Barvas (
Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...
: ''Barabhas'' or ''Barbhas'', ) is a settlement,
community
A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, tow ...
and
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...
on the
Isle of Lewis
The Isle of Lewis ( gd, Eilean Leòdhais) or simply Lewis ( gd, Leòdhas, ) is the northern part of Lewis and Harris, the largest island of the Western Isles or Outer Hebrides archipelago in Scotland. The two parts are frequently referred to as ...
in
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
. It developed around a road junction. The
A857 and
A858 meet at the southern end of Barvas. North is the road to
Ness; west takes the traveller to
Carloway
Carloway ( gd, Càrlabhagh, IPA: kʰaːɾɫ̪ə.ɤː is a crofting township and a district on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. The district has a population of around 500. Carloway township is within the pari ...
and the
West Side
West Side or Westside may refer to:
Places Canada
* West Side, a neighbourhood of Windsor, Ontario
* West Side, a neighbourhood of Vancouver, British Columbia
United Kingdom
* West Side, Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland
* Westside, Birmingham E ...
; south runs the road to
Stornoway
Stornoway (; gd, Steòrnabhagh; sco, Stornowa) is the main town of the Western Isles and the capital of Lewis and Harris in Scotland.
The town's population is around 6,953, making it by far the largest town in the Outer Hebrides, as well a ...
. According to the 2011 Census it still has the highest concentration of
Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...
speakers in
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
(64% of the population) with 2,037.
Prehistory and Archaeology
Investigations since 1978 have found archaeological sites in the area that date from the Early Bronze Age to the Early Modern. Notable discoveries and projects:
* In 1986–7, there was the excavation of a small Bronze Age cemetery, which was inserted into the remains of an earlier Bronze Age building.
* In 1993, Richard Langhorne, curator of Museum nan Eilean in Stornoway, carried out an emergency excavation of a burial, dated to the late Iron Age.
* In the early summer of 1996, GUARD Archaeology excavated a further burial at Rudh a’Bhiogair, again en emergency excavation.
* Detailed surveys in both 1978 and 1999.
* Community excavations between 2000–1 as part of the Barabhas Machair project - found a group of Iron Age ritual structures, including a long
cist
A cist ( or ; also kist ;
from grc-gre, κίστη, Middle Welsh ''Kist'' or Germanic ''Kiste'') is a small stone-built coffin-like box or ossuary used to hold the bodies of the dead. Examples can be found across Europe and in the Middle East ...
burial.
* 2001–13 Mark Elliott, conservator at Museum nan Eilean in Stornoway, with help from friends and family, carried out walkover surveys.
History
Rev Allan MacArthur was minister of the Free Church in Barvas 1857 to 1887.
In the early 2000s, one of Europe's largest
windfarm
A wind farm or wind park, also called a wind power station or wind power plant, is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electricity. Wind farms vary in size from a small number of turbines to several hundred wind turb ...
s was planned for Barvas Moor. The
Scottish Government rejected the proposals in early 2008.
Teampall Mhuire
In Barvas is the ruins of Teampall Mhuire (St Mary’s Church), currently buried next to the Cladh Mhuire. The exact location is currently unknown as it has been buried by sand. It was last visited by RCAHMS in the 1920s but by the 1960s the OS survey could not locate it. In the 1500s it was one of the four parish churches on Lewis and a letter from the Pope in 1403 mentioned the church so it is at least that old.
References
External links
Panorama of Barvas Bay(QuickTime required)
Canmore - Lewis, Barvas site recordCanmore - Lewis, Barvas, Cladh Mhuire site recordCanmore - Barvas, Prehistoric House site recordCanmore - Barvas, Prehistoric Cairn site record
Villages in the Isle of Lewis
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