Mealista facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mealista
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg) Mealasta beach |
|
 Mealista
|
|
| Language | Scottish Gaelic English |
| OS grid reference | NA991241 |
| Civil parish | |
| Council area | |
| 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 |
|
| Scottish Parliament |
|
Mealista (which is called Mealasta in Scottish Gaelic) is a small area located on the western side of the Isle of Lewis. It used to be a busy village, but today, not many people live there. This is mainly because of something called the Highland Clearances that happened in 1838. Even though it's quiet now, Mealista has a beautiful beach that many visitors enjoy.
Contents
Exploring Mealista's Past
Mealista's name comes from the Norsemen, who were Vikings. Melr-stadhr means 'lyme-grass steading', which describes a place with a certain type of grass. Mealista also gives its name to a nearby island called Eilean Mhealasta. We know that people lived in the Mealista area a very long time ago, during the Middle Ages.
Old Buildings and Legends
One old building ruin in Mealista is called Tigh nan Cailleachan Dubha. This means "The House of the Black Women". Some people believed it was once a nunnery, a place where nuns lived. However, experts are not sure if this is true.
Mealista During World War II
During World War II, Mealista played a small but important role. In August 1940, fourteen people who survived a ship sinking reached the shore at Mealista. Their ship, the SS Geraldine Mary, was a merchant ship carrying goods. It was hit by a torpedo from a German submarine called U-52 off the coast of Ireland.
Later in the war, hundreds of people were stationed in Mealista and a nearby area called Brenais. They worked on special equipment like wireless radios and radar systems. These were important for tracking enemy movements. The soldiers and workers even had a cinema, a bar, and regular dances to keep busy. After the war ended, the area became quiet again, and most people left.
Teampall Mhealastadh
Just outside Mealista, you can find the remains of an old building called Teampall Mhealastadh. This was once a small chapel, which is a type of church, and it had a graveyard next to it. Today, most of the old gravestones are buried under the ground.
