Stornoway, Outer Hebrides
Stornoway
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 Stornoway
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| Stornoway shown within the Outer Hebrides | |
| Population | 8,038 |
| Language |
English Scottish Gaelic |
| OS grid reference | NB426340 |
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | STORNOWAY |
| Postcode district | HS1 |
| Dialling code | 01851 |
| Police | Scottish |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament | |
Stornoway (/ˈstɔːrnəweɪ/; Scottish Gaelic: Steòrnabhagh) is a town on the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides (also known as the Western Isles) of Scotland.
The town's population is around 8,000, making it by far the largest town in the Hebrides, with a third of the population of the civil parish of Stornoway, which includes various nearby villages and has a population of approximately 12,000.
Stornoway is an important port and the major town and administrative centre of the Outer Hebrides. It is home to Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (the Western Isles Council) and a variety of educational, sporting and media establishments. Observance of the Christian Sabbath (Sunday) has long been an aspect of the island's culture. Recent changes mean that Sunday on Lewis now more closely resembles Sunday on the other Western Isles or the mainland of Scotland.
According to the 2011 Census, there are 5,492 Scottish Gaelic speakers (43%) in the greater Stornoway area.
The town was founded by Vikings in the early 9th century, with the Old Norse name Stjórnavágr. The settlement grew up around a sheltered natural harbour near the centre of the island; people travelled to Stornoway from all over the island, either by family boat or by horse-drawn coach, for onward travel to and trade with the rest of Scotland and further afield.
At some point in the mid 1500s, the already ancient MacLeod castle in Stornoway 'fell victim to the cannons of the Duke of Argyle'. By the early 1600s rumbling trade wars came to a head, and all further government attempts to curtail traditional shipping rights were firmly resisted by the islanders, as was an attempt by James VI, King of Scotland, to establish on the island the Scottish trading company known as the Fife Adventurers around 1598.
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