Carloway facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Carloway Scottish Gaelic: Càrlabhagh
Church in Carloway
Carloway
Population	500 (approx.)
Language	Scottish Gaelic English
OS grid reference	NB206425
Civil parish	Uig
Council area	Na h-Eileanan Siar
Lieutenancy area	Western Isles
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	Na h-Eileanan an Iar
Scottish Parliament	Na h-Eileanan an Iar
List of places UK Scotland 58°16′59″N 6°46′01″W / 58.283°N 6.767°W / 58.283; -6.767

Carloway (in Scottish Gaelic: Càrlabhagh) is a small community on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis. This island is part of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. About 500 people live in the Carloway area. It is a crofting township, which means it's a small farming community. Carloway is located on the A858 and is part of the Uig parish.

Discover Carloway's History

Carloway is a great place for visitors because it has many old and interesting sites.

Ancient Sites to Explore

• The Garenin Blackhouse Village: This is a group of traditional old houses. They show how people used to live long ago.
• The Iron Age Doune Carloway Broch: This is an ancient stone tower built over 2,000 years ago. It's one of the best-preserved brochs in Scotland.
• "Clach an Tursa": This is a tall standing stone in Upper Carloway. It has been there for a very long time.

Carloway Bridge: An Old Flyover

The Carloway Bridge is quite special. People say it's one of Scotland's oldest flyovers. It was built in the mid-1800s. The bridge crosses the Carloway River and the Pentland Road. This road connects Carloway Pier and Harbour to Stornoway, the main town on the island.

How Carloway Became a District

The Carloway area used to be split between two parishes, Lochs and Uig. But in 1859, Carloway became its own separate area for official records.

Carloway's Townships

The Carloway district is made up of eight smaller communities, called townships. These include Knock Carloway, Park Carloway, Doune Carloway, Upper Carloway, Garenin, Borrowston, Kirivick, and Dalmore. The Carloway Estate stretches from a cattle grid near Garynahine and Callanish to another cattle grid near Bragar.

Life in the Community

Carloway has many services for its residents and visitors.

Black houses, a museum in the village

• A community shop where you can buy things.
• A community centre for events and gatherings.
• A hotel with a bar and restaurant.
• A youth hostel for young travelers.
• A recently updated Harris Tweed mill, where famous tweed fabric is made.
• A pier for boats.
• A medical clinic and a day centre.
• A museum to learn about the area's history.
• Two churches: The Free Church of Scotland and The Church of Scotland.
• A football pitch for sports.
• A war memorial.
• A historical society that studies local history.

Annual Agricultural Show and Highland Games

Carloway is famous across the Western Isles for its Agricultural Show and Highland Games. This big event happens every year on the first Wednesday of August. It takes place at the Show Ground, which is behind Carloway School. This show is the longest-running one on the island, starting in 1911. It's known as the island's "Premiere Show." In 2011, about 2,500 people attended the 58th show!

Getting Around: Roads to Stornoway

There are three main ways to get from Carloway to Stornoway, the biggest town on the island:

• The main road going north: This road passes through Shawbost, Bragar, and Barvas. In Barvas, it splits, with one path going to Stornoway and another to Ness.
• The main road going south: This road goes through Breasclete, Callanish, and Leurbost. In Leurbost, it also splits, with one path to Stornoway and another to Balallan and Tarbert in Harris.
• The Pentland Road: This is the most direct way. It's a single-track road that goes straight across the island's Pentland Moor.

Carloway's Weather

Churches and Old Chapels

Dun Carloway Broch, Lewis

Carloway has two main churches located near the Carloway Bridge in Knock Carloway.

• The Free Church of Scotland was built in 1884. It can hold up to 100 people. Services are held in both English and Scottish Gaelic.
• The Church of Scotland is right next door and was built in 1908. It has about 50 people attending services, which are in English.

Teampall Chiarain: A Healing Place?

The old ruins of a church called Teampall Chiarain (St Ciaran's) are on the east side of the Laimishader peninsula. Old stories say that sick people were brought to this chapel. They would walk around it clockwise and sleep inside overnight, hoping to be cured.

Teampall Mhìcheil: Another Ruined Church

Another ruined church, Teampall Mhìcheil (St Michael's), is on the southern shore of Loch Carloway. It's next to the ruins of an old village called Baile an Teampaill. People used to paint their farm numbers on the unmarked gravestones there with tar.

Football in Carloway

Football is the most popular sport in Carloway!

Carloway F.C.: A Team with History

Carloway F.C. (Football Club) started in 1933. After the Second World War, it officially formed in 1946. The team first played on a field called Altan Feirigro in Garenin. Later, they moved to a new pitch in Upper Carloway. The club represents the area between Dalmore and Breanish.

Winning Trophies

Carloway F.C. won its first trophy in 1952, beating Point 5–1 to win the Stornoway Cup. They had a very successful time between 1955 and 1957, winning several more cups:

• The D'Oyle Carte Cup in 1956 (beating Back 5–1).
• The Tormod Mor Tankard in 1956 (beating Point 4–1).
• The Stornoway Cup again in 1957 (beating Stornoway United).

After this great period in the 1950s, it took until 2012 for the club to win another trophy. They won the Co-operative Cup by beating Back on penalties after a 1–1 draw. In the same week, they also won the Lewis Cup, again on penalties, after a 3–3 draw against their rivals, West Side.

In 2013, Carloway won the Acres Boys Club Cup, beating Back 6–0 in the final. They also won the Jock Stein Cup, defeating West Side 3–0. That same year, Carloway won its first League title ever, after eighty years!

A Great Pitch and Famous Players

The club has the biggest fan base in the Western Isles. They also have one of the best football pitches in the Highlands and Islands. The pitch was opened in 1991 with a friendly game against Rangers reserves. About 1100 people came to watch! The pitch has been improved twice, in 1949–51 and 1991.

Two players who played for Carloway went on to become professional footballers:

• Ronnie MacKinnon: He played for Rangers and the Scotland national team.
• Donnie MacKinnon: Ronnie's twin brother, who played for Partick Thistle.

Carloway Townships

Famous People from Carloway

Many notable people have connections to Carloway:

• Angus MacInnes: An actor who plays Sonny Munro in the Scottish TV show River City. His mother is from Borrowston, Carloway.
• John MacKay: A main news anchor for STV News at Six. His parents are from Kirivick and Garenin.
• Willie MacKay: A football agent. His father is from Kirivick.
• Ronnie MacKinnon: A former football player for Carloway, Rangers, and the Scotland men's national football team. His mother was from Upper Carloway.
• Colin Sutherland, Lord Carloway: A very important judge in Scotland.
• Stuart Maclennan: Owner of Subsafe Audio, with family ties to Garenin and Dalmore.
• Christine Primrose: A traditional Scottish Gaelic singer.
• Norrie MacIver: A singer in the band Skipinnish.