Aird Uig ( gd, Àird Ùig) is a village 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 the
Outer Hebrides
The Outer Hebrides () or Western Isles ( gd, Na h-Eileanan Siar or or ("islands of the strangers"); sco, Waster Isles), sometimes known as the Long Isle/Long Island ( gd, An t-Eilean Fada, links=no), is an island chain off the west coast ...
, Scotland. Aird Uig is within the parish of
Uig, and is situated on the C40 minor road which joins to the B8011 at
Timsgarry
Timsgarry ( gd, Tuimisgearraidh) is a village on the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Timsgarry is home to the Baile na Cille Church and the Uig Museum, noted for its giant Chessmen, discovered in the sands in 1831.
Geography
T ...
. The township includes of common grazings to the east and west of the village.
Aird Uig is a village of two distinctive characters. The south end is composed of a traditional crofting community whilst the north end is a composite of army barracks and buildings many of which have been converted into homes.
The Headquarters and NAAFI shop building are now the Gallan Head Hotel & Restaurant.
History
Aird Uig was first settled in 1825 by crofters evicted from a nearby township of
Carnish. Aird was chosen because of its remoteness and it was very difficult land to work, therefore of no interest to landowners.
Between 1954 and 2010, the
Royal Air Force (and latterly,
NATO), operated a
RADAR site at Gallan Head called
RAF Aird Uig
Royal Air Force Aird Uig was a Royal Air Force radar station located on the western edge of the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. The main masts and operations room were located north of the village of Aird Uig on Gallan Head, with ...
. The community is now trying to open the former base to the public as an observatory, gallery and whale listening post.
Landmarks
Taigh a’ Bheannaich
Taigh a’ Bheannaich (House of Blessings, or Blessing House) are the ruins of a church situated on a small headland at Druim Bheannaich to the west of Loch a’ Bheannaich.
RAF Aird Uig
Royal Air Force Aird Uig was a
Royal Air Force radar station. The station was originally constructed as part of the
ROTOR programme and it was operated by the
communications ground trades of the RAF between 1954 and 1974. After ROTOR, the site continued in RAF use as a communications station and radar site until 2000, when the responsibilities of the base were moved to
RAF Buchan
Royal Air Force Buchan or more simply RAF Buchan is a former Royal Air Force station near Peterhead in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
Buchan opened in 1952 as a radar centre in the ROTOR radar network. It was soon upgraded with the installation of th ...
, near
Peterhead in
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire ( sco, Aiberdeenshire; gd, Siorrachd Obar Dheathain) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland.
It takes its name from the County of Aberdeen which has substantially differe ...
. The site was then taken over by
NATO as a communications hub before being vacated completely by the military in 2010.
References
External links
Canmore - Lewis, Aird Uig site recordCanmore - Garadh Steishal, Aird, Uig, Lewis site recordCanmore - Aird Uig, Prehistoric Cairn site recordCanmore - Lewis, Aird Uig, Rotor Radar Site site recordCanmore - Lewis, Aird Uig, Rotor Radar Site site record
Villages in the Isle of Lewis
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