Lewis an Harris

Lewis an Harris () is an island at the northren end o the Ooter Hebrides o Scotland. It is the biggest island o Scotland an the third biggest island in the Breetish Isles (efter Gret Breetain an Ireland). 

Name
The northren bit o the island is cried Lewis (Leòdhas) or Isle o Lewis (Eilean Leòdhais) an the soothren bit is cried Harris (Na Hearadh) or Isle o Harris (Eilean na Hearadh). In a cultural or poetic context the name Eilean an Fhraoich ("The Hether Isle") is broukit ti refer ti the hail island.

The name Lewis/Leòdhas micht come frae the Auld Norse Ljoðahús ("sang houss"), awtho ither springheids hae been suggestit—maist merkit the Gaelic leogach ("mossie").Murray, W.H. (1966) The Hebrides. London. Heinemann. p. 173. It is likely the steid cried Limnu bi Ptolemy, thit means "mossie" an aw.

The name Harris/Na Hearadh is thocht ti come frae the Auld Norse Hérað, thit is a kyn o administrative destrik. Anither springheid cud be the Auld Norse Haerri, meanin "hiecher" – a reference ti it haein mukkil mair hills nor Lewis.Dictionary of Scottish Place-Names, David Ross (Birlinn) Harris is maist likely ti be the island cried Adru (meanin thick, stuir or bouksum) bi Ptolemy.


As the island daesnae hae a common name in Inglis it is kent as 'Lewis an Harris', 'Lewis wi Harris', 'Harris wi Lewis', asf. 

Geografie
Awtho it is ane island, locals aften treat Lewis an Harris as twa. The mairch atwein Lewis an Harris rins frae Loch Resort (fornent Scarp) in the wast til Loch Seaforth in the aest. 

Harris is the smawer o the twa bits. It is 24 mile (39 km) frae the naurest pynt o mainland Scotland, frae thit it is sindert bi the Minch. Maist o Harris is gey hill-run, wi mair nor thritie peaks abuin 1000 fuit (300 m) hie an seivin muntains clesst as Corbetts.Johnstone et al (1990) pp. 240-43 Clisham (An Cliseam), wi a heicht o 799 m, is the heichest muntain on Lewis an Harris an is the heichest muntain in the Ooter Hebrides.Rotary Club (1995) p. 124 Johnstone et al (1990) p. 240 

Lewis is the mukkiler o the twa. Hit is comparativlie plat, save in the sooth-aest (whaur Ben More rises ti 1874 ft/571 m) an in the sooth-wast (whaur Mealasbhal, at 1885 ft/575 m, is the heichest pynt).

Till 1975, Lewis belanged ti the coonty o Ross an Cromarty an Harris ti Inverness-shire. The hail island nou belangs ti Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, the cooncil for the Wastren Isles.

Touns
The main toun on Lewis an Harris is Stornowa (Steòrnabhagh), thit lies on the east coast o Lewis. It haes aboot 9,000 indwallers, makin it the biggest toun in the Wastren Isles (wi a third o its population) an the third biggest toun in the Hielands efter Innerness an The Fort.

The main settilment in Harris is Tarbert, thit ligs on a naira isthmus atwein north an sooth Harris. Hit haes aboot 500 indwallers.

Lochs
The island haes monie lochs; baith freshwattir lochs an sie lochs. Gaun clockweys frae Stornowa, the main sax lochs are Loch Erisort an Loch Sealg (in the aest), Loch Claidh, Loch Seaforth, Aest Loch Tarbert an Wast Loch Tarbert (in the sooth), Loch Resort an Loch Roag (in the wast).

Maist o the freshwattir lochs lig in the soothren hauf o the island. The biggest o thir are Loch Langavat (the biggest), Loch Grunavat, Loch Suainaval, Loch Breibhat, Loch Urghag, Loch Mor Bharabhais, Loch Benisval an Loch Langabhat.

Ither islands
Ither naurby islands that are pairt o the Lewis an Harris group include (frae biggest ti smawest) Bernera (Beàrnaraigh), Taransay (Tarasaigh), Scarp (An Sgarp) an Scalpay (Sgalpaigh). Taransay an Scarp are nou tuim o fowk.

Til the aest o Stornowa ligs the mukkil hauf-island kent as "The Point" (An Rubha) or the "Eye Peninsula". It is jyn'd til Lewis bi a naira isthmus anerlie a hunder meter braid.

Transport
A dailie Caledonian MacBrayne ferrie (the MV Isle of Lewis) sails frae Stornowa til Ullapuil on the Scots mainland, takin 2 oors 40 meanits ti mak the vaige. Thar are aboot twa retour crossins a day, wi mair in the simmer an less in the winter. As ferrie traffec haes eikit, a seicont ship (the MV Muirneag) nou sails anss a day in the aerlie mornin ti cairie maist o the fraucht larries.

The MV Hebrides sails atwein Harris an Uig (on Skye) whyls the MV Loch Portain sails atwein Harris an the island o Berneray.

Stornowa Airport is 2 mile awa frae the toun itsel an is neist the veilage o Melbost. Frae here thar is flauchts ti Aiberdeen, Benbecula, Edinburgh, Innerness an Glesga. The airport is the base o a HM Coastguard Search & Rescue Sikorsky S-92 helicopter, an wis the umwhyl hame ti RAF Stornowa.

Stornowa haes bus serviss links ti Point, Ness, Back an Tolsta, Uig, the West Side, Lochs an Tarbert. 

Leid
Scots Gaelic is the main leid spak on the island, wi at least 60% o fowk bein abil ti speak it. Lewis haes the pairish wi Scotland’s heichest percentage o Scots Gaelic speakers: Barvas (Barabhas) wi 55% Gaelic speakers.

Referenses

Category:Islands o Scotland

Category:Places o Scotland