Achmore, Lewis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Achmore
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 View of the village from the main road |
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 Achmore
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| Language | Scottish Gaelic English |
| OS grid reference | NB311294 |
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| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | ISLE OF LEWIS |
| Postcode district | HS2 |
| Dialling code | 01851 |
| Police | Northern |
| Fire | Highlands and Islands |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament |
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| Scottish Parliament |
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Achmore (in Gaelic, An t-Acha Mòr) is a small village in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. It's located on the Isle of Lewis. The name "Achmore" means "big field." This village is unique because it's the only one on the Isle of Lewis that isn't right by the coast. Achmore is part of the Lochs area and sits on the A858 road. It's about 7 miles (11 km) southwest of Stornoway, the main town on the island.
How Achmore Began
Around 1823, Achmore was one of several new villages created in the Lochs area. These villages were built to house people who had been asked to leave their homes in other parts of the island. The first residents of Achmore came from a farm called Kirkibost on the island of Bernera. They said they were forced to leave their old farm. They moved to Achmore and a nearby place called Lochganvich. They believed they had an agreement for a 14-year lease on these new farms.
However, in the early 1830s, the owners of the land, the Seaforth Estate, decided they could make more money from the land. They started legal steps to evict the people living in Achmore. The Estate claimed the villagers had no written lease. Most other villages in the area gave in to the Estate's pressure and disappeared. But Achmore was different.
Fighting for Their Homes
Six families from Achmore decided to fight the eviction notices in court. Their case went all the way to the Court of Session in Edinburgh in 1833. They argued that even though they didn't have a written lease, the Estate's manager had verbally agreed to their living there. They also pointed out that their names were in the Estate's rent books. Plus, they had paid their rent in full for nine years.
They also showed the court an official document from the Estate, written in 1823. This document explained how the farms of Achmore and Lochganvich should be divided into 20 plots. It even said each plot should be about three acres. The document also mentioned that 14 years would be a normal lease period. In the end, the villagers won their case! This meant they were allowed to stay in their homes in Achmore.
Achmore's Ancient Past
Close to Achmore village, you can find the remains of a very old stone circle. This circle was built around 3000 BC, which is about 5,000 years ago! It probably had 22 large stones, some as tall as two metres. Today, only two of these stones are still standing.
This stone circle was discovered in 1981. It measures 41 metres across. The people who built it were very clever. They placed the stones to line up with special risings and settings of the moon and sun. These alignments connected to a hill range that looks like a sleeping woman. This hill is called Cailleach na Mointeach, which means "The Old Woman of the Moors." From the Achmore stone circle, this "sleeping woman" even looks pregnant!
See also
In Spanish: Achmore para niños
