Old photograph of Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, Scotland. The town was founded by Vikings in the early 9th century, under the Old Norse name Stjórnavágr. This town, and what eventually became its present day version, grew up around a sheltered natural harbour well placed at a central point on the island, for the convenience of people from all over the island, to arrive at the port of Stornoway, either by family boat or by horse drawn coach for ongoing travel and trade with the mainland of Scotland and to all points South. In the mid 19th century, the ownership of Stornoway, and by extension the Isle of Lewis, passed from the MacKenzies of Seaforth to Sir James Matheson.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
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The parish of Stornoway went into public ownership in 1923, under the stewardship of the Stornoway Trust. This continues to exist to date. Trustees are elected by the residents of Stornoway and villages northeast to Tolsta every four years. It was the first community buy-out avant la lettre.
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