Monthly Archives: September 2012

Lewis People 1

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I found everyone I met to be really friendly and helpful.

Here weaver Norman Mackenzie extols the virtues of his 60 year old traditional single width Hattersley loom.

Although many weavers now use the newer double-width looms which the fashion industry demands, Norman prefers the traditional Hattersley loom which his family used as he grew up.

On returning to Lewis on his retirement he was disappointed to find the family loom was no longer there. Fortunately, he was able to rescue one his neighbour was disposing of.

It was interesting to talk to him about our shared passion and in particular to discuss the amazing landscape colours to be found in his cloth. Needless to say I brought some back with me – just wish I could afford more!

I would like to thank Norman for our lovely chat and taking the time to share his experiences with me.

Standing Stones

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Another sign of Lewis’ ancient history are the many standing stones and stone circles. The most well-known of these is Callanish. When walking amongst these amazing stones you can’t help feeling that they must have been of great significance to those who built them.

They certainly do have a mysterious and beautiful atmosphere.

Ancient Harris and Lewis

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We really enjoyed visiting the Iron Age House – it was surprisingly large inside and your eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness inside.

The Black House was cozy and you could imagine living in it – in fact when the previous owners built a new house they didn’t like it and moved back to the Blackhouse.

It was interesting to see that the construction reflected that of the much older Iron age House. For instance the double walls with earth and peat in between was a common feature and the housing of animals and people in adjascent areas had also been retained.