The Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, has made a proportionately large sacrifice in the two World Wars of the 20th century. The losses suffered in the Great War of 1914-1919 stand at 1,151, which accounts for about 8% of the total population, one man out of every six. This war is held to have ended in 1919 in the island on account of the Iolaire Disaster, when 201 island sailors were drowned in the sinking of HMY Iolaire on 1 January 1919.
The Second World War number is about 450, reflecting the vastly different nature of that conflict.
The main memorial, just outside Stornoway, lists just over 1,600 names on 23 bronze plaques. It was inaugurated in 1924 by the then landowner, Lord Leverhulme. The first memorial in rural Lewis was built in the township of Tolsta-Chaolais, a few miles south of Carloway or 20 miles west of Stornoway. Others were to follow during the 20th century; the Barvas & Brue memorial was completed in 2017.
All seventeen memorials have been photographed. Each appears on a separate page, complete with transcription and details on location and access. This information was first published on the now-defunct Scottish War Memorials Forum, and is reproduced here.
The Iolaire Memorial at Holm Point was upgraded for the centenary in 2019, and has been given its own page on this site.
Further information on casualties can be obtained from the two tribute sites Faces from the Lewis War Memorial and Second World War Tribute for Lewis.
The full list of war memorials in Lewis:
- Lewis War Memorial
- Back
- Barvas & Brue
- Branahuie & Melbost
- Carloway
- East Loch Roag
- Great Bernera
- Kinloch
- North Lewis (Borve)
- North Lewis (Ness)
- North Lochs
- North Tolsta
- Pairc
- Point
- Tolsta Chaolais
- Uig
- West Side
- Iolaire Memorial
Last updated November 2024
