Butt of Lewis Lighthouse

Designed by David Stevenson and built in 1862, the Butt of Lewis lighthouse stands at Rubha Robhanais, the most northerly point in the Western Isles. Rising 37 metres, the tower itself is unusual in that its red brick facade is unpainted.

The light has a range of 25 nautical miles. Buildings within the complex provided accommodation and work spaces for lighthouse keepers until 1998 when the lighthouse became automated.

Legacy wall

Comunn Eachdraidh Nis’s architectural team, inspired by this important landmark, designed a red brick legacy wall at the front entrance, enabling donors to purchase a brick to support the centre’s renovation project; within a year, all 250 bricks were sold.

Explore More

The Decca Station

The Decca radio navigational system for ships and aircraft became operational in its basic form in the 1940s

The World Wars

At the heart of the community are memorials to those who lost their lives in the conflicts of the last century

Crofting

Crofting is small-scale, subsistence farming which has sustained families throughout the Highlands and Islands of Scotland since the 18th century

Local businesses

Communities in the north and west of Lewis were for centuries enterprising and largely self-sufficient