List of churches in Na h-Eileanan Siar facts for kids
This is a list of churches in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. These islands are also officially known as Na h-Eileanan Siar since the implementation of the Local Government (Gaelic Names) (Scotland) Act 1997.
Since the Reformation the residents of the northern islands (Lewis, Harris, North Uist) have been predominantly Presbyterian, and those of the southern islands (Benbecula, South Uist, Barra) predominantly Roman Catholic. At the time of the 2001 Census, 42% of the population identified themselves as being affiliated with the Church of Scotland, with 13% Roman Catholic and 28% with other Christian churches. Many of this last group belong to the Free Church of Scotland. There are also small Episcopalian congregations in Lewis and Harris.
The eight historic civil parishes of the area, by which this list is ordered, are: Barvas, Stornoway, Uig, Lochs, Harris, North Uist, South Uist and Barra.
Active churches
The council area has an estimated 92 active churches for 26,900 inhabitants, a ratio of one church to every 292 people. This is the lowest anywhere in Scotland or the United Kingdom, partially due to the remoteness of settlements and partly to the proliferation of denominations. An even lower ratio is found on the island of North Uist, where there are 10 churches for only 1,254 inhabitants.
| Name | Image | Parish (settlement) | Web | Founded | Denomination | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barvas Parish Church |  |
Barvas | Medieval? | Church of Scotland | Gaelic spoken. New building 1874 vacated 1924. Current building was previously United Free Church, built c. 1910 | |
| Cross Ness Church of Scotland | Barvas (Cross) | 1828 | Church of Scotland | Gaelic only. First CoS church planted from Barvas church 1828, closed 1905, demolished 1949. Current building 1909 was United Free Church, separated from Cross Free Church, rejoined CoS 1929. | ||
| Teampall Mholuaidh |  |
Barvas (Eoropie) | Medieval | Episcopal Church | Dedicated to St Moluag | |
| Barvas Free Church | _-_cropped.jpg) |
Barvas (Borve) | 1843 | Free Church | Building 1850 | |
| Shawbost Free Church |  |
Barvas (Shawbost) | 1893 | Free Church | Formed from Carloway Free Church | |
| Cross Free Church | Barvas (Cross) | 1843 | Free Church | Worshipped in South Dell building from 1846. Current building 1892 | ||
| Shawbost Free Church (Continuing) | Barvas (Shawbost) | Free Church (Cont) | ||||
| Ness Free Church (Continuing) |  |
Barvas (North Dell) | 2000 | Free Church (Cont) | Building 2003-2004 | |
| Ness Free Presbyterian Church | Barvas (Ness) | Free Presbyterian | ||||
| Lochs-Crossbost Parish Church |  |
Lochs (Liurbost) | 1724 | Church of Scotland | Gaelic spoken. Rebuilt 1796. Whole congregation left to found Crossbost Free Church in 1843 | |
| Kinloch Parish Church |  |
Lochs (Kinloch) | Church of Scotland | Gaelic only | ||
| Lochs-Crossbost Free Church |  |
Lochs (Crossbost) | 1843 | Free Church | ||
| Pairc Free Church |  |
Lochs (Gravir) | 1879 | Free Church | Building 1882 | |
| Kinloch Free Church | Lochs (Laxay) | 1885 | Free Church | |||
| Uig Parish Church |  |
Uig (Miavaig) | Church of Scotland | Gaelic only. Linked with Lochs-in-Bernera | ||
| Carloway Parish Church | Uig (Carloway) | Church of Scotland | Gaelic spoken. Building 1908 | |||
| Lochs-in-Bernera Parish Church | Uig (Breaclete) | 1880 | Church of Scotland | Gaelic spoken. On island of Great Bernera. Linked with Uig | ||
| Callanish Free Church | Uig (Callanish) | Free Church | ||||
| Carloway Free Church | .JPG) |
Uig (Carloway) | 1844 | Free Church | Building 1884 | |
| Uig Free Presbyterian Church | Uig (Miavaig) | 1929 | Free Presbyterian | |||
| St Columba's Parish Church, Stornoway | Stornoway | 1794 | Church of Scotland | Gaelic spoken. Dedicated to St Columba | ||
| Martin's Memorial Church, Stornoway |  |
Stornoway | 1876-78 | Church of Scotland | Formerly a Free Church and United Free Church (the United Free English). Named after first minister, Donald Martin | |
| Stornoway High Church of Scotland |  |
Stornoway | 1909 | Church of Scotland | Gaelic spoken. United Free Church until 1929. The continuing members of Stornoway High Church in 2013 (see below) | |
| Knock Parish Church | Stornoway (Garrabost) | Church of Scotland | Gaelic only | |||
| St Peter's, Stornoway | Stornoway | 1838 | Episcopal Church | Dedicated to St Peter. Previously an Episcopal church in the town from 1630-1660 | ||
| Our Holy Redeemer, Stornoway | Stornoway | 1961 | Roman Catholic | Building 1990 | ||
| Stornoway Free Church | Stornoway | 1844 | Free Church | Founded as the Gaelic Free Church, Stornoway. Building 1845, rebuilt 1850 | ||
| Free Church Seminary | Stornoway | 1858 | Free Church | Services held. Rebuilt 1900 | ||
| High Free Church, Stornoway | Stornoway | 2013 | Free Church | Split from High Church of Scotland 2013 over admission of gay clergy | ||
| Knock Free Church |  |
Stornoway (Garrabost) | 1843 | Free Church | United with Point Free Church 2017 | |
| Point Free Church |  |
Stornoway (Garrabost) | Free Church | United with Knock Free Church 2017 | ||
| Back Free Church |  |
Stornoway (Back) | c. 1859 | Free Church | ||
| North Tolsta Free Church | Stornoway (North Tolsta) | Free Church | ||||
| Tong Free Church |  |
Stornoway (Tong) | Free Church | |||
| Stornoway Free Church (Continuing) | Stornoway | 2000 | Free Church (Cont) | Building 2004 | ||
| Knock & Point Free Church (Continuing) | Stornoway (Point) | 2000 | Free Church (Cont) | Building 2012 | ||
| Stornoway Free Presbyterian Church |  |
Stornoway | 1895 | Free Presbyterian | ||
| North Tolsta Free Presbyterian Church | Stornoway (North Tolsta) | Free Presbyterian | ||||
| Stornoway Associated Presbyterian Church |  |
Stornoway | 1989 | Associated Presbyterian | Building 1995 | |
| Stornoway Reformed Presbyterian Church | Stornoway | Reformed Presbyterian | ||||
| Stornoway Baptist Church | Stornoway | Independent | ||||
| Stornoway Brethren Meeting | Stornoway | 1952 | Brethren | |||
| Stornoway Salvation Army | Stornoway | 1983 | Salvation Army | Building 1986 | ||
| New Wine Church, Stornoway | Stornoway | New Wine | ||||
| Manish-Scarista Church of Scotland | Harris | 1838-40 | Church of Scotland | Maintains three buildings in Manish, Scarista and Leverburgh | ||
| Tarbert Parish Church |  |
Harris (Tarbert) | Church of Scotland | Gaelic only | ||
| Berneray Parish Church | Harris (Berneray) | 1887 | Church of Scotland | Gaelic spoken. Linked with Lochmaddy. Built as United Free, joined Church of Scotland (nearby older CoS church now in ruins) | ||
| Christ Church, Isle of Harris | Harris (Grosecleit) | Episcopal Church | Dedicated to Jesus | |||
| Harris Catholic Meeting | Harris (Grosecleit) | Roman Catholic | Uses Christ Church Episcopal. Served from Stornoway | |||
| Harris Free Church | Harris (Leverburgh) | 1843 | Free Church | Minister joined United Free Church 1900, cause vacant 1900-1923 | ||
| North Harris Free Church | Harris (Tarbert) | 2014 | Free Church | Split from Tarbert CoS 2014 over CoS admission of gay clergy | ||
| Scalpay Free Church | Harris (Scalpay) | Free Church | Meets in the local Church of Scotland building. | |||
| Harris Free Church (Continuing) | Harris (Northton) | Free Church (Cont) | ||||
| Scalpay Free Church (Continuing) | Harris (Scalpay) | 2000 | Free Church (Cont) | |||
| South Harris Free Presbyterian Church | Harris (Leverburgh) | Free Presbyterian | ||||
| North Harris Free Presbyterian Church | Harris (Tarbert) | Free Presbyterian | Also meet in Stockinish, Harris | |||
| Scarista Associated Presbyterian Church | Harris (Scarista) | Associated Presbyterian | Meets in the Church of Scotland building | |||
| Lochmaddy Parish Church |  |
North Uist (Lochmaddy) | Church of Scotland | Gaelic spoken. Linked with Berneray | ||
| Kilmuir & Paible Parish Church |  |
North Uist (Kilmuir) | 1892-94 | Church of Scotland | Gaelic only. Originally North Uist Parish Church | |
| Carinish Parish Church | North Uist (Clachan) | 1889 | Church of Scotland | Gaelic spoken. Linked with Benbecula. Worship was regularly held in the smaller church of Carinish until c. 2006. Previously Free Church then United Free until 1929 | ||
| Sollas Parish Church | North Uist (Sollas) | Church of Scotland | ||||
| St Brendan the Navigator, North Uist | North Uist (Balmartin) | Episcopal Church | Dedicated to St Brendan | |||
| Chapel of the Holy Cross, North Uist | N Uist (Claddach Kirkibost) | Episcopal Church | Dedicated to the Holy Cross | |||
| North Uist Catholic Meeting | North Uist (Lochmaddy) | Roman Catholic | Monthly in Lochmaddy community hall. Served from Benbecula | |||
| N Uist, Grimsay & Berneray Free Church | North Uist (Carinish) | Free Church | ||||
| N Uist & Grimsay Free Church (Continuing) | North Uist (Knockintorran) | 2000 | Free Church (Cont) | |||
| North Uist Free Presbyterian Church |  |
North Uist (Sollas) | 1893 | Free Presbyterian | AKA Bayhead FPC | |
| Benbecula Parish Church | South Uist (Griminish) | pre-C16th | Church of Scotland | Gaelic spoken. Linked with Carinish. Original building Teampull Chaluimchille. Church at Muir of Aird 1707. United with UFC 1929 and uses Free Church building, built in 1886 | ||
| Daliburgh Parish Church | South Uist (Daliburgh) | 1863 | Church of Scotland | Gaelic spoken. Built as South Uist Free Church | ||
| Howmore Parish Church |  |
South Uist (Howmore) | 1858 | Church of Scotland | Gaelic spoken. Remains of 13th century church nearby | |
| Iochdar Parish Church | South Uist (Iochdar) | 1889 | Church of Scotland | |||
| St Michael, Eriskay | South Uist (Eriskay) | 1903 | Roman Catholic | Dedicated to St Michael | ||
| St Mary, Benbecula | South Uist (Griminish) | Roman Catholic | Dedicated to St Mary | |||
| St Michael, Ardkenneth |  |
South Uist (Ardkenneth) | 1829 | Roman Catholic | Dedicated to St Michael. Earlier medieval church nearby, which was parish church for northern South Uist and Benbecula, abandoned 1827 | |
| St Mary, Bornish | .jpg) |
South Uist (Bornish) | 1837 | Roman Catholic | Dedicated to St Mary | |
| St Peter, Daliburgh |  |
South Uist (Daliburgh) | 1868 | Roman Catholic | Dedicated to St Peter | |
| Our Lady of Sorrows, Garrynamonie |  |
South Uist (Garrynamonie) | pre-1964 | Roman Catholic | Served from Daliburgh. Dedicated to St Mary. Current building 1964-1965 | |
| St Bride, Gerinish | South Uist (Gerinish) | 1966 | Roman Catholic | Chapel of ease to Ardkenneth. Dedicated to St Brigid of Kildare | ||
| St Joseph, Howbeg | South Uist (Howbeg) | 1902 | Roman Catholic | Part of Bornish parish but served from Ardkenneth. Dedicated to St Joseph | ||
| South Uist & Benbecula Free Church | South Uist (Balivanich) | Free Church | Covers Benbecula and South Uist. Also meets in Lochboisdale on South Uist | |||
| Barra Parish Church | Barra (Cuithir) | 1829-1834 | Church of Scotland | Gaelic spoken. Congregation predates building. Previously worshipped in medieval St Barr's Church, Eoligarry. | ||
| Our Lady Star Of The Sea, Castlebay | Barra (Castlebay) | 1888 | Roman Catholic | Dedicated to St Mary | ||
| St Brendan, Craigston | Barra (Borve) | 1805 | Roman Catholic | Served from Castlebay. Dedicated to St Brendan. Rebuilt 1857. May be much older | ||
| St Vincent de Paul, Eoligarry | Barra (Eoligarry) | 1964 | Roman Catholic | Served from Castlebay. Dedicated to St Vincent de Paul | ||
| St Barr, Northbay | Barra (Bayherivagh) | 1906 | Roman Catholic | Served from Castlebay. Dedicated to St Barr | ||
| Our Lady of the Waves & St John, Vatersay | Barra (Vatersay) | 1913 | Roman Catholic | Served from Castlebay. Dedicated to SS Mary & John |
Defunct churches
| Name | Image | Settlement | Web | Founded | Denomination | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baile na Cille Church | Uig | Medieval | Church of Scotland | Previous churches in the parish; church built 1724. Rebuilt 1828. Congregation and minister joined the Free Church 1843. United with Ceann Langabhat (previously United Free) in 1979. Closed 2002 and services held at the other Uig church (see above) | ||
| St Clement's Church |  |
Harris (Rodel) | Medieval | No longer used for services (Historic Scotland). Dedicated to St Clement | ||
| Teampull na Trionaid | North Uist | Medieval | Ruined. Dedicated to the Trinity | |||
| Teampull Chaluimchille | South Uist (Balivanich) | Medieval | Ruined |
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