' 9PM. Hyper marts often operate 24/7.